The Crimson Sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving a smear of rouge across the sky, like a beauty’s careless dab of paint she couldn’t bear to wipe away, lingering for one last glance at the mortal realm.

Within the waterside pavilion, Rong Yu, sensing the maiden’s growing ease, rose to her feet. Her gaze drifted to the fading light, awaiting the promised arrival of the Imperial Advisor.

Han Yi remained stiff and proper, while Wei Qiong fidgeted with unease. The rotund merchant, ever resourceful, engaged the foreign girl named Chen Xi in tales of the capital, his practiced tongue conjuring narratives from thin air, a time-honored trick of his trade.

The Divine Lords of the Five Peaks and the Water Gods of the Great Rivers had withdrawn their grand formation, their golden effigies fading back to their respective sanctums. From start to finish, it was like glimpsing flowers through the mist, indistinct and elusive.

Across the Isle of Jade Urn, a gentle night descended, and soft lights began to bloom. These lights, scattered below, might illuminate a convivial gathering of clinking cups, or the ink-stained pages of a scholar’s tome. They reflected off the somber palaces of emperors, the carved beams of ministers’ mansions, or the humble, rising smoke from common hearths.

Should a celestial being cast their gaze down from the clouds upon Isle of Tung, the night would no longer appear so lifeless. A spark of vitality had taken hold, particularly along the banks of the still-unfinished Great River, where toil continued through the night. There, the magic of the immortals sculpted mountains and diverted waterways, and hundreds of thousands of sturdy men labored on. Their coin was earned by the hour, their sleep delayed. In nearby, simple but tidy dwellings, their wives, children, and elders, who aided with odd jobs during the day, could sleep with a measure of ease. And farther afield, new schools were rising, where children, should they wish to learn, could become students without cost. It was said that many of the masters were once renowned scholars, their temperaments varied, but their knowledge undeniably sound. Thus, the long, winding thread of light stretched across the Isle of Tung, blazing brighter than the stars above the Jade Urn or the Northern Reed Isles.

On the battlefield, Chen PingAn sheathed his dharma form and his twin sabers, descending like a fallen leaf near Zhou Haijing. “Well fought,” he said with a smile.

Zhou Haijing shook her head, grinning. “I was paid to do a job. It’s right and just. The Grand Li court has a good eye, choosing me. They certainly won’t lose out.”

Releasing her grip, the iron spear remained planted in the ground as Zhou Haijing fell backward, collapsing onto the earth. “It hurts like the very devil.”

Zhou Haijing stared blankly at the sky, as if still haunted by the writhing silken threads of the battle. She, with a lingering unease, asked, “Chen PingAn, if you did not have that identity, if you had not granted me martial fortune in advance, would I have fallen before Old Inkstone even opened his sanctum?”

Chen PingAn nodded. “The true strength of the Earthly Branches is somewhere between weak ascension and strong ascension, depending on the foe. Against the Clam, it would not have been enough. Do not be discouraged.”

Zhou Haijing nodded, understanding. Their enemies were Ascended Realm beings of considerable power; when facing them, the Earthly Branches were merely weak ascension. Against foes of lesser strength, they would be powerful ascension indeed.

She, a mountain peak martial artist at the bottleneck, had been forcibly elevated to the first level of the Supreme Divine Realm. As the linchpin of the Earthly Branches formation, according to Cao Jiu Gui, the advancement of the other eleven, their mastery of powers, their acquisition of treasures, were mere additions. But her role? What was it? Something from the art of reckoning… multiplication?

Zhou Haijing glanced at the iron spear. “Is that truly a relic from the hunts of the patrolman Su?”

Chen PingAn nodded. “Therefore, do not disgrace it.”

Zhou Haijing replied, “I’ll try.”

Chen PingAn said, “The Clam allowed the fight to drag on for two reasons. First, through the imitation ‘Clam’ crafted by Stop Water, she sought to leave something of herself behind, a thread of the Great Dao, for those in the mortal realm. She may wish to impart a bit of her being as a seeker of the Dao in the mortal realm. Second I guess… The traces I pick up are all strands of the great dao, it may be what she’s looking for. But that’s just my guess.”

Zhou Haijing, her hands beneath her head, kicked her legs. “I never understand what you cultivators are thinking about, so forget the ‘second reason’. I need to sleep! I’ll sleep until I wake up naturally, then eat and drink! Great food and great wine…”

Then, jolting upright, Zhou Haijing struggled to her feet. “Were there any spoils? Will there be shares? After this fight, will there be any extra benefits?”

Chen PingAn chuckled. “At least a grade of ‘Excellent’.”

Zhou Haijing rolled her eyes. “Is that all?”

Chen PingAn explained, “According to regulations, you can use your war merits to claim treasures from the Grand Li vault. But, I advise you, the merits of all twelve Earthly Branches are equal. You will not receive a single point more for being the fiercest fighter.”

Zhou Haijing nodded. “That’s fine, I suppose. The rule is fair enough. Don’t worry, though I love money and making it, I’m not greedy. I won’t be disappointed.”

Chen PingAn nodded. “Good that you are not.”

In their respective sanctums, Yuan Huajing and Gai Yan sighed in regret. The spoils they had planned to divide had vanished.

But Yuan Huajing, glancing at the clever new “puppet”, was content.

The body of a ninth-realm demon martial artist was remarkably resilient. Within this human vessel, it could engage in great battles without fear of ruin. Had Yuan Huajing inserted the spirit of an ordinary cultivator, it would have been a path to nowhere. The more robust the body, the more difficult for the spirit to meld with it. But Cai Yushan had once been an immortal, fallen in rank but still a refined jade. And, crucially, the fragment of Cai’s true soul was exceptionally clear. Partnered with Cai’s sharp intellect, and with the selection of compatible life-bound items from the Grand Li treasure trove, could Yuan Huajing, with Chen’s Imperial Advisor as a ready-made template, turn this puppet into a dual cultivator?

Gai Yan clicked her tongue, full of envy as she craned her neck toward the cave dwelling. “Ah, Yuan Sword Immortal has made a killing. It’s just not fair.”

Having gained clarity with this battle, Yuan Huajing bowed in the distance. “Not at all, not at all. When we return to the capital, drinks are on me.”

Gai Yan spat. “I’ve got plenty of money! I don’t need you to buy me drinks!”

Han Zhoujin sheathed his Dao Mountain, a scroll of talismans still unrolled. He examined it closely, marveling at its wonder.

The little novice, known as After-Awakening, hurried to donate incense money before the temple doors were locked at dusk.

From the platform, Yu Yu retrieved the arrow she had launched, carefully stowing it within her sleeve. She would cherish it, for it was the first time her word had brought swift execution.

Lu Fei and Sui Lin were busy copying the traces of battle. The dispersal and death of a fourteenth-realm cultivator left lessons within every detail.

Chen PingAn suddenly grasped both sabers in one hand, presenting them to Zhou Haijing with a smile. “A temporary loan.”

Zhou Haijing was astonished, hesitant to accept the relics of ancient gods. “These are…?”

Chen PingAn offered no explanation. When she did not take them, he began to withdraw his hand. Zhou Haijing quickly snatched the weapons, grasping them in both hands, and exclaimed, “They fit perfectly!”

Ge Ling explained telepathically, “The tangled threads of cause and effect have been assumed by the Imperial Advisor alone. Your duel with the ‘Clam’, her final choice to disperse her Dao, and your past strengthening through the tides, all align with the will of Heaven. Therefore, the Clam approves of Zhou Haijing. Also, the Great Dao’s inherent nature is that the Clam is attached to these knives and has some kind of unfulfillable wish for the future. Zhou Haijing, if you accept these blades, you might bear the burden of an executioner. If you cannot, they will be worthless. If you can, they will gain new magic.”

The young Daoist paused. “These are only conjectures. Decide for yourself.”

Zhou Haijing laughed. “I trust your words, and I trust my intuition! In the worst-case scenario, Mister Chen wouldn’t deliberately harm a meritorious individual like me, right?”

Gai Yan, sheathing her amorous record book, rubbed her legs and muttered, “As if you’re the only one who did well in the battle!”

Song Xu, sheathing his flying swords “Mail Road” and “Folk Song”, inspected them carefully. Mail Road was unharmed, needing only a bit of money to repair. But Folk Song was different.

Chen PingAn glanced at them all and smiled. “As I said, strive diligently in your cultivation. The future of Isle of Jade Urn belongs to you.”

The lone “youth”, Yin Ji, remained standing on the desolate platform. His greatest support, the Clam, was dead, her Dao dispersed, the Celestial Punishment of the Great Dao temporarily sealed. As Isle of Jade Urn was not Dao-ified, the fate of the Yin clan was sealed.

When Chen PingAn approached, Yin Ji remained unfazed, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the ocean. “A siege and extermination that ended in the death of one in the fourteenth realm. That deserves to be called a ‘feat’. It is a fortunate thing to witness such a thing.”

The cultivators of the Earthly Branches gathered around Zhou Haijing, suspecting that the Grand Shou Emperor had lost his mind. There was no other explanation.

Yin Ji raised a hand high, making a strange gesture. After a long silence, he muttered to himself, “I advise you to raise your heaven-supporting hand.”

Chen PingAn said slowly, “I know that you are Pang Ding of the Spirit Treasure City. Of course, I will leave no evidence.”

—

How to bring this to a close? Everyone awaited the return of Chen to Old Oriole Lake. Even Song Jixin, second only to the emperor of Grand Li, would not intervene. He glanced at Gao Shi, the knife in his green sheath at his side, and approached him. The Great Source Crown Prince Lu Jun, the new Imperial Advisor Yang Houjue, whose Dao name was Clay-Kneader, were chatting with Gao Shi, as was Great End Crown Prince Cao Zhao, who had returned to stand against the wall.

Gao Shi, the fickle blade who sensed the wind around the young hidden minister, was not intimidated by King Luo Song Mu. His expression remained calm, his breath steady, his palm stroking his sword hilt. He declared confidently, “Gao Shi, of the border army, greets King Luo.”

Song Jixin smiled. “Truly, you are a Grandmaster at the ninth-realm bottleneck. You know how to judge the times, and your attitude changes swiftly.”

Gao Shi said plainly, “It depends on the person.”

Xi Man, Song Jixin’s personal guard, cast an encouraging glance toward the wall, signaling Gao Shi to be bolder and speak more sharply.

Annoyed, Gao Shi said to him alone, “Since you are of the same profession, when this is done, let us find a time to practice our skills?”

Xi Man laughed. “You have a fine sword, a rare divine weapon. I would be at a disadvantage unless you do not use it. I’ll add a prize, wager this blade, and I’ll spar with you.”

Gao Shi scoffed. “Why don’t you just ask me to swear brotherhood and demand this ‘Green Waist’ directly? Wouldn’t that be simpler?”

Unexpectedly, Xi Man latched onto the idea. “If you were willing, I would call you elder brother now. I would prostrate myself, you would quickly help me up, we would laugh together, and you would ask me how I felt about being granted a sword. I would decline, but you would insist, and I would have to accept it. Then our brotherhood would become a legendary tale.”

Gao Shi was puzzled. “If you are so skilled at conversation, why are you not a storyteller, earning money beneath a bridge? You could save up enough to buy this Green Waist in a few days.”

Xi Man asked, “Are you mimicking the strange speech of Imperial Advisor Chen?”

Gao Shi was speechless, his momentum faltering.

Lu Jun stepped forward politely. “Lu Jun greets King Luo.”

Song Jixin nodded, his expression gentle. “We are family. There is no need for such formality.”

Lu Jun smiled. “My father has always held you in high regard, saying that the Grand Li Song clan has a King Luo truly worthy of the name.”

Yang Houjue coughed lightly, warning the Crown Prince to say no more.

Whenever Lu Huan and Lu Jun, both ruler and son, discussed Prince Song Mu, Lu Jun would ask if he had a long-lost sibling hidden away.

If so, they should bring him back immediately, without fear of family strife. They would weep together and join forces. He suggested that Emperor Lu Huan hire the best tutor to teach him the art of war, so that the Crown Prince could rest easy upon the throne.

Song Jixin smiled. “You flatter me. Thank the Great Source Emperor for his praise.”

He was more inclined to Lu Jun because the youth reminded him of himself.

Lu Jun asked curiously, “I hear that you and Imperial Advisor Chen were neighbors since childhood?”

Song Jixin nodded. “We lived in Mud Bottle Alley, next door to each other.”

Lu Jun asked tentatively, “Since we are idle, would you tell me about your hometown as we walk along Old Oriole Lake?”

Song Jixin smiled. “Why not? Consider it a stroll.”

The two walked along the lake. Song Jixin told stories of his hometown, and Lu Jun listened intently. He realized that Song Mu had been a harsh speaker. Surely his teacher’s patience had been forged by the trials of having such a student. Learning that his teacher had once apprenticed as a kiln worker, Lu Jun asked if he had mastered the craft and made any porcelain. Song Jixin replied that Chen PingAn had never formally apprenticed. Lu Jun was regretful, and wished he could ask his teacher for a piece of pottery to give to his father the emperor, so that he could show off to his friends and say, “Do you have this?” or send a copy to them with a letter.

Cao Zhao, never shy, trailed behind them.

Gao Shi and Xi Man walked side-by-side. Xi Man nudged Gao Shi with his elbow. “Elder Brother Gao, I will soon be a guard of King Luo’s manor, with no low rank. Surely a rank of seven or higher is guaranteed. You, on the other hand, must start as a common soldier. If we meet again, how should I address you?”

Gao Shi returned the nudge. “Who are you calling brother?”

Xi Man elbowed him again, and Gao Shi responded with greater force. Xi Man returned in kind. Enraged, Gao Shi aimed a blow at Xi Man’s neck and grasped his blade. Now, they will start practicing skills!

Cao Zhao, at the end of the group, watched the two Grandmasters engage in horseplay, and warned, “Every movement on Old Oriole Lake is reported to the palace court in Grand Li.”

Having deliberately been struck, Xi Man shook his neck nonchalantly. “Barely a tickle. It seems that your courage relies on this Green Waist. This sword is Gao Shi’s true ninth-realm bottleneck.”

Gao Shi was startled, lost for words. He had realized this himself, but hearing it spoken aloud was difficult to accept.

Xi Man said to Gao Shi profoundly, “Abandon holiness, discard wisdom, and robbers will cease; a martial artist enslaved to things, is not pure.”

Gao Shi said, “Without treasures, there is no struggle for treasures. It is not that I do not struggle, but that I have nothing to struggle for. Xi Man, if you were the owner of the Green Waist, you would not speak so lightly.”

Xi Man said, “A Wu, not effective.”

Gong Yuanyi laughed. “Cast a line and see if there’s a fish! Besides, I learned this tactic from a book. It would be strange if it worked on Gao Shi.”

Gao Shi clasped his hands in thanks. “Brother Xi Man, I appreciate your concern.”

Xi Man scratched his head, feeling guilty. His words are dishonest, but his heart is genuine.

Cao Zhao laughed. “A fine sword should go to a hero. The pure warrior should not be enslaved by things, lest his spirit be hindered. Without relinquishing the Green Waist, how can Gao Shi reach Supreme Divinity?”

Gao Shi turned to Cao Zhao. “When did you become so close to Xi Man?”

“The hero I speak of is myself.”

Cao Zhao smiled. “The sworn brotherhood of Old Oriole Lake. Am I not to be considered Cao Lüe?”

Yang Houjue thought that if Great End Prince were not eager to return, “Cao Lüe” might tour the Northern Reed Isles with the two youxia, “Lu Jun”.

Suddenly, over ten figures appeared against the wall. Xu Mi seemed to recognize someone, an elder of her clan.

As a child, Xu Mi loved looking through the family genealogy. Her grandfather would hold her as she flipped through the book, pointing at names and asking him to tell their stories. Some were thrilling, some were commonplace. Some who were recorded in the histories of Grand Li, even with biographies, were mentioned little by her grandfather, while those who were insignificant, even within the family, were spoken of at length.

Xu Mi had seen a name in the genealogy: Yuan Huajing.

Her grandfather said he was a Daoist, seeking longevity.

But even gods lacked freedom. He had not contacted the family for years.

In the Yuan clan shrine, the portraits of ancestors hung on the walls, great officials and minor clerks, good and bad men.

There was also a shrine to heroes, restricted to the direct line, where the ancestral tablets of those heroes were enshrined. Some of the names Xu Mi could not find in the genealogy.

Her grandfather said that if not for their sacrifices, the House of Yuan would have lost its ancestral home.

Her grandfather had told her when she was a child that a strange visitor had predicted that one would be a public official, while the other would be a god in the mountains.

Could that person be here? Xu Mi sighed in relief.

Her grandfather had held the Censorate for nearly thirty years. Although he might be incompetent and a sinecure, he was honest. As the patriarch of the House of Yuan, he had been strict with the family. Regarding trade on the Great River, he had forbidden any member of the Yuan clan from getting involved. Whether or not those connected to the Yuan clan by marriage had participated was something Xu Mi, having spent so much time in the mountains, could not say.

Her father was an unrecognized son of the Yuan clan, while her mother was the daughter of a wealthy family from Qingfeng City. Together, they had twins. Xu Mi’s brother, Yuan Cheng, was a bookworm, diligent and uninterested in immortals. Xu Mi, being lively, had been entrusted by Yuan Cong to his friend Hong Chongben, to calm her mind.

Hong Chongben, whose students were spread throughout the Grand Li government, sent her up the mountain so that he didn’t need to babysit every day. One reason he may have been so eager was a matter to be kept quiet. When Yuan Cheng and Xu Mi were young, the strange visitor who had predicted the fates of Yuan Huajing and Yuan Chong returned, saying that Xu Mi was of immense worth, destined for marriage to wealth. The Yuan clan could rest easy.

As for Yuan Cheng, he was said to have an exceptionally “pure” fate, never before seen in Isle of Jade Urn. But for the House of Yuan, this may not be a good thing.

Yuan Cong was both pleased and worried. Hong Chongben, an advisor to the Yuan clan, had also been present, but could not offer an opinion. Yuan Cong asked for an explanation, but the visitor had laughed and departed, uttering vague words.

The message being that there could only be one among the siblings. Separate, they would be well; together, their fates would clash.

Hong Chongben had lived in seclusion for years, writing and cultivating. He had calculated Xu Mi’s fate, once every three years. Less was inaccurate, and more would thin her fate.

After learning of the disappearance of the Qingfeng City Fox Kingdom, Hong Chongben calculated a hexagram. The hexagram was derived by drawing sticks from two cases of two different styles. In the end, the calculation was still a clouded mess. But the sign of the two styles intertwined with each other was that “”green mountains everywhere heroic tomb, do not see rich do not see poor. Why come in the world? Full of artemisia together one hill, turn around another peak clouds rise. See the end now!”

Hong Chongben took the opportunity to visit the Grand Li capital to view the Imperial Advisor’s festival with Xu Mi.

As for the Fox Kingdom, Hong Chongben knew that they had been secretly accumulating literary fortune and martial fortune for a long time. He had even visited the Fox Kingdom in his youth.

Hong Chongben asked, “What does Yuan Cheng think of the Fox Kingdom being stolen?”

Xu Mi said, “My brother said, ‘A blessing in disguise’. I don’t know if he meant it. He’s always kept his thoughts to himself, I can’t learn from him.”

Hong Chongben smiled. “There is no need for you to learn that.”

—

At Gowncloth Crossing outside the capital, Liu Tui sheathed his power to observe the mountains and rivers. The old Oriole Lake garden outside the city seemed to have deliberately left an opening, so that cultivators could see the shocking changes. The Grand Li and Grand Shou clans were behemoths, two of the top ten dynasties. Luckily, the two great powers were not on the same continent, or there would surely be war. Liu Tui could not predict what would happen next, and would watch from a distance.

As Liu Tui had expected, a time of peace had not yet arrived; the age of great struggle had begun.

If, without endangering himself, he could do something covert, perhaps harass the Grand Shou Yin clan, Liu Tui would have no qualms.

Liu Laocheng said, “Liu Tui, I will not be going to Bookslip Lake. The winter carp is unimportant. I will go to Streaming Rosy Continent, and force my way into White Porcelain Paradise.”

Liu Tui was unsurprised by Liu Laocheng’s decision, and asked with a smile, “Since you are leaving, and have cut ties with the Jade Guideline Sect, will you not send a letter of resignation to the Ancestral Hall of the Divine Seal Peak?”

Liu Laocheng considered this, and then realized with a start that it was a test. He laughed. “Fuck the letter. Since I will be a rogue cultivator again, if I do not ransack the treasures of the Orthodox Boundary Sect, then I will have given Wei Ying too much face… Forget it, I will visit Bookslip Lake again. Mortals need food to climb mountains, and I need resources to cultivate in the White Porcelain Paradise. After I have claimed the Paradise and ‘sealed the mountain’, I do not know how many years will pass before I ascend. All those years of thankless service to the Orthodox Boundary Sect, the Jade Guideline Sect should lose some wealth for this. Liu Tui, I will say no more. Farewell.”

Then, with a secret art, Liu Laocheng escaped into the distance, to loot the Orthodox Boundary Sect.

Embezzlement? What difference was there between that and a family head running off with gold in the middle of the night? Liu Laocheng was worthy of being the unyielding rogue cultivator of Bookslip Lake.

As for how much wealth he would leave for the next master, no one knows. Although Jiang Shangzhen would likely absorb the Orthodox Boundary Sect, whether that would cause a grudge, Liu Laocheng did not care. Gao Mian was correct: as long as your realm is high enough, problems are not problems.

Liu Tui began considering which dynasties of Windswept Continent had close ties to Middle Earth Continent. Once he returned, he would give them some words that wise men would understand.

The peddler, having earned nearly one penny of Minor Heat, decided to seek wealth and risk. He traveled to Ape’s Playground for the Azure Profundity Paradise. After traveling up and down the mountain ridge, he found the path to the paradise, and found a clear-faced, whisk-wielding Daoist.

Could this be Daoist Wujiu, known as Yellow Flower God?

There was also a plain-looking woman beside him, but the young cultivator drooled. She had an extremely narrow waist, and voluminous hips. What did he care about her face?

With such a personal servant, why would anyone ever go outside…? He quickly banished these thoughts, and said, “Are you Daoist Wujiu? At Gowncloth Crossing, a kindly immortal with a youthful face, accompanied by a qi refiner who called himself Liu Laocheng of Bookslip Lake, perhaps seeing that I was worthy and had a firm will to seek the Dao, sent me here to see you, to show me the scenery of the paradise. I apologize for this intrusion, but I hope…”

Yellow Flower God glanced at him and nodded. “Very well. Follow me up the mountain.”

The young cultivator was surprised. Was he not going to check his papers, test his Dao heart, or evaluate his worthiness?

Yellow Flower God waved his whisk, pointing to Tian Hujun, and said directly, “She is the master of Little Scale Island of Bookslip Lake, named Tian Hujun, a Golden Core Earth Immortal.”

“You can recognize her as your master for now. If you wish to become her Dao companion, do not bow. If you only wish to be wild ducks, then it matters not.”

Yellow Flower God stared at the peddler and asked him “You better make a decision.”

Tian Hujun was stunned.

The young cultivator was equally perplexed. Was this Daoist Wujiu a wicked rogue cultivator of Bookslip Lake? He had heard of Tian Hujun, the disciple of Liu Zimao. When he thought of the devil, he thought it should be Gu Can. The young cultivator cursed Gu Can, indignant. Why did he get to leave Bookslip Lake alive, and even become a disciple of the Zheng.

The young cultivator looked around, suddenly growing fearful. This was a good place to murder, rob, and destroy evidence…

Yellow Flower God sneered. “You only realize the meaning of fear when death is upon you?”

The young cultivator unhesitatingly took out the penny of Minor Heat and tossed it to the murderous Yellow Flower God. “That’s all I have! It’s not worth your life! If the Grand Li government investigates, even with your powers, it will be a problem.”

Yellow Flower God used his whisk to catch the penny, and gave it to Tian Hujun. “Consider it a worship gift to Tian. What is your name?”

The young cultivator said “Yuan Chengfu.”

Yellow Flower God nodded. “Not a bad name.”

Tian Hujun, although disgusted, took the penny.

Yellow Flower God laughed. “It seems that you have a big name that you cannot bear! The great name and the responsibility of the Lord, the Son of Heaven, the common people are all very happy. Are you not afraid of dying along the way?”

Yuan Chengfu replied, “A gamble.”

Yellow Flower God looked at him with admiration. “Good! Then, do you dare gamble again?”

Yuan Chengfu asked, “How so?”

Yellow Flower God pointed to Tian Hujun. “I am able to apply a fixing method to my mind, but how will it be known? So I can’t see you take her into the Azure Paradise. How long will it take before the flood arrives?”

Yuan Chengfu was dumbfounded. Were all the rogues of Bookslip Lake so wild?

Tian Hujun was ashen-faced.

Then, a jade-faced youth in scholarly robes walked out of the Azure Profundity Paradise. Yuan Chengfu was ashamed. Was this the master of the paradise?

Yellow Flower God was stunned, and without a word cast a secret art of escape, instantly fleeing hundreds of miles. But the youth reached out and grasped his soul, lightly tugging him back. Yellow Flower God was left soul-less. Enduring the pain, he obediently returned to his body and bowed. “Disciple Yellow Flower God greets sir.”

Tian Hujun sighed in relief. At least with her present, Yellow Flower God would not dare to misbehave.

Gu Can reached out and took the whisk. As Yellow Flower God’s soul returned to his body, Gu Can waved the whisk around his neck, slicing off his head. Luckily, the former was an unorthodox with diverse arts. Gu Can, lifting his arms, quickly held his head.

Yuan Chengfu nearly wet himself. He believed that this was Liu Laocheng, Tian Hujun, and Gu Can!

Gu Can said plainly, “Yellow Flower God, have you forgotten my warning? I allow you to be evil, as long as you can hide it from me. All the consequences shall be borne by both of us. But the first time I catch you, I will make you wish you were dead.”

Yellow Flower God’s head moved, and he spoke in a voice filled with hatred. “Disciple accepts his mistake. Do what you will.”

Gu Can’s expression remained unchanged. He flicked his sleeve, and a bronze cauldron appeared outside the cave, filled with boiling water. He waved his duster again, throwing Yellow Flower God into it. Then, he erected an enchantment, trapping Yellow Flower God within. Soon, heart-rending cries could be heard, and then pleas for mercy.

Yuan Chengfu was paralyzed with fear. The old man was Liu Laocheng, the woman was Tian Hujun, and the scholar was Gu Can!

Gu Can glanced at the young peddler and smiled. “You will follow Tian Hujun and cultivate on Little Scale Island. As for whether you can reach the mountainside, that depends on whether Yellow Flower God can endure this ordeal. Tian shijie, will you take him back to Bookslip Lake?”

Tian Hujun said anxiously, “There is no problem.”

Gu Can casually threw the whisk to Yuan Chengfu. “I can give you a gift without any obligation to you. But Zheng Juzhong’s place as my family can’t give it you.”

Yuan Chengfu watched the whisk approach, and rather than catching it, he rolled away to avoid it, fearing a trap.

Gu Can’s face darkened. Tian Hujun found it amusing, but quickly controlled herself when Gu Can glanced at her.

Gu Can said, “Take Yuan Chengfu and the whisk, and return to Bookslip Lake.”

Tian Hujun did not hesitate. She formed blue clouds to hold the whisk and the young rogue cultivator. She flew to the clouds, concealing her trail, and departed for Bookslip Lake.

Gu Can, bored, gathered dead branches and lit a fire beneath the cauldron.

Actually, the boiling water was from a verse of the Cutting River Classic. The fire was merely for show.

Gu Can suddenly stood up, puzzled. “Why are you here?”

Zheng Juzhong smiled. “To see the result.”

Gu Can asked curiously, “What result?”

Zheng Juzhong replied, “To see Bai Jing’s choice at close range.”

Gu Can was puzzled. “The Xie Dog wants to raise a sword to slay devils? Devour it to ascend to the fourteenth-realm? Does he not, the moment it is his actions?”

Zheng Juzhong answered irrelevantly, “Would a man who has eaten his fill still feel hunger?”

Gu Can replied, “Of course not.”

Zheng Juzhong looked toward the Grand Li capital. “Therefore, after scattering her Dao, Bai Jing will feel an extreme hunger.”

Gu Can said, “Then let her eat. After all, it is a fourteenth-realm demon. Enough for many meals.”

Zheng Juzhong smiled.

Gu Can roared with anger, veins popping on his forehead. “Zheng Juzhong, you son of a bitch!”

Zheng Juzhong was unconcerned. “I guessed correctly. I gave Bai Jing two suggestions, two paths to ascension. The path I laid out was too ephemeral, and Bai Jing could not truly slay all the swordsmen in the world… But devouring a remaining ‘half of one’, with no known origin, was simpler, with immediate benefits.”

Gu Can’s eyes were bloodshot. “Did you not promise Cui Chan to protect him?”

Zheng Juzhong said, “Gu Can, I ask you, how am I not protecting him? Cui Chan built him Bookslip Lake, that is protection.”

Gu Can calmed down. Stopping Zheng Juzhong was folly, but how could he warn him? To call out his name would be useless, as would be contacting Liu Xianyang…

Zheng Juzhong folded his arms, and smiled. “Then I will assist him, so that he can truly recognize his true nature, whether he is a hypocrite, a petty villain, or a… good person? This would be a more fitting form of protection, would it not?”

Gu Can asked, “Zheng Juzhong, what are you trying to accomplish?”

Zheng Juzhong was not the type to play tricks. All his actions would ultimately be worse than his words.

Zheng Juzhong replied, “Words are worthless, seeing is believing. We shall see.”

Gu Can gnashed his teeth, drawing blood from his lips.

Zheng Juzhong asked calmly, “If you died, he would be free of all burdens. Gu Can, will you die? Answer now, and perhaps there is still hope.”

Gu Can lowered his head, silent and trembling.

Zheng Juzhong chuckled. “Ah, humanity.”

—

Outside the Z-shaped yard at Old Oriole Lake, the attendants of the Grand Shou dynasty were frantic, but dared not express their anger. No one from the Grand Li dynasty spoke to them, so they had to stand there. They were not as lucky as Gao Shi, but they were alive, having not “died for their country” with their emperor. Even if war was declared, there should be an understanding not to execute envoys.

Officers of the city patrol had cleaned the ground. The corpse of Emperor Yin Ji was wrapped in straw and dumped against the wall.

Magistrate Wang Yongjin and his clerks were silent, wondering if they would spend the night at the Ministry of Justice or the Northern Bureau.

The head of the Northern Bureau, Hong Ji, rode alone to the entrance of the Old Oriole Lake garden, having blocked the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial.

Hearing the steady hooves, the two Northern Bureau captains cleared a path. “Commander Hong.”

Hong Ji nodded, laying his halberd across his horse. He said to the officials with a smile, “You can all disperse. The Imperial Advisor is handling this personally, and his Majesty has made a decision. You can return and await your orders.”

Situ Dianwu was blank, wondering what had happened. The Imperial Advisor had come to Old Oriole Lake?

Qin Piao frowned, hearing the hidden meaning. From Hong’s words, the Imperial Advisor had arrived before word had reached them from the palace.

But Qin Piao was worried that Hong was placing the Imperial Advisor before his Majesty, which could be used against him.

Hong Ji saw his thoughts, and laughed. “Qin Captain, what is with the frown? Has it been too long since you fought in battle that you have begun pondering the intricacies of court?”

Qin Piao said, “I’m just adapting to local customs. If I remember correctly, you taught me?”

Hong Ji sneered. “I know what you are thinking. Leave the Northern Bureau, and I won’t delay your rise. Go sightseeing, or revisit your homeland. I won’t attend your farewell banquet at the Iris River. It’s too expensive. If I go to the border, you can make it up to me.”

Qin Piao was shocked.

Situ Dianwu forced a smile, smoothing things over. “Hong, are you drinking in the garden again? Do you take your own people as outsiders? You should let Qin Piao have your position. His wife and children are here, and I will follow you to the border, what do you think?”

Hong Ji shook his head. “The Northern Bureau cannot function without me.”

Situ Dianwu pointed to the garden, and asked softly, “Old Hong, tell me the truth. What happened inside? Did the Imperial Advisor see the Grand Shou Emperor? Where did they meet, at the table in the A-shaped yard?”

Hong Ji rubbed his face, and sighed. “I saw him, but there was no drinking.”

Captain Qin P