## The Scholar and the Sprite

In the land of Da Li, Yu Province, within the hallowed halls of a Law Sect temple, the dawn painted the sky. A middle-aged scholar, having broken his fast with simple vegetarian fare, meticulously kindled a small brazier and brewed himself a generous bowl of Eight Treasure Congee. With the last grain savored, he settled at his desk, eager to lose himself in the pages of his book.

*Another day adrift, the book opens to morning’s gentle light.*

A young acolyte, his voice soft as the rustle of prayer flags, tapped gently on the window. “Master Chen,” he chirped, “the mountain stirs with clouds. Shall we ascend and witness their majesty?”

The scholar, a smile playing on his lips, marked his page and set aside the tome. “Indeed, little one. Give me but a moment to don my boots.”

The mountain air, still sharp with the lingering chill of a relentless three-day rain, demanded respect. The scholar, clad in a humble homespun tunic for warmth, laced up boots of supple deerskin, and grasped his sturdy walking staff.

He had fashioned a similar, yet smaller, staff of twisted wisteria for the young acolyte, a gift gleaned from the mountain’s own bounty. On their treks, the staff served as both aid and anchor, a silent prayer on the winding path.

Within the temple grounds, a swirling mist danced among the pagodas. The pair, one tall, one small, each with a staff in hand, passed by the temple’s tranquil pond. Carps and crucian carp, their scales shimmering like jewels, thronged near the bridge, as if greeting old friends. They recognized the familiar thud of his staff upon the stone.

The young acolyte had, on occasion, ventured into the mountains alone, seeking solitary communion with the clouds. Yet, past the midway point, fatigue would clutch at him, leaving him breathless and forced to rest countless times.

But when he walked with the unassuming, scholarly man, whose life was marked by a quiet austerity, the ascent was effortless. This mystified the boy. As they stepped out of the temple’s side gate this morning, embarking on their accustomed route, he learned that Master Chen was soon to depart. His visits to transcribe scriptures would become less frequent, their timing uncertain. With urgency, the acolyte voiced the question that nagged at his heart, lest the opportunity vanish with the clouds.

The scholar, his smile warm and reassuring, tapped the earth lightly with his bamboo staff. His voice was a gentle murmur. “The strength is still your own, not diminished in the slightest. I merely guide your breath, apportion your energy as we climb. Thus, your steps feel lighter. I have simply trod this path many times, and learned its secrets. There is no sorcery involved, child, no need for such grand speculation.”

After the scholar had left his quarters, upon his desk lay a sheet of Xuan paper, the ink still damp upon it. He had copied two lines from the Daoist scriptures, the *Da Sheng Pian*:

*”Do not open man’s heaven, but open heaven’s heaven. He who opens heaven creates virtue, he who opens man creates theft.”* And in vermillion ink, a comment was scribed: *”What is meant by the Way following Nature?”*

*”He who seeks vengeance does not break the Mo Xie sword, though he holds spite he does not resent a drifting tile.”* But the word *”not”* was circled alone in the same vermillion hue.

***

Far away, in the Jade Proclamation Kingdom’s capital, in Changning County, stood a time-worn house. Within its courtyard swayed a swing, for even spirits, it seemed, held a love for beauty. Xue Ruyi, a ghost of ethereal grace, donned yet another of her former court gowns, woven of silken threads and adorned with gleaming pearls.

*A beauty on a swing, a scene worthy of a jade scroll, hung amidst the verdant creeper.*

As she glided back and forth, her embroidered slippers tracing arcs in the air, her gaze fell upon the potted plants that remained outdoors, unsheltered from the rain. Unbidden, the words of the wandering Daoist, Wu Di, echoed in her mind. *”Grass,”* he had said, *”is simply a flower that never blooms.”*

Not long ago, the peddling Daoist had abandoned the haunted dwelling. Life was too dear in the capital. The rent had bled him dry.

Haunted it might have been, but a ‘cursed house’? Surely not. Any scholar, well-versed in tales of passionate love and tragic beauty, would scoff. A ‘cursed house’? Nay, it was a place *to die beneath a silken skirt, to haunt as a phantom, forever enraptured.*

The Daoist, having secured a new, albeit humbler, abode in another Changning County alleyway, had bequeathed the courtyard garden to the ghostly Xue Ruyi. Those that pleased her remained, the unwanted were sold off at a pittance, a meager offering towards the rent. The Daoist, ever sanctimonious, declared, “A humble Daoist wanders the land, adhering to but one principle: I shall never be swayed by the lure of coin.”

As a parting gift, Daoist Wu Di had left behind a collector’s seal, carved with five seal characters: *”Spring Breeze Fans Soft Harmony.”*

The seal itself was humble, crafted from a river stone the Daoist had scavenged while laboring on the docks, earning coin by chiseling ice for wealthy merchants. Its size was impressive, nearly the span of a palm, its face square and imposing. Thus, the edges were laden with carved inscriptions, the entirety of a poem by Jingjie, from which the phrase *”Spring Breeze Fans Soft Harmony”* was taken. Xue Ruyi, oblivious to the intricacies of stone craft, found the poem mildly amusing. One line stood out: *”In youth I was strong and keen, grasping my sword I wandered alone.”* Was this a self-serving pronouncement? She chuckled. He, a Daoist who had bought his official credentials, imagined himself a master from Dragon Tiger Mountain, slaying demons with a peachwood sword, “wandering abroad” indeed.

Had she known that the Daoist intended to bestow upon her a seal reeking of affected sophistication, she might have preferred a phrase he had uttered one morning over porridge.

*”I possess the plain and simple Way of Wan Qiu; I can eat white porridge and attain divinity.”*

Xue Ruyi was forced to admit, Daoist Wu Di had devoured many books. This was evident in his mastery of diction and sentence structure. But was he truly learned? She remained unconvinced.

As the rain ceased and twilight descended, Xue Ruyi swung idly, boredom clinging to her like the damp air. On days such as these, the Daoist would never have ventured out to his stall, an absence that had initially pleased her. “Let him,” she thought, “abandon the haunted house! How much could he possibly be earning?” Yet, the joy was fleeting. A worry gnawed at her. The Daoist was surely toiling, struggling to make ends meet.

Giving herself a well-reasoned excuse, she resolved to seek him out, to offer whatever aid he might require. If it came to coin, she possessed a hidden cache. Should he but ask, she would gladly lend her support, for they were, after all, friends.

Xue Ruyi, possessed of no small measure of power – the fifth realm no less – could easily establish her own sect or become the esteemed guest of a kingdom’s ruler in Treasure Bottle洲, were she not bound to her ghostly form.

She invoked her spectral arts, shrouding herself from sight, and drifted towards the Daoist’s new abode. Her past associations with Hong, the former Judge, and Ji Xiaoping, the Officer of Yin and Yang, had earned her some leniency from the City God’s temple. Arriving at the humble dwelling, she hesitated, a strange pang in her chest. He had bestowed upon her such an elaborate seal, yet dwelled in such cramped confines. Perhaps she should have urged him to stay.

The Daoist, he had confessed, had once roamed the world under the pseudonym “Chen, the Good Man.”

At first, Xue Ruyi found the notion amusing. It was a far more endearing title than the formal “Daoist Wu.” Surely, even the thick-skinned Daoist would squirm at such frequent use.

Yet, she had underestimated Daoist Wu’s brazenness.

By some consensus, he was a man of such fortitude, so thick was his face, that merely by pressing it to the earth, he could single-handedly defend a city.

In the past, she had purchased from the Daoist a stack of arcane talismans. As payment for this transaction, the Daoist had imparted two spells to a young neighbor, Zhang Hou, who now had a glimmer of the “Willow Tendon” realm.

Thus, the frustrated ambitions of the failing scholar, Zhang Hou, had been somewhat alleviated.

Yet, as they had agreed, Daoist Wu Di insisted that Xue Ruyi keep the matter secret. A fair trade – Xue investing handsomely in charms, and Wu freely bestowing enlightenment – held no need to make the bookish neighbor feel indebted.

He did not intend to settle in this place. Why burden the boy with an obligation he could never repay? No, best to leave it as a kindness, freely given.

Furthermore, the ghostly Xue had heeded his counsel, and refrained from recklessly leaping the hierarchy, burning talismans and issuing petitions to the Correction Department of Luan Mountain.

Especially after she learned a fateful piece of news: that the lofty mountain deity of West Peak, Gan Zhou Mountain, Tong Wenchang, had just been granted a divine title, “Da Du,” by the Central Earth Literary Temple. As a former palace maid, a favored attendant of the Empress herself, Xue Ruyi understood the rules of officialdom. To lodge a complaint as a ghost, at a time when the entire West Peak territory was celebrating such auspicious occasion, was simply unheard of.

Xue Ruyi, still cloaked in her unseen state, perched upon the low wall of the Daoist’s dwelling. Near the kitchen door she spied an unassuming old man, dressed like a peasant.

She was taken aback. Had Wu Di transformed his humble home into a fortune-telling den?

But the old man’s attire was hardly suggestive of wealth. Linen clothes, straw shoes, and a face etched with worry.

How strange. Had Wu Di become so unscrupulous in his pursuit of coin? Would he prey on the meager earnings of the honest folk?

It was mealtime. The Daoist Wu, it seemed, was busy within the kitchen.

Xue Ruyi hesitated. Fearing she might startle the mortal man, she floated away from the wall and rapped on the door, feigning normalcy. “Daoist Wu,” she called out, “I come to congratulate you on your new abode.”

Wu Di’s voice boomed from within the kitchen, “Ah, Xue, a rare visit indeed! Please, make yourself at home. I shall be but a moment.”

The old man, upon spotting the ghost, offered a respectful nod.

Xue Ruyi returned a graceful courtesy, her movement like water, before noticing the old man’s waist, where a jade-mouthed pipe was clipped. Perhaps it was his only possession of any worth.

Was that what Daoist Wu was after? How callous. Had his need for coin become so desperate that he would stoop to snatching such an heirloom?

Choosing her words with care, she offered the old man a subtle warning. “Elder, that pipe… it is an heirloom, perhaps?”

The old man nodded. “You could say so.”

Xue Ruyi’s heart ached with pity. She lowered her voice. “Then it should not be given away so freely. If you seek a fortune from Daoist Wu, allow me to cover the cost. He owes me some silver anyway…”

The old man smiled, but remained silent.

Within the house, the Daoist, apron tied around his waist and wielding a spatula, scoffed. “Xue, what is the meaning of this? To sever a man’s livelihood is a grave offense! Besides, are we not friends? How could you undermine me so?”

Xue Ruyi, using telepathy, responded sharply. “I am partial to truth, not friendship! Have you sunk so low as to prey on this old man’s precious heirloom? The heavens have mercy on you!”

Chen Pingan emerged from the kitchen carrying two large bowls. Steam curled upwards, filling the air with a savory aroma. Upon each bowl rested a pair of chopsticks. Smiling, he said, “Prey on? He’s a friend. Old Tong, try my cooking.”

Xue Ruyi asked, “What is this?”

Chen Pingan chuckled. “It’s called ‘Rice Soup’, a delicacy from my hometown, something found only in poor villages.”

Chen Pingan offered a bowl to the old man. The old man accepted the bowl and chopsticks, and dipped his head to take a sip. After, he nodded. “Not bad. It evokes memories of hardship.”

Chen Pingan raised his head and laughed. *Listen to this,* he thought, *This is what a village elder sounds like?*

Xue Ruyi rolled her eyes. She had jumped to the wrong conclusion about the Daoist, she thought. Yet, what if her well-meaning interference had been misconstrued by the old man?

The old man, holding the bowl, blew on the broth. “A compassionate heart, such as yours, will never be wasted.”

Xue Ruyi startled inwardly. Had he discerned her thoughts? Was this some arcane form of mind-reading?

She couldn’t help glancing at the cotton-robed Daoist.

Chen Pingan, settled upon the steps, ate his humble stew and spoke, his words slightly muffled. “Xue, did you not ask if I knew the Iron-Faced Lady of Luan Mountain? I said that I knew not her, but Tong Mountain Deity. You disbelieved me, thinking I jested. Did I not summon him from Gan Zhou Mountain to this very place? I can prove my innocence, and save Xue from needless troubles. Why issue petitions to a mountain’s government when Tong Wenchang, the veritable deity of West Peak, stands before you? Speak freely, Xue. Voice your grievances, plead your case.”

Xue Ruyi blinked, then sighed deeply. “Wu Di, are you so destitute that you must stage this charade, this clumsy farce, to swindle me of my coin? Wu Di, if you are truly in need, though we are not the closest of friends, I would gladly lend assistance. There is no need for such low tactics. It is beneath you.”

*Wu Di,* she thought, *If you can convince the Mountain Deity to send you the lowliest bureaucrat, I might believe you.*

He was lying to a ghost.

She felt a pang of sadness. Had Wu Di fallen so low in so few days?

Chen Pingan inquired, “There is plenty of soup left in the pot. Would you not care for a bowl, Xue?”

Xue Ruyi shook her head. She was too busy being disheartened.

The old man ate quickly, raising his empty bowl. “I would like another.”

Chen Pingan did not rise. “Lord Tong, help yourself. No need to stand on ceremony.”

The old man took him at his word. He rose and returned to the kitchen, filling his bowl to the brim, a torrent of rice soup threatening to spill over the edge. Hastily, he lowered his head and slurped at the contents.

Xue Ruyi rubbed her brow. If they truly intended to swindle her, couldn’t Wu Di have spent a bit more coin, perhaps hired a seasoned actor from the local opera troupe?

It was all an act.

*Keep playing,* she thought.

*If you can extract a single copper coin from this old woman, you will have earned it.*

West Peak of Gan Zhou Mountain shared a border with the Wind and Snow Temple, and boasted two future crown hills, with Luan Mountain towering higher than Gan Zhou Mountain. The deity of the former ruled the West Peak with an iron fist, her name was Huai Lu, and even her superior, Tong Mountain Deity, trembled before her. The mountain administration over Jade Proclamation Kingdom was Deerhorn Mountain. The reason Xue Ruyi had preferred to burn petitioning talismans to Luan Mountain than the mountain’s actual management, was because she feared the Jade Proclamation authorities must have played with the exams like she was a toy, implicating not only the City God Temple, but Deerhorn Mountain too. It was no use to complain.

At the Small Imperial Court not long ago, Luan Mountain’s Huai Lu and Deerhorn Mountain’s Chang Fenghan, both potential crown mountains for the West Peak, were not present.

Supposedly, the former was too languid, having reached the pinnacle of mountain officialdom with no further ascent possible. The latter, too arrogant, and having animosity with Luan Mountain, so there was rarely interaction between the administrations.

Xue Ruyi looked at the old man, who looked more and more pitiful every moment, and then the calm Daoist. She thought, thought, and thought, before saying, “What troubles you?”

Chen Pingan shook his head and smiled. “Lord Tong?”

Tong Wenchang hummed. “Everything she says can be trusted. No need to summon Chang Fenghan to settle matters. I shall personally visit Deerhorn Mountain and observe the flow of Jade Proclamation Kingdom’s fortunes over the past century.”

The old man then added, “Next time, put more tofu and pig intestines.”

Chen Pingan chuckled. “More tofu, certainly. But too many intestines would spoil the taste. The joy lies in the unexpected find.”

Tong Wenchang nodded. “That is the truth.”

Chen Pingan teased, “This journey to the Jade Proclamation Kingdom is akin to an incognito visit. As West Peak’s foremost upright official, you must not disappoint Xue Ruyi. You must be determined to plead the cause of the people!”

Tong Wenchang smiled. “Easily done.”

Chen Pingan jibed, “Xue, would you call this a scene from opera, where the Imperial Envoy, bearing the Sword of Command, arrives at the district, only to be met by your desperate plea?”

Xue Ruyi responded gleefully, “Then let us pave the road with yellow earth, sprinkle the streets with cleansing water, and herald his arrival with triumphant fanfare!”

Chen Pingan laughed. “Remember, it’s a visit, not a parade.”

Tong Wenchang asked, “If I recall correctly, the previous registrar here was Hong Zhongyu?”

Xue Ruyi nodded. “He was recently transferred to Lengzhou, near the Da Li Dynasty capital, to serve as the City God. A promotion, in truth.”

Tong Wenchang hummed. “Huai Lu of Luan Mountain mentioned Hong Zhongyu twice, intending to elevate him to the chief of the Correction Department. It seems Hong Zhongyu had stipulated that Ji Xiaoping, the Officer of Yin and Yang, be transferred alongside him, to serve as his assistant. The lack of a suitable position for Ji Xiaoping at Luan Mountain stalled the matter. Now, Hong Zhongyu has been promoted to City God of a Da Li Province, taking Ji Xiaoping with him. A fine future, far better than residing at Luan Mountain and incurring the resentment of others.”

Xue Ruyi was speechless. It was as if a village elder, seated at the edge of town, casually offered commentary on the rising and falling of the Imperial court.

But how could the old man have known such secrets unless he had fabricated them?

Xue Ruyi offered a cautious warning. “Elder, darkness falls. A mortal’s idle words about the inner workings of the mountain’s government can attract unwanted attention. The night patrols of the City God Temple are not to be trifled with.”

“The guilty fear a ghost’s knock, the innocent sleep soundly through the night.”

Tong Wenchang smiled. “Xue, since Chen… Daoist has taken a personal interest, rest assured that Deerhorn Mountain and the Jade Proclamation Kingdom will deliver a satisfactory resolution.”

Once the elder and Daoist had finished their rice soup, Xue Ruyi sighed, and since she was bored anyway, volunteered to take the empty bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, fetching a gourd dipper to scoop water from the jar and wash them. She walked out, and was greeted to the sight of the elder and Daoist smoking their pipes, content after their meal.

Tong Wenchang narrowed his eyes and said, “May I ask, what manner of man is the Eldest Sword Immortal?”

Chen Pingan held back a laugh and said, “Talkative, humorous, and kind.”

Tong Wenchang said, “Unbelievable.”

Chen Pingan said, “It depends on how close you are with the Eldest Sword Immortal.”

Tong Wenchang nodded, and asked an unsuitable question, “If you hadn’t called me, what was your plan for this domestic scandal? Would it have involved Zhao Yao, the Justice Minister’s newest division, secretly paying West Peak a visit?”

Chen Pingan said, “I had planned to, but there were some personal affairs to take care of. So I decided to have Old Brother Tong come. It doesn’t matter who handles the historical problem. I must warn you, I will be visiting a fellow villager next door soon, but I believe there won’t be too much of a commotion.”

Tong Wenchang nodded. “Do as you wish. I’m just an old man with bad eyes. Besides, even if the sky falls, it is the National Teacher who picks up the pieces.”

Chen Pingan suddenly laughed and said, “Isn’t this corruption?”

Tong Wenchang laughed. “People give and take favors. I was young once too, and I have a spark of anger left in me.”

Because their words weren’t hidden, Xue Ruyi could hear everything, so she asked, “Are you really Tong Mountain Deity?”

Tong Wenchang nodded.

Xue Ruyi looked at Daoist Wu, who nodded too.

Xue Ruyi then said, “Then who is he?”

“Xue, what are you even asking, can’t you guess? Are there any experts who know Sword Qi Great Wall’s Eldest Sword Immortal in this world? Besides us Treasure Bottle people, who can order the Justice Minister to invite Tong Wenchang to the Jade Proclamation Kingdom for soup? Or do you not believe me, and want me to make a formal announcement?”

Tong Wenchang said to the fellow person, “This is the Da Li’s new National Teacher, Luopo Mountain’s Chen Ping An.”

Chen Pingan laughed and said, “Must correct, two bowls.”

“One bowl or two, are you charging?”

“Of course not.”

“Xue, may I trouble you to bring me more soup? It’s not like any ordinary person can eat Sword Qi Great Wall’s Last Hidden Official’s own soup.”

Xue Ruyi walked into the kitchen.

Tong Wenchang was confused, “Why have you changed your mind? You’re okay with me telling your identity?”

To help Xue Ruyi get justice, with Chen Ping An’s current status, he can just tell Gan Zhou Mountain. There was no need for him to come to the Jade Proclamation Kingdom.

Chen Pingan said, “I realized something in my closed-door training.”

Tong Wenchang said, “Tell me more.”

Chen Pingan said, “Fishing three days, drying two. The fish and sun is hope, but the net is also hope.”

Tong Wenchang said, “That’s a new one.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Old Tong, haven’t you noticed something wrong with this place?”

Tong Wenchang nodded and said, “Now that you’ve said that, I can confirm that Xue Ruyi is fake.”

“It seems my deception isn’t good enough to fool a Mountain Deity.”

Chen Ping An got up and said, “But the soup is real. And everything you’ll see and hear will be real.”

Tong Wenchang said, “Looking forward to it.”

As Chen Ping An walked to the kitchen, Xue Ruyi knocked and said, “Daoist Wu, congratulations on the new place.”

***

Like a poor, sword-bearing errant knight, he had witnessed the boisterous spectacle of a village fair’s makeshift opera troupe. He had memorized the precise shapes of each tool, their individual purposes. He had studied the diverse movements, vocal styles, and recitations of the performers. The knight mused that he would need to attend several grand productions before he could truly understand.

His straw-sandaled feet carried him along the Imperial Way, a path that led him, eventually, to the outer gates of the Imperial Palace. The vermillion doors towered, adorned with rows of bronze studs, arranged in a grid of nine by nine, their presence imposing. The ornate door knockers hinted at the celestial guardians who stood watch over the gates. For a moment, he considered entering the so-called Golden Hall of the opera, but thought better of it, for there was a river that ran along the outside of the palace, and it was a great place to fish.

Within the borders of the Azure Apricot Kingdom, the Gold Portal Sect, the preeminent仙家 in the kingdom, was more lively than ever before.

For good things came one after another.

At Happy Mountain, they had cleaned out the heretical demons, and exorcised the corruption from thousands of lands.

And the founder of the Gold Portal Sect had finally been returned to her identity as the former Spirit Flight House.

The master, Cheng Qian, and the law master, Xing Zi, opened discussions with the Quiet Clarity Peak and the Jade Immortal Hermitage, and the members could finally be added to the Spirit Flight House’s jade book. And now, with the Flying Spirit Temple under the jade power of Lu, the Gold Portal Sect had two great mountains backing them.

And to add to the fun, according to the ways of the mountain, the Gold Portal Sect may now openly respect the White Jade’s master, Lu Chen, as ancestor, and the Flying Spirit Palace heavenly ruler Cao Rong as sect.

Because the Azure Apricot Kingdom emperor was sick, he sent the prince and the Minister of Etiquette to extend congratulations.

For years, the emperor had been derided for being the powerless emperor, and for the sake of the position of the prince, the emperor was forced to take many precautions.

Now, the word around the kingdom was that the prince took charge in Happy Mountain, and recovered the long lost jade seals, including the emperor’s appointment of the prince. With that, the Apricot kingdom now had all twelve Emperor seals.

The people say that it was heavenly mandate, and that the prince would bring good things.

A sword-bearing teenager sent a flying letter to Heavenly Troop County’s Zhang family, sent to Green Worm Shop’s Hong Yangbo, from Cow Horn Ferry Package Shop’s Chen.

Soon, the Zhang family master replied to the letter, and the Zhang family would arrive.

That day, Zhang Qiong brought Zhang Caiqin and Hong Yangbo, along with the Sword Immotal, Zhang Yujiao.

As a result, Zhang Yujiao saw Chen Ren, and remembered him from Splatter Peak in Happy Mountain.

This person was Chen Sword Immortal!

Zhang Yujiao didn’t know what to do. She had badmouthed him.

Chen Ping An laughed and said, “I was taking a walk, so I changed my identity.”

Zhang Caiqin then realized, and now it was clear that the battle was no accident.

Chen Ping An asked, “Lord Zhang, Caiqin, what do you think of Azure Apricot’s Prince Liu Yu?”

Zhang Caiqin hesitated, and the atmosphere became heavy.

Hong Yangbo opened the atmosphere and said, “Prince Liu Yu is very artistic, and wants to do good things for the people.”

Chen Ping An laughed and said, “Is that really so?”

Hong Yangbo didn’t know what to say.

After all, she invited the Hidden Official to Liu Yu’s coming-of-age celebration. The Chen Lord was in Happy Mountain already, nobody believed it was just a coincidence.

If Prince Liu Yu’s image was not good to Chen Ping An, then they Zhang family had made a mistake.

Zhang Qiong was straightforward and said, “It might be harsh to say that Liu Yu is good for nothing, but I’ve met him a few times, and he does have good intentions. But how is a prince supposed to know the plights of the common people? I can’t believe that he’s more capable than the emperor. As for his bad points, there’s nothing I can say, but I can guarantee that he’s the best that they have.”

Chen Ping An smiled and asked, “Then Lord Zhang is saying that Liu Yu is a diamond in the rough?”

Zhang Qiong nodded. “Chen Lord, I’m saying.”

Even though Lord Zhang acted calm, he was nervous.

Zhang Caiqin and Hong Yangbo looked at each other and noticed their anxiety.

Hong Yangbo was especially nervous, for it was as if the “teen” had completely changed.

Chen Ping An said, “I wandered through the city. If I had known this, I would not have accepted the request.”

Zhang Caiqin facepalmed and asked, “Should we deny?”

Chen Ping An massaged his head and asked, “Is that a good thing to do?”

As if he didn’t know anything, Zhang Yujiao asked, “Chen Lord, why do you not think Prince Liu Yu is good?”

Chen Ping An said, “The people in the palace are not good. Except for the Qingji official Ren Xiangqi, everyone wants fame, from the Shaozhan official to the Left Steward and Right Steward, and other officers, all of them.”

Zhang Yujiao was shocked.

Among the palace officers, most of them are more honorary titles than anything, awarded to veteran ministers, so the real action comes from the Qingji official.

Chen Ping An added, “And most of them think that Prince Liu Yu is an idiot.”

Chen Ping An meant that Liu Yu was considered an idiot by his own people, and the Zhang family was worse, and he himself, as Lord Chen, was the biggest idiot.

Chen Ping An said, “I don’t mind adding to, but I hate the possibility that I could ruin things.”

Zhang Yujiao didn’t know what he was talking about.

Zhang Qiong asked, “Chen Lord, what should we do now?”

Chen Ping An said, “It is not my habit to give up. Since we are already guests, we might as well help clean the yard.”

Zhang Qiong was relieved and thanked him. “With pleasure.”

At the moment, the Azure Apricot Dynasty was turbulent. There was a memorial to dismiss other officials. There was another battle in the government. The celebration was not as important for the Etiquette officers.

The Apricot Kingdom Emperor was old, and had to consider who should inherit the throne, and invited others to attend the celebrations. It was rumored that a big person would arrive.

First it was said to be a Nascent Soul old deity, then an ancestor of a sect, then it was said to be someone from the Yunlin Jiang Clan, and finally, that the Apricot Dynasty had brought the lord of Treasure Bottle, Cao Yong!

Why didn’t the Apricot Dynasty just bring Chen Ping An?

Before Chen Ping An summoned the Zhang family, it was nighttime at the golden house of a palace officer.

The officer, still breathing heavily, took his pleasure, and then touched the body of the lady.

The lady laughed and asked, “They say that the prince is about to become emperor. Are you going to be promoted too?”

Her lord had served in the Prince’s quarters for many years. When the prince becomes the emperor, wouldn’t everyone be promoted? She wondered if she could get a look at the emperor one day.

The officer snorted and said, “Don’t look at the prince like he’s a big deal. You’re all the same inside.”

She laughed.

When the officer got up, she tried to help him dress, and got smacked.

She pouted, and said, “A little boy like him, what does he know? All he knows is the flowery words. He gets fooled by it all the time.”

After being with the prince, he realized that it was all an act.

There’s no need to say that his majesty has talent, he just has a name. All he knows is the words of the sages. He’s an idiot. The only reason he was even the Prince’s right hand man was because he could do calligraphy!

A sword teenager was perched on the wall.

Before dawn, a coach brought someone to morning court. Because of the rain, the coach was bumpy.

The coachman tossed a handful of coins, and some fell on the ground.

The merchant picked them up, as it was their custom.

Yet another cart stopped, and it was the Officer of the Works.

The lord was worrying about the armory.

The people didn’t care about what was going on in the halls. It was good that the world was at peace.

Every time they earned a few more coins, they would be happy. If they earned less, they would try to earn more tomorrow.

A straw shoe teenager spent ten coins, and still wasn’t full.

There was one officer, named Ren Xiangqi, who ate there every day. People said that he had failed to become a minister. He was always mumbling, and using his fingers to count. The merchants all gossiped that another officer of the court had been appointed above him, despite scoring worse on the exam.

The sword teenager wondered why the officer was attending court with low status. The merchants laughed and pointed out the wrong way he was going.

On the Jade Dragon River, a few officers were yawning.

There was a Right Steward that spent his day drinking alcohol and talking about politics, but did nothing of value.

Within the most lazy office, the司經局, they were talking about who was getting with who, and who was buying what.

It seemed that the Azure Apricot Kingdom Prince was supporting a bunch of useless rich men, just waiting for him to become emperor so they could flex their muscles.

A talisman teenager, pasted with a spell, was wandering through the offices.

In the palace, the emperor invited the minister to discuss, with Prince Liu Yu, and the Gold Gate Sect’s Chen Qian.

After all, a very high personage will be visiting. What alcohol should they drink? What seats should they prepare?

For the Chen master, they had three plans. Should they use the Honglu Temple, or the Songtao Pavilion, or the Gold Gate Sect? The advantages and disadvantages are many. If they chose the Honglu Temple, it had government control over all aspects, but it didn’t look good. It might make them think that they were being敷衍. If they chose the Songtao Pavilion, it had good location, and the Dynasty could copy a仙家 residence. If they chose the Gold Gate Sect, then it was good for defense, and it would be very convenient, but it was too far away.

So the emperor preferred the Songtao Pavilion.

The Minister of Justice said, “Your highness, the Five Cities Infantry Department received news that Zhang Qian has entered the Songtao Pavilion. According to the rules, my men will not investigate who they are meeting.”

Liu Hao laughed and said, “According to intelligence, the owner of the Songtao Pavilion is a Dong, and is a fellow villager of the Chen master.”

Cheng Qian nodded. “Dong Shui Jing is from Dragon County.”

Liu Hao exclaimed, “Dragon County has good fortune. A few young people have made names.”

For all the people of Bottle Earth knew, it was because of certain reasons, that a young Hidden Official, along with Liu Xiyang and Gu Can, who became Zheng Juzhong’s student, were able to take half the positions of the Best Ten of Bottle Earth.

Looking like a young child, the master said, “I admit, Dragon County’s luck is amazing.”

An old military minister asked, “Da Li’s Lord Song Mu, and the East Sea General Wang Zhu, are both in the same neighborhood as Chen and Gu? Is there any interaction?”

Cheng Qian nodded. “That small alleyway is called Mud Bottle Alley. Also, the south Poso earth Sword Immortal Cao Xi’s home is also there.”

The minister thought, and after a long time, he said, “Scary.”

Had he known of their achievements, he would’ve been scared to walk down the streets.

About 清明 season, after lots of rain, the mood was high.

Because the Bamboo Branch Sect had recovered the Jade Cutting Mountain after the master went to the First Line Peak, only spending thirty rainy coins.

She did not say how the meeting went.

But by the news of the Right Yang Mountain, they knew that the master had met their master at the peak.

At the same time, the relationship with Right Yang Mountain would be maintained, and they would pay taxes as normal.

Today, the Jade Cutting Mountain official was happy, and saw a familiar face.

The elder walked over, and slowed down to greet the young man with a smile. “Why are you so knowledgeable?”

He had saved a lot of trouble, and now that the Bamboo Branch Sect had passed, he could invite back the former gate officer, Chen Jiu. The elder smiled and asked Chen Jiu if he wanted to return.

Chen Jiu asked, “Old Bo, what’s the news?”

Because he looked confused, the elder told him what happened,