Within a humble courtyard nestled in a narrow alley of Yongjia County, the capital of Yu Xuan Kingdom.

The middle-aged Daoist, claiming to be a demon hunter passing by, sniffed the air and chuckled, “I detected the fragrance of herbs even before entering the courtyard. If I’m not mistaken, there’s aconite and ginger in the mix. Could it be that you’re a rustic physician?”

Ning Ji blushed and replied, “I wouldn’t dare call myself a physician. I merely stumbled upon some medical texts in an abandoned apothecary during my escape. I’ve been learning as I travel, but I wouldn’t presume to have even scratched the surface.”

The Daoist said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a look.”

The young man quickly rose, grinning, “Why would I mind? Daoist Wu, please wait a moment, I’ll fetch them.”

His grandfather was elderly and a light sleeper, so the youth tiptoed into the house and gently retrieved a homemade camphor wood box. Returning to the courtyard, he handed it to the refined Daoist Wu.

Chen Ping An accepted the box, but didn’t immediately open it. He smiled and said, “Let me guess. The medical texts in this box were mostly written by practitioners of the Fire God School, which has gained prominence in the last three hundred years.”

The youth was utterly astonished, his face filled with disbelief. “Daoist Wu, are you a prophetic immortal?!”

Chen Ping An shook his head and chuckled. “This school of medical experts and physicians is particularly fond of using ginger and aconite. Judging by the herbs you’re drying, it wasn’t hard to deduce. It’s not as mystical as you think, and has nothing to do with immortal arts.”

Ning Ji understood, although Daoist Wu had “exposed his methods,” Ning Ji grew even more respectful of this Daoist immortal who never resorted to obfuscation.

If Lu Chen hadn’t revealed the truth, Chen Ping An couldn’t have imagined that this emaciated youth before him was the escapee that the Wenmiao was making such a fuss to find.

Chen Ping An playfully asked, “You even know about the Fire God School?”

Ning Ji nodded, a little embarrassed. “I often sell herbs to shops, and over time, I picked up some information from the physicians there.”

Chen Ping An smiled and opened the box, picking up a few books. He surmised that the young man had been using these texts to treat illnesses and earn money by gathering herbs during his years of wandering.

However, these books were thread-bound editions printed by common booksellers, crudely made, and often contained errors. Medical texts were different from ordinary books; a single mistake could lead to severe consequences.

“As the proverb says, after three copies, a fish becomes a Lu emperor and a book becomes a tiger.”

Chen Ping An quickly flipped through a few pages and said, “The meaning is that no matter how good the original text, after numerous copies and engravings, errors are bound to occur, with omissions, reversals, and mistakes unavoidable. If you have the chance in the future, try to find some good original texts and compare them. Learn from the scribes and proofreaders of the Secretarial Province, carefully examining the text and correcting any errors, so that later generations don’t perpetuate the mistakes.”

Ning Ji nodded vigorously, storing the words in his heart. But the youth frowned as he thought about his meager savings, wondering when he would ever have enough money to buy those so-called fine editions.

Chen Ping An casually said, “That aconite you harvested in the spring. Actually, the same herb, harvested at different times and locations, has different names and medicinal properties. This principle must be understood. For example, this aconite, in the ancient Shu region of Huangting Kingdom, and in the Dragon Province of Dali, recently renamed Chu Province, has better medicinal properties than elsewhere. It’s best when harvested and dried in September. However, in Chu Province, it’s called ‘mud aconite’. Since one region nurtures its people, the herbs that rely most on the soil are naturally similar.”

Ning Ji’s eyes gleamed. “Daoist Wu, I’ve only heard of Dali’s Dragon Province before. I’ll definitely go to those places someday.”

“A young man’s vitality is strong, and his ambitions are lofty. He must read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.”

Chen Ping An nodded, placed the books back in the camphor wood box, and returned it to the youth, saying with a smile, “Life is a long journey. Finding a place to rest and drink a gourd of water to quench your thirst is good fortune. I’ll share a few more unrelated words with you. Since ancient times, medical schools have had many disagreements, and they can be quite vicious when arguing. However, when scholars argue, it’s not about the volume of their voices, but the more refined and subtle their insults are.”

Chen Ping An pressed his hand on the camphor wood box. “Actually, the disagreements are not in the books, but in the people. They lie in the different climates of the places where the medicine is taken, and in the individual lineages and opinions of the people who prescribe it. Ning Ji, you can be considered someone who has read a few medical texts. Then I will ask you a question: with all the arguments between the various physicians, who is right and who is wrong?”

The youth pondered for a moment, hesitating to speak.

Chen Ping An smiled. “Just say what you want. It’s not a civil service examination. I’m not an examiner, and you’re not a candidate. I’m not a teacher, and you’re not a student. I have no intention of testing you. We’re just chatting casually, so don’t be nervous.”

Words and language are both a bridge between people, and also a barrier and boundary.

Ning Ji scratched his head, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Daoist Wu, is it possible that there’s no distinction between right and wrong, only better and more appropriate?”

Chen Ping An smiled. “You can slowly find the answer for yourself in the future. In any case, when it comes to learning, you can argue fiercely with anyone, but when it comes to living, you should be more calm and peaceful.”

The youth seemed thoughtful.

The Daoist jokingly said, “Oh, you actually understand such profound principles?”

The youth grinned. “I don’t understand much, but I’ll remember it first and think about it later.”

The Daoist stroked his beard and nodded in praise. “A promising child.”

Through the sporadic and seemingly random conversations with this Daoist Wu, the youth unknowingly became more peaceful.

It was as if a new place had appeared in the youth’s mind, named Dali Dragon Province, and as if there were some bookstores far away on the road of his heart, with a few medical texts placed inside, just a bit pricey… all waiting for the youth’s travels and meeting. And on this road that the youth had not yet embarked on, there seemed to be a few physicians on the side of the road, arguing fiercely, spitting everywhere, which was quite interesting… There was also a warm and mellow voice on the road, seemingly repeating a sentence, “When it comes to living, you should be more calm and peaceful”…

However, these subtle images and mental impressions, this poor youth named Ning Ji, was not aware of at this moment.
The Taoist priest said, “Meeting is fate. Since I was young, I’ve wandered far and wide, traveling everywhere. Besides setting up stalls to tell fortunes, I occasionally act as a traveling physician. Today, I’ll teach you a few medicinal formulas, named the Left Returning Pill, Right Returning Pill, Supplement the Center and Benefit the Qi Decoction, Yin Qiao Powder, Revive Yang Decoction, and the Purple Snow Pill. One can’t chew more than one can swallow, so I’ll teach you these for now. If we are fated to meet again in the future… then we’ll talk about it then.”

The youth’s face flushed red with excitement upon hearing this. He spoke in a local accent mixed with Mandarin, his voice trembling, “Reverend Wu, I only know about the Revive Yang Decoction. The books say it has the effect of warming the center, dispelling cold, and reviving depleted Yang.”

The Taoist smiled and said to himself, “These formulas more or less require dealing with money. Since you know the wonders of the Revive Yang Decoction, then I’ll pass on to you a method that costs almost nothing – back roasting. In the future, when you go into the mountains to gather herbs in areas with heavy miasma, start a fire at home first. When you return from the mountains, face away from the stove and roast your back. The principle is the same as moxibustion. Keep at it until sweat appears on your nose. This can open up the Governing Vessel and also has the effect of reviving Yang.”

The Taoist smiled and said, “I am a person beyond this world, and I have always been indifferent to money. Gold and silver are but external possessions, so I naturally don’t covet your savings. If you feel indebted and uneasy, it’s alright. After we part today, you only need to do more good deeds and cultivate kindness. Keep a record of your merits and demerits in your heart and repay them to the world. Just consider it repaying this debt of gratitude.”

The youth was confused, but after a moment of contemplation, he nodded vigorously.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Do you have paper, brush, ink, and inkstone here?”

Ning Ji nodded and said, “Yes, I do!”

As the youth hurriedly ran inside to get paper and pen, the Taoist raised his head and looked out of the courtyard towards the alleyway. A woman flashed past the wall. The Taoist smiled, pretending not to know.

Xue Ruyi twitched the corners of her mouth and whispered, “Swindling and cheating, acting all mysterious, nothing interesting.”

She had previously noticed the Taoist sneaking out of the house in the middle of the night. Bored anyway, she followed him, tracking him all the way to Yongjia County, wanting to see if he was going to be a lecherous thief or a burglar on the roof. Unexpectedly, after many twists and turns, the Taoist came to see the youth.

Just then, a righteous voice rang in Xue Ruyi’s ears, “This lady, you misunderstand Reverend Wu.”

Xue Ruyi was shocked. She remained unfazed, turned her head at the sound, and saw a poor-looking Taoist dressed in a cotton robe. He was young, but looked presentable.

She asked, “Who are you?”

The Taoist cleared his throat and said, “My surname is Lu. You can call me Reverend Lu. Not to brag, but in the business of setting up stalls to tell fortunes, Reverend Wu in the courtyard is my junior. I am only stronger, not weaker. Furthermore, I am proficient in yarrow stalks, planchette writing, plum blossom numerology, and so on. Especially in the art of ‘divination,’ I excel. Whether it’s tossing coins, looking at words, listening to bird sounds, or discerning wind sounds, perhaps it’s because of my utmost reverence and sincerity that I am divinely inspired.”

Xue Ruyi couldn’t guess the other party’s identity, so she patiently listened to this Reverend Lu being shameless.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that this Taoist claiming to be surnamed Lu spoke in a bookish, glib, and annoying manner.

Yes, he and Wu Di were clearly cut from the same cloth. No wonder he seemed so familiar.

Xue Ruyi was observant and had carefully examined the other party’s attire.

The young Taoist wore a wooden hairpin, styled his hair in a Taiji bun, wore a cotton Taoist robe, and had a black bag hanging from his waist, as well as a cotton package slung across his shoulder.

Noticing that she had glanced at his black bag, the young Taoist smiled and said, “It was a gift from an old friend who used to be a jailer. It reminds me of him, so I cherish it. Since ancient times, medicine and Taoism have been inseparable. I seek immortals and inquire about the Way, selling medicine and telling fortunes.”

Xue Ruyi pretended to be surprised and asked, “Does the Reverend also know how to read feng shui? Can you see the fortune of yang dwellings and the quality of yin dwellings?”

Lu Chen shook his head and said, “I’m not particularly good at this line of work.”

He emphasized the word “particularly.”

Xue Ruyi smiled and said, “If you’re not good at it, then forget it. I was originally planning to invite Reverend Lu to come to my house to take a look.”

Lu Chen tugged at the rope of his package and smiled, “To be honest, inside are several pounds of dried Polygonatum, of excellent quality, and most importantly, affordable. I originally had a use for them, but if you recognize their value, you can buy them. I can just make another trip to the mountains. Previously, in an ancient mountain called Quanjiao, there was a man of the Way who told me that if you take Polygonatum, as long as you obtain the correct method, you can ascend to heaven.”

Lu Chen looked at the female ghost lingering in this place.

Whether they are men or women, humans or ghosts, immortals or monsters, those who live long have many stories.

Near the Pass of Love, meeting a beauty for a thousand years, longing to see a beauty for a thousand years.

Xue Ruyi scoffed upon hearing this. Eat a few pounds of Polygonatum and you can attain the Dao and ascend to heaven?

If you’re going to learn from someone, why learn from Wu Di, who likes to get close and then rip people off?

However, Xue Ruyi couldn’t help but wonder if this young swindler surnamed Lu was the person Wu Di had found in the Jade Xuan Kingdom’s capital?

Judging by their ages, could he be Wu Di’s illegitimate son who had been scattered?

But the two didn’t look alike.

Lu Chen was slightly embarrassed. What was this Miss Xue thinking?

Chen Ping’an’s appearance could only be considered decent, but he was definitely handsome.

Xue Ruyi asked with a smile, “Reverend Wu likes to plant flowers in his courtyard, and Reverend Lu likes to go up the mountain to pick herbs?”

“Occasionally, occasionally. After all, treating illnesses and saving people involves life and death. If used well, it’s like a skilled doctor bringing the dead back to life. If used poorly, it’s like killing with three fingers, resentment runs deep like a sharp blade. How dare I not be careful?”

Lu Chen smiled and said, “You may not know, but one of the founders of our profession once laid down a rule that you must be well-versed in the past and present, and understand heaven and humanity. Those who are neither close to immortals nor close to Buddhas must not practice medicine for a living.”

She mocked, “According to your statement, how many qualified doctors are there in the world?”

The young Taoist looked ashamed. “I’m tongue-tied and can’t possibly out-argue you, Miss.”

Since Wu Di had come here just to get close to a youth, Xue Ruyi was too lazy to continue arguing with this Lu in the alley, so she turned around and left.

Lu Chen called out after she turned around, “Miss Xue, please wait.”

Xue Ruyi turned her head and found that the young Taoist somehow had two fresh sprigs of mugwort in his hand, seemingly covered with dew.

She frowned slightly, wondering where this thing in his hand had come from.
Lu Chen extended his hand, offering the mugwort, and smiled, “On this fifth day of the fifth month, I present you with a pair of these. Miss Xue, you can hang them at your doorway during this year’s Dragon Boat Festival to ensure peace and safety.”

Xue Ruyi narrowed her eyes and chuckled, “Putting aside the customs and intricacies of hanging mugwort, I only ask you one thing, Master Lu. Can hanging them at the door ward off evil spirits and demons?”

The Taoist nodded vigorously, “Absolutely!”

Xue Ruyi scoffed inwardly. This swindling Taoist is not even as good as Wu Di. At least Wu Di recognized that she was a female ghost. This fellow named Lu is far worse.

The female ghost gracefully departed. Lu Chen then flicked his wrist, and the two sprigs of mugwort vanished from his hand, appearing instead at the entrance of the haunted mansion. The mugwort hovered in the air, slowly approaching the gate at a pace imperceptible to the naked eye. If an immortal were to witness this, they could roughly calculate that the mugwort would adhere to the gate precisely at sunrise on the Dragon Boat Festival.

Lu Chen gripped the low wall with both hands, emitted a soft shout, focused his qi in his dantian, and leaped over the wall, landing gracefully in the courtyard.

The Taoist flicked his sleeves, his face beaming with pride. “This humble Taoist has quite the agility!”

Xue Ruyi, concealed on the roof ridge, spat in disdain upon witnessing this.

Inside the courtyard, Chen Ping An had finished writing the several prescriptions for the boy. He even came up with a lame excuse to write an additional prescription and instructions on how to decoct the herbs, totaling three sheets of paper.

Chen Ping An didn’t even glance at Lu Chen, who had arrived with a satchel slung across his shoulder and a medicine pouch hanging from his waist.

As for when Lu Chen arrived and the content of his conversation with Xue Ruyi in the alley, Chen Ping An was unaware.

Lu Chen hurried over and pressed down on the three sheets of paper, anxiously saying, “Fellow Taoist Wu, put them away, put them away! What kind of behavior is this? We Taoists are upright and honorable men! How can we profit from the generosity of others?”

Chen Ping An’s intentions were clear: helping Lu Chen with this favor would settle the debt from back then.

The boy was bewildered, unsure of the identity of this young Taoist who had jumped over the wall.

However, judging by the situation, he and Master Wu were old acquaintances? Then he couldn’t be a bad person.

Lu Chen smiled and said, “Young man, please fetch a ladle of water for me. Remember to pour it into a white bowl.”

Ning Ji nodded and went to the kitchen to fetch water with a gourd dipper.

Chen Ping An organized all the prescriptions except for the three, stacked them neatly, and placed them gently on the stool serving as a makeshift table.

Lu Chen sat on the steps, took the white bowl from the boy, and smiled, “Whether using medicine to heal or ascending the mountain to cultivate, the skill lies in understanding yin and yang. With myriad methods, one never exceeds the two principles.”

Ning Ji was a bit awkward, glancing at the nearby Master Wu. Master Wu smiled and nodded, indicating that the boy shouldn’t feel constrained.

Lu Chen shook the white bowl in his hand and said with a smile, “I am Lu Chen, Taoist name ‘Nanhua,’ and one of the heads of White Jade City. Tonight, I came here to accept you as my direct disciple. Ning Ji, are you willing to take Lu Chen as your teacher?”

Ning Ji was stunned and a bit dazed. The terms and phrases that the young Taoist spouted were things the boy had never heard of before.

He only understood one thing: the man wanted to take him as a disciple.

Ning Ji’s face flushed red as he looked again at Master Wu.

But this time, Master Wu neither nodded nor shook his head, offering no indication at all.

Lu Chen chuckled, first placing the white bowl aside. He raised both hands and made a fist. “Ning Ji, guess left or right. Guess whichever you like.”

Ning Ji subconsciously glanced at Master Wu one more time. The latter nodded lightly.

The boy looked left and right, and whispered, “Guess right.”

Lu Chen turned sideways, with his back to Chen Ping An, and opened both hands. In each hand was a seal, with the inscription facing Lu Chen himself. The boy only saw two lines of inscription, differing by a single character.

*You Fang Zhi Nei* (Within Wandering) and *You Fang Zhi Wai* (Outside Wandering).

Lu Chen clenched his fists again, raised his sleeves, and let go. The two seals slid into his sleeves. He smiled and said, “Ning Ji, look at our Master Wu, he is content in his own way. Although he exerts himself all day long, appearing busy, his spirit remains unchanged. This is what the stories of gods and monsters refer to as a man of great attainment, his form within wandering, his heart outside wandering.”

Chen Ping An dismissed it with a smile.

Three thousand years ago, before traveling to the Azure Abyss, Lu Chen had long stated in books: what is a Grandmaster? One who is *You Fang Zhi Wai*.

It’s an extremely pure and profound Taoist saying, but perhaps, just perhaps, it also contains another layer of meaning: a pure martial artist who ascends to godhood becomes a Grandmaster.

Chen Ping An suddenly felt a river of time seem to freeze.

The boy Ning Ji had become still.

Naturally, this was the work of Headmaster Lu.

Lu Chen reached out and brought over two more jars of wine, one the Crow’s Cry Wine from the Pool City of the Book Scroll Lake, the other the Spring Slumber Wine from the Cultivated Cloud Peak of Cloudglow Mountain.

At the same time, three hanging scrolls appeared in the courtyard, all portraits of Chen Ping An, but slightly different: standing at the stake by the sword furnace, pinching a talisman between his fingers, and carrying a sword on his back.

The foundations that the boy from Mud Bottle Alley established in the years to come after leaving home, in order of importance: martial arts, talismans, and swordsmanship.

First, learning boxing to protect his life, then cultivating talismans for self-preservation, and finally practicing swordsmanship to ascend to greater heights.

“This Ning Ji is naturally suited for cultivating talismans. In fact, he can cultivate anything. There’s almost no threshold, because as long as he wants to learn, opportunities will come to him. Just like you coming here tonight, I had no choice but to come along.”

After this introduction, Lu Chen paused for a moment and pointed to the hanging scroll of Chen Ping An pinching a talisman between his fingers. “It’s the Light Guiding Talisman, like traveling far at night with a torch. It’s indeed very suitable for us… people.”

Then, as if in a fleeting glance, all that he saw were images of Chen Ping An using different talismans in different years and situations.

Back then, on the ferry in the underground river, when Chen Ping An practiced boxing, he would write a Mind-Cleansing and Peace-Restoring Talisman to focus his mind, and the Filth-Dispelling and Dust-Washing Talisman, both located in the first few pages of the *Book of True Traces*. Every time night fell, the straw-sandaled boy would hike across mountains, he would conjure up a Yang Energy Torch Talisman to determine if there were any fierce ghosts or evil spirits in the surrounding mountains and waters, to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. On his travels, amidst the distant mountains and rivers, when facing enemies and engaging in martial arts combat, he would use the Dimension-Shrinking Talisman that could shrink the earth’s veins, assisting the Divine Man Drumming style, or if he encountered ghosts, he would use the Pagoda Suppressing Demon Talisman.

Then, a handsome Qi Refiner, whose gender was difficult to distinguish, appeared in the painting.

Lu Chen lazily said, “Lu Tai, your good friend, after separating from you, in one of the four divided Lotus Root Blessed Lands, Hibiscus Mountain, raised a dog named Lu Chen.”
Chen Ping’an gazed at the scenes constantly changing and showcasing “himself,” not thinking much about it, merely feeling that he had traveled to so many places.

During his first journey to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, after leaving the Upside-down Mountain, Chen Ping’an traveled on the intercontinental ferry Swallow Treasure Whale. Apart from being “entangled” by Lu Tai, it was at the Yu Yin Mountain Estate that Chen Ping’an discovered that after entering the Qi Refining Realm of a martial artist, he could draw the “Mountain and River Sword Edict Talisman” and the “Rain Summoning Talisman.” Although they were still low-grade talismans in the Dan Shu Zhenji, they were, according to the book, very miraculous and had many uses. However, Chen Ping’an, who had been able to draw these two talismans for a while, had always used them very sparingly, until he was in the Monster Suppressing Tower guarded by Qing Tong. In an illusionary world of a parasol leaf, where there was a severe drought, Chen Ping’an, in order to pray for rain, offered this kind of Taoist altar talisman for the first time, one that could bring “darkness to the heavens and earth, and a great rain to flow.”

Lu Chen laughed: “Actually, these two talismans that you have hardly ever used have the most interactions with you and the thickest Taoist connections on the mountain.”

In the dragon kiln in Chen Ping’an’s hometown where he was an apprentice, there was once a Rain Master who stoked the fire.

It was also a box of rouge buried in the Mud Bottle Alley that made Chen Ping’an seem to be naturally close to the Great Dao of Water.

“On the ferry, you first clearly sensed what true ‘Soul Stability’ was, because you could finally clearly hear the sound of dripping water when your three souls passed through the lake of the heart. At that time, you were busy being happy, and you didn’t know that not all Qi Refiners, even if they became Earth Immortals, could detect the passage of their three souls. Being able to do so, of course, is thanks to the androgynous guy’s legacy.”

Chen Ping’an reached for the hovering pot of Black Crow Wine and began to drink silently.

Lu Chen then took the pot of Spring Slumber Wine and continued to say to himself: “Mountain and River Sword Edict Talisman, you were inexperienced back then, so you couldn’t figure out what the three mountains were, and you were always skeptical as to why a Qi Refiner holding this talisman could command the respect of gods and ghosts, and they would take the initiative to give way.”

Last time in the Outer Heavens, on the way back to the Vast Expanse, Li Xisheng appeared to help solve the puzzle, allowing Chen Ping’an to finally confirm that he had some connection with the Three Mountains and Nine Marquises Gentleman, but not in the general sense of Taoist affinity. It turned out that one of the four candidates for the Ten Heroes of the Ancient World had his foothold in the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven in the Mud Bottle Alley, but he had no interaction with any of the Chen families in the small town.

“Even now, you still don’t know, or rather, you are not sure what the ‘river’ in this talisman refers to. Senior Brother only said vaguely in the book that in ancient times, there were gods who presided over rivers, responsible for beheading evil and eliminating evil spirits, and who liked to devour all kinds of ghosts. You have of course guessed that it is related to the Gentleman Zhong Kui of the Dafu Academy, but you don’t dare to believe it, or rather, you are not particularly willing to believe it.”

“Heh, Dafu Academy, Dafu, Dog Days, naturally often needs rain. Zhong Kui happens to be from such a Confucian academy, isn’t that a coincidence?”

“You first met Zhong Kui in Fox Town on the border of Daquan, but Zhong Kui first revealed his divine power outside of Confucianism, it seems, in that Buried River, right?”

“You didn’t have much thought about the Rain Summoning Talisman back then, to a large extent, because you hadn’t refined your Five Elements Natal Object. Later, you bought a Five-Colored Golden Cabinet Stove from the Qinghu Palace Taoist Lu Yong at a bargain price, which was a dispensable thing for him but a priceless treasure for you. Hehe, five colors, isn’t that even more of a coincidence, right?”

Speaking of this, Lu Chen seemed to be a little thirsty, and quickly looked up to drink, gulping down a large mouthful of wine.

Chen Ping’an finally smiled and asked: “What does Sect Leader Lu mean to say, are these things waiting for people, or are people doing things?”

Lu Chen said: “Good question, good question, Cao Rong would be beaten to death before he could ask such a question. Earlier on Splash-Ink Peak, he kept saying that his disciple was dull, so I had to comfort him with one look after another, but the fact is, he just is.”

Chen Ping’an looked straight ahead and moved the wine pot slightly towards Lu Chen’s side. Lu Chen then tapped it lightly with the wine pot in his hand, and they each drank.

Lu Chen drank the wine, wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, pondered for a moment, and said: “If you really want to be precise, it seems like it’s the same for anyone, it’s not worth being surprised about. You, me, Cao Rong, Xue Ruyi in the haunted house in Changning County, the reading boy next door to her, and Ning Ji in Yongjia County here.”

Saying this, Lu Chen put away his magical powers, and the three vertical scrolls in the courtyard disappeared, and the river of time continued to flow.

Lu Chen pinched up the water bowl with two fingers, but instead of drinking the water himself, he unexpectedly handed it to Chen Ping’an and asked with a smile: “Why don’t you take a disciple?”

Chen Ping’an did not expect Lu Chen to make such a move and was speechless.

Hearing this, the young man’s eyes lit up.

A pair of eyes, shining brightly in the night, like a lit candle, were the hopes and dreams of a young man full of disappointment.

Lu Chen smiled slyly.

Chen Ping’an glanced at Lu Chen and smiled: “Sect Leader Lu is so happy?”

Lu Chen immediately restrained his smile and put the white bowl back on the steps between the two of them: “My disciple said a heartfelt word earlier, saying that Mountain Lord Chen and Mountain Lord Chen’s teacher, students and teachers, you two are good at being teachers. Cao Rong said that he admired it from the bottom of his heart, I took in a good disciple who speaks his mind.”

Among his disciples, from Cui Dongshan, who took the initiative to be a student, to Zhao Shuxia, who Chen Ping’an regarded as his closed disciple in the way of boxing.

Chen Ping’an was of course very satisfied with everyone, and at the same time, he did not hide his partiality towards them.

Having said that, in a sense, Chen Ping’an seems to have not yet received a disciple who “most resembles himself.”

After all, the threshold is not low, he must be a sword cultivator, and also be able to learn boxing, and at the same time be a talismanist.

Otherwise, Chen Ping’an, whose learning is extremely mixed, and whose skills in every field can be regarded as proficient, can impart all his knowledge in the matter of teaching, especially in the word “personal teaching,” he can truly achieve his wish to the fullest.

The students and disciples are all too good, to the point that Chen Ping’an, the teacher, seems to be more like a hands-off shopkeeper than the head of Fallen Mountain.
Thus, Chen Ping’an harbored considerable regret regarding personally instructing disciples. Cui Dongshan required no teaching, while Cao Qinglang’s initial mentors were, in truth, Zhong Qiu and Lu Tai. Furthermore, examples such as teaching Pei Qian boxing, or imparting swordsmanship to Guo Zhujiu, who was already a Golden Core sword cultivator upon their reunion? Even Zhao Shuxia, presently at his side, largely learned boxing through self-study. Having finally encountered a young lass, Chen Ping’an wished to occasionally flaunt his skills, yet what transpired on Chai Wu’s end?

Chen Ping’an collected his thoughts, turning to face Lu Chen, and inquired via mental communication.

“In our youth, did we ever endure a particular winter, perhaps perishing within the night’s embrace?”

“We?”

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Lu Chen stood dumbfounded, silent for a long while, before exhaling a long breath. He spoke in a grave tone, “Chen Ping’an, do not emulate that Zheng Juzhong. Truly, heed my advice!”

Zheng Juzhong is Zheng Juzhong, unique in his own right. He entertains the notion of proving he is not the Dao Ancestor. Why would you, Chen Ping’an, involve yourself in such frivolity?

Seeing Chen Ping’an’s silence, Lu Chen raised a hand, two fingers held together, and lamented with anguish, “Are we such strangers, friends? Must I swear a solemn oath?!”

Chen Ping’an offered a wry smile.

A pair of golden eyes momentarily manifested, but the anomaly vanished in an instant.

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief, nodding his head. He could rule out the possibility that, improbable as it seemed, was actually the most probable.

Prior to this, Chen Ping’an feared he might be the pivotal “one dream” of Lu Chen’s Five Dreams and Seven Hearts, the Dream Butterfly.

“We have been friends for many years. Do not disrupt my Daoist heart.”

Lu Chen wiped his brow, though no sweat was present, and cautiously began, “Actually…”

Chen Ping’an quirked a corner of his lips, interjecting, “Actually, you had a similar thought?”

Lu Chen blinked.

Chen Ping’an queried, “Having conceived of it, why did you not act?”

Lu Chen beamed, “Are you not curious as to why my esteemed Master accompanied you on your journey through the small town, only to halt at the entrance of Mud Bottle Lane?”

Chen Ping’an frowned slightly, retorting, “Who once resided next door to my ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane?”

Lu Chen burst into hearty laughter, lightly tapping his chest with his hand, exclaiming, “Boom, boom, boom!”