Chen Ping’an stood rooted to the spot.

A foundling from Mud Bottle Lane, raised on scraps and kindness, had arrived here, his heart a repository of joy and bitterness, each step etched in memory.

The courtyard sprawled, befitting the estate of a former dynasty’s prime minister. The ancient trees cast a deep shade, dappled by a high sun that painted the meticulously laid bluestone path with scattered gold, each shard like a stitch in a silken embroidery. The stones, fit together with impossible precision, lay flat and true, a testament to the artisan’s skill. This was the domain of Ma Yan, the family patriarch, his study a grand hall seven bays wide and four beams deep, a statement of wealth proclaiming, “With granaries full, one knows propriety.” This staggering chamber overflowed with precious volumes bought but never opened, alongside priceless ancient zithers, jade mountains, and golden barges. Within these walls, high officials of the capital drank tea and wine, deeming it a haven of refinement, waxing lyrical about its “lofty culture.” Such pronouncements never failed to swell Ma Yan’s chest, convincing him of his scholarly heart. He had once longed to crown the roof with emerald glazed tiles, like the temples and monasteries, but his wife dissuaded him, deeming such ostentation an act of *lèse-majesté*. The Emperor was neither deaf nor blind. Better to hang the ancestral hall with the plaques of successful *jinshi* scholars—that was true scholarship, a sight to gladden his eldest son’s heart when he returned. This thought had spurred him to send his second son, Ma Yanshan, to the imperial examinations some years prior. When he’d emerged a *tanhua*, third in the realm, it was a great triumph. If Ma Che were to seize the first rank this year, a *zhuangyuan*, would the family not achieve that mythical state of generational academic glory, their lineage adorned with the crimson tassels of officialdom?

The woman, draped in silk and jade, defied her age, nearing seventy yet appearing forty. Years spent amidst a throng of imperial consorts had honed her. Qin Zheng, for that was her name, possessed a composure that eclipsed her husband’s. She mustered a smile, feigning camaraderie. Her wrist, still fair, bore a jade bracelet of vibrant green. She touched her eyes, lined with crow’s feet, as if attempting to conjure up tears of shared hardship. “Chen Ping’an? The son of Master Chen of Mud Bottle Lane? Chen Quan was one of the finest porcelain masters of our home region. So young, yet with such a gifted hand! At Gold Goose Kiln, he kept nothing back, training a host of fine apprentices. We would have been lost without him, he was the very cornerstone of our dragon kiln. I remember the kiln workers saying that only Master Yao of Treasure Creek could claim to surpass Chen Quan’s skill. Even Lord Lin of the Kiln Overseeing Directorate, a man with an eye for true talent, enjoyed drinking and talking with Chen Quan. So many other masters envied him. Such a good man, taken too soon! Truly, Heaven is blind. But you have persevered, and achieved such great things, even more than our Ku Xuan. Chen Quan would have been so proud. If I recall correctly, it was my late mother-in-law who helped deliver you in Mud Bottle Lane, ensuring mother and child survived. And now, look at you, a man of such fortune, such renown. Believe me, Chen Quan and Chen…”

Qin Zheng’s intent was clear: to stall. This lowborn urchin from Mud Bottle Lane, whose sudden wealth was clearly down to luck, had arrived far too quickly. Their dogs-of-war mercenaries in the front courtyard had failed, allowing him to reach the rear. Thankfully, Ma Yan had already dispatched several urgent letters, some to the state preceptor of the Jade Declare Empire, others to the City God Temple of the capital. The more blood Chen Ping’an shed now, the more precarious his position would become.

The rise of the Apricot Blossom Lane Ma family had been built upon the Gold Goose Kiln, and the most valuable asset was Chen Quan of Mud Bottle Lane.

It was Chen Quan who, through his masterful skills and mentorship of the kiln workers, had transformed the failing Gold Goose Kiln, pulling it from the brink of ruin.

In a blur of motion, a figure in azure stood before Qin Zheng. Devoid of respect for age or hometown ties, devoid of the chivalry that forbade striking a woman, he delivered a precise, swift chop to her neck.

The blow was measured, just enough to make the matriarch of the Ma household feel as if she had swallowed a mouthful of burning liquor, her face flushing crimson with pain. Tears streamed down Qin Zheng’s face as she clutched her neck, sputtering, a mixture of curses and complaints, snot running from her nose. It was obvious: this son of Mud Bottle Lane could have snapped her neck with a single blow, sending her head tumbling.

Chen Ping’an smiled. “I wasn’t catching up.”

Ma Yan, already drenched in sweat, did not dare wipe his brow. He spoke in a trembling voice, “Chen Ping’an, let us speak reasonably. This is all a misunderstanding. Do not believe the rumors.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled. “A misunderstanding it is. Not so serious.”

Ma Yan was struck speechless.

A young woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Qin Zheng, charged into the courtyard, sword in hand. Behind her came a cohort of lithe, comely maids, each clad in azure and bearing a sheathed sword, white as snow with golden tassels. Their appearances in the Jade Declare capital, accompanying Ma Yuemei on rides and excursions, were invariably a sight to behold.

Seeing her mother in such a state, Ma Yuemei rebuked, “Audacious villain! To dare intrude and cause havoc! Draw your swords!”

The bevy of flower-like maidens drew their blades with a resonant clang. The air buzzed with steel. Several swords soared through the air, spitting forth inches of sword-light.

Within the Ma family, they held a privileged position due to Ma Yuemei. Chosen as young children for their martial aptitude, these “sword-servants” had trained diligently for over a decade. Blessed with skilled instructors, esoteric manuals, and medicinal sustenance, they now employed showy techniques of sword-control. Beautiful, to be sure, with a hint of the mountain immortals’ flair.

Dozens of swords converged on the figure in the azure robe, only to meet with a resounding crash. They veered wildly, embedding themselves in the walls and beams of Ma Yan’s study like mud thrown against a wall.

The maids, so used to looking down upon others, paled.

Their swords were celestial blades, painstakingly crafted by mountain masters. With such priceless weapons, demons and monsters were no match.

Ma Yuemei bit her lip, fixing her gaze on the unyielding figure. After a moment of tense silence, she spoke, a mixture of emotions in her voice. “Are you…Chen Ping’an of Fallen Phoenix Mountain?”

Upon hearing this, Ma Yuemei felt as though she was falling through the clouds. Was this the legendary immortal of Fallen Phoenix Mountain? Without cause or feud, why had Chen Ping’an come to the Jade Declare capital, why was he wreaking havoc? The fate of their guards and cultivators was worse than death and as a result, Ma Yuemei started to wonder if the Master of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, who came from Mud Bottle Lane, had some unknown past grudges against her family. Was that why their residence was compared to turtle shell by the idle Ma Yanshan?

Learning that the azure-clad swordsman was, in fact, Chen Ping’an, the sword maids exchanged bewildered glances, disbelief etched on their faces.

A mountain immortal, more distant than figures in a book, stood before them?

They had learned from Ma Yuemei’s reports and rumors about Fallen Phoenix Mountain, the mountain adjacent to North Peak Shroud, and the history of the youngest hidden commander of Sword Qi Great Wall. They knew of his joint sword questioning of the First Sun Mountain with his close friend, Clan Leader Liu… As pure martial artists and sword practitioners, they had long admired Chen Ping’an’s name. In any other circumstance, they would be overcome with emotion, unable to sleep peacefully for days.

He was the only Grandmaster of Martial Arts and a Grand Sword Immortal in their Treasure Bottle Continent’s history!

How could they dare to act recklessly? Their expressions shifted.

Chen Ping’an kicked Ma Yan in the knee, sending him crashing to the ground. He then brought the closed umbrella down upon Ma Yan’s face, shattering the doorway and sending him sprawling inside the study.

As Chen Ping’an took in what was happening, it became apparent that the couple were scheming to secure themselves a safe retreat. Perhaps they sought to become deities of the mountains or rivers in Jade Declare. More likely, they craved a position in the City God’s bureaucracy. In this way they would truly be separated from the living, should they acquire legitimate positions in the Netherworld’s Fengdu, it would be considered overreach to be attacked by Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Evidently, the transfer of the capital’s City God Temple judge Hong Zhongyu to Leng Prefecture was a forced concession to make way for this couple. It was clear, some sage had given Ma Family some pointers.

“There is no rush, I will make your dreams come true.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Are those rare individuals still unwilling to appear? Surely, those who take money must offer disaster relief, this is a natural law.”

Ma Yuemei rushed inside, helping Ma Yan, whose stomach was feeling as if it were being turned with knives.

Chen Ping’an glanced at Ma Yan in the hall who was now sweating like rain. “You can’t even stand this pain, and you wish to become a golden deity, relying only on that medicinal paste from the Yang Family Apothecary, can you even succeed?”

With a flash, Chen Ping’an vanished from the courtyard.

In the Ma Family residence in Yongjia County, there were three earthly immortals serving as family servants both publicly and privately, one nascent soul and two golden cores. Amongst them, two had become anonymous with their identities changed.

The old nascent soul was from the old Frost Dynasty kingdom in the south of Treasure Bottle Continent, the old ancestor of a destroyed Immortal Cave Mansion. The old immortal had been in seclusion from beginning to end, and watched helplessly as the ancestral hall and the god master were destroyed. Then, the war ended, and the old ancestor arrived at Yongjia County of the Jade Declare Empire and served as the chief servant. Amongst the remaining two earthly immortals with the golden core, one was an array master, the other was a demon and they each had their disciples.

Additionally, there were also two martial arts grandmasters, a male and a female. The male one was called Shen Ke, whose personal disciple was the Fifth Realm martial artist doorman. Ma Yuemei was his personal disciple. The sword skills of the numerous maids had been passed down by him. The female martial artist was also in the Golden Body Realm but was not as renowned as Shen Ke, as for how she entered the Ma Family, and why she tolerated suffering, that was a story for another day.

Of course, the greatest asset of the Apricot Blossom Lane Ma Family that had now become the Yongjia County Ma Family was Ma Ku Xuan.

Since the doorman didn’t have the opportunity to report their identity, and Chen Ping’an had arrived straight at the courtyard, no one was able to stop Chen Ping’an. Those figures who looked down on officials were unable to understand the real circumstances.

In a humble study, a middle-aged scholar with an ugly appearance was sitting at the desk. On the inkstone, a rare colorful ink stick was placed and a book was opened on the table. The book described fox immortals and water immortals, and next to the scholar was a plate of pastries, and the scholar was eating a pastry and reading at the same time. Just now he saw a line in the book and could not help but sigh, but it was not a good sign. The line was: “The pitiful Qingcao life, overnight all business lost.”

The famous child prodigy Ma Che had been taught by this teacher.

The middle-aged scholar ridiculed himself: “What heavy malice. Is that tree attracting wind? Indeed, the rich salary every month is not for nothing, the gods’ money is the most scalding.”

Should he return the salary to the Ma Family? And leave without a trace?

The scholar, who was just a golden core demon, didn’t dare say for sure that they would be able to respectfully send someone who could intrude into the Ma Family without fail.

Seeking the methods of longevity was really painful.

He was just about to stand up and wade through the muddy waters when suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine, and he was as if he had fallen into an ice cave. The next moment, his head was pressed down and smashed onto the table.

The spiritual qi in the scholar’s body was frozen, his three souls and six spirits trembled non-stop. He tried to summon a few of his Natal Objects but it was as if there had been a snow mountain sealing the mountain and he had completely lost contact.

His golden core was unmoving and this earthly immortal was as fragile as a mortal.

Chen Ping’an spread his five fingers out and pressed his hands on the back of his head and said with a slight smile: “You actually believed that I called you rare individuals?”

The demon scholar tried his best to ask: “May I ask for the name of the supreme immortal?”

Chen Ping’an grabbed the heavy inkstone from the table and heavily slapped it on the back of the head, turning the inkstone into powder. The demon’s eyes saw stars and he felt as if his brains had been smashed out by the assassin.

The demon scholar who almost had his soul fly away had to beg for mercy: “Supreme Immortal, please forgive me,”

Chen Ping’an asked: “These years, you were the one who taught the Ma couple to accumulate Yin Virtue and make amends? You were the one who turned the Sophora Japonica leaves into a Natal Object and used this to get the protection of the ancestors so you could act on the merit book of the City God Temple, right? You are really good at it, not bad, not bad.”

The demon scholar was stunned.

Chen Ping’an turned his head and coldly said: “Want to run?”

An oiled paper umbrella traveled quickly like a flying sword, passed through the corridor and brought with it a meteor shower, piercing the nascent soul realm old immortal who had been secretly using the Palm Guanyin Technique, nailing her onto the wall.

That old lady was the confidante of the hostess Qin Zheng. She had been managing the maids and menial servants of the Ma Family’s inner court for many years and had been trying to escape upon seeing the bad omen today.

Just because the sight of the courtyard was covered with fog, the old lady was unable to see anything, and that made her feel extremely shocked. Could it be someone from the Upper Five Realms?

However, just as she was about to use the Shrinking Land into Inches technique, it was as if the other party had been waiting for this moment. In a moment, an ordinary oiled paper umbrella pierced her chest like a sword. The enormous force caused her to slide back and her back hit the wall. The pain caused the old lady to go crazy and wail. Her hands were about to pull out the paper umbrella from her chest but as soon as her fingers touched the paper umbrella, she suffered the pain of having her heart cut off and the old lady’s head fell back. It turned out that the paper umbrella sword qi had instantly exploded and strands of golden flame rapidly spread along the old lady’s hands, arms and then her whole body. In addition to that, those flames like water veins slowly seeped into the old lady’s soul without damaging her muscles and bones. This was an extremely pure fire technique and there was actually such an overbearing fire technique in the world, causing the old lady’s body to look like a fire rain.

Fire penalty.

It could be said that the Heart Lake of the nascent soul realm cultivator was instantly boiled by the fire and turned into an oil pan.

Chen Ping’an released his fingers, straightened his body and moved to see the old lady who was most likely the advisor of the Ma Family.

The demon scholar was lying on the table. After waiting for a moment, it seemed that the supreme immortal had gone somewhere else. As a mountain and swamp wild cultivator, he had always been one to let friends die before himself and it was best not to stay here for long. He quickly sat up, but he immediately felt like crying, moaning, and said in a trembling voice, “Dragon Tiger Mountain Thunder Formation!”

It turned out that the supreme immortal had left behind a Thunder Formation array in the house!

In a daze, this golden core demon seemed to have arrived at an ancient execution platform with nothing but white space.

The next moment, the thunder rumbled, and in a moment, in the extreme distance of the world, a black lightning tore open the snow-white sky. Then there were dozens and hundreds of lightning bolts, followed by a golden palm as big as a mountain that slowly revealed its full appearance by tearing open a “door” from the infinite void. The majestic god holding a steel whip and wearing a golden armor stepped out, with colorful lightning wrapped around his body. Every step he took, the earth would tremble with him. The head of the god slowly moved closer to the execution platform and looked down at the demon that was paralyzed on the ground.

What could be more terrifying for the ghosts of the human world than the indifferent golden eyes of the god that was like two golden suns hanging in the air?

Yin and Yang create the master, the high heaven has gods.

Could this be the “good” that the supreme immortal was talking about?

Chen Ping’an stood in a gloomy room with his hands in his sleeves and looked at the old lady who was nailed to the wall by the oiled paper umbrella.

This “Sword Driving Technique” was learned from Swordsman Pei Min.

He would need to practice more to become familiar with the process and would be able to return Pei Min’s greeting in the future.

Chen Ping’an smiled: “You won’t die for the moment, as expected of an old nascent soul immortal. It looks like you can hold on for a while, so let’s talk later. I have to meet the old grandmaster Shen.”

The old lady whose soul was being cut into pieces cried: “Spare me, spare me.”

Chen Ping’an said: “This is nothing, it’s just a cold appetizer, the main course is still in the back.”

Without waiting for the old lady to say anything, Chen Ping’an returned to the courtyard.

A agile figure flew over the eaves and walked on the walls, and finally stood on the wall. The old man had a straight body, bright eyes, a long sword on his waist, and a long cloth bag in his hand.

The temple on the old man’s head was trembling occasionally like a snake coiled on a mountain, which was a sign that the martial artist was full of energy and his spirit was overflowing. It was a sign that he was about to break through.

Martial arts grandmaster was only one step away from the peak after reaching the Distant Journey realm.

Shen Ke was wearing a jade ring and the martial arts grandmaster was specially in charge of eagle training for the members of the Ma Family in addition to teaching martial arts.

The jade ring on his hand was not worth much, but it had a lot of sentimental value as it had been a treasured object of a small country’s emperor. During the war, Shen Ke broke the emperor’s finger and took it. That night, Shen Ke killed people in the imperial palace and lived the life of an emperor. However, things such as sleeping with empresses and concubines was something he could not share with others and it was a matter of regret.

Shen Ke gently poked the wall with the long cloth bag that was filled with weapons, and asked with a smile: “Where is that bastard?”

As a result, the martial arts grandmaster discovered that the atmosphere in the courtyard was not right.

That’s right, according to their requests, the Ma Family couple had always claimed to the outside world that he was a Fifth Realm martial artist. That’s why he felt that his weight in the eyes of these girls wasn’t enough. After today’s martial arts questioning, including the young girl Ma Yuemei, the disciples of the Ma Family should know the truth that they had hired a true god for a small amount of money.

Shen Ke glanced at Ma Yuemei in the room and since they were about to start their martial arts questioning, the old man used his pure Qi to suppress his thoughts.

Yuemei was becoming more and more good looking and she was a natural beauty without applying makeup. It was the same as the empress of the coastal kingdom of his hometown and her skin was as white as pork.

Some of the sword servant maids were trying to remind the head instructor that the person who was here to cause trouble today was the Fallen Phoenix Mountain Chen Sword Immortal with the technique of sound condensation into a line.

However, for some reason, Master Shen seemed to have turned a deaf ear, which made her a little confused. Was Master Shen so brave that he wasn’t afraid of Chen Ping’an at all?

Shen Ke narrowed his eyes and turned his head to look at the azure figure on the roof, and asked: “You are the one causing trouble here?”

Chen Ping’an smiled: “As the saying goes, people of the same kind will enter the same house. Old Grandmaster Shen should have the surname Ma.”

Shen Ke smiled: “Since we are martial artists of the same generation, why bother with words? Let’s fight with our fists.”

Chen Ping’an nodded: “It is really not easy to find a good person here.”

Shen Ke untied the end of the long cloth bag and picked it up to reveal the weapon inside. It was actually an exaggerated long bronze sword.

Shen Ke slowly said: “Young man, your skills are good and you are bold. You dare to break into any dragon’s pool and tiger’s den, and not cherishing your life, you won’t live long.”

Chen Ping’an looked at the long sword and said: “Good item, not common.”

“You are too murderous at a young age.”

The old man held the sword with both hands and shook the sword with his wrist: “I don’t kill nameless ghosts, tell me your name, and if you have a sect, I will bring your head to your sect as a gift.”

The Jade Declare Empire has always been more lenient when it came to Jianghu feuds than the fighting between cultivators.

“My name is Chen Ping’an, and I’m not young, I’m in my forties.”

The azure-clad swordsman smiled: “If you can bring my head to Fallen Phoenix Mountain and learn from Hao Su’s style of killing Nan Guangzhao, killing people and leaving their heads at the entrance of the mountain, that would be your ability.”

When Shen Ke heard the name, his eyelids twitched and his pure Qi and fist intent instantly broke.

The old man tried his best to stand still and forgot to use the technique of sound condensation into a line. “I’m sorry, Chen Sword Immortal, you can just catch up with them. I won’t get involved in these personal grudges, and I will leave the foul Ma Family. If Chen Sword Immortal feels that I’m still an eyesore, I can leave the capital and never step into the Jade Declare Empire again.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and extended his hand. “It’s easy to say, your legs are on your body, Old Grandmaster Shen can go wherever you want.”

Shen Ke was suspicious and asked carefully in a low voice: “Really?”

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly: “It can be true, it can not be true, it’s up to you.”

Without saying anything, Shen Ke dropped the long sword to show his sincerity. He tapped his toes and flew away in a hurry. When the old man was running along the roof, when he left the Ma Family and this street, and was heading towards the bustling city. Under the bright sunshine and warm spring, when he was on the Imperial Street, Shen Ke finally let out a breath.

However, Shen Ke seemed to have forgotten one detail, that even if the heavy rain had stopped today, there should still be some water stains in this Jade Declare Empire capital.

In the time that Chen Ping’an left the courtyard and returned, Qin Zheng and Ma Yan had their eyes met and the latter nodded, indicating that everything had been arranged.

Qin Zheng seemed to have glanced at the azure-clad maids.

An old man with a distressed face was carrying a bucket of slops that was still 90% new. The household items of rich people were naturally different from those of ordinary people and the outside of the bucket was inlaid with black gold. The Ma Family was rich and the residence was too big. The old man passed by a remote corridor where a large group of young menial servants were playing cards together, shouting about heaven and earth meeting the tiger’s head and the bigger the more reward. Each of them had flushed faces, and the poor old man put down his bucket of slops and squatted behind them, following their bets and throwing out a handful of copper coins. The old man would often smoke a local cigarette mixed with elm leaves, which was very choking. In this family, only the second son Ma Yanshan was the least arrogant. He would often carry two pots of good wine and like to chat with the old man about the past. It turned out that the old man was a remnant of the Zhu Ying Dynasty in the south and an opera performer. He had been in the past performing the role of a young woman and would always say that when he was young, his figure and looks were good, and he liked to draw his eyebrows with powder and he could even write his own lyrics and had a good relationship with the eunuchs of the Imperial Theatre. However, his voice was gone and after walking around the imperial city for more than three years, he still hadn’t recovered, so he couldn’t make a living. Later, he had helped a lot of famous actors, but in the end, it was getting worse and worse. When the Zhu Ying Dynasty was annexed by the Great Li Song Family, he decided to move and change his life. That’s how he ended up in the Ma Family, begging for food.

The old man slowly turned his head and found that an azure-clad swordsman was there. “Senior, are you a knife seller? Are you here to collect money?”

The old man’s heart trembled. “You are?”

Chen Ping’an smiled: “Why bother about identity when we meet by chance.”

The old man’s expression changed and asked: “Then let’s mind our own business?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head: “The Ma Family of Apricot Blossom Lane has the blessing they have today because of you, so I have to settle this debt with you.”

The old man disappeared into the ground, and Chen Ping’an smiled.

When the old man saw the light of day again, he should have been near the Folded Ear Mountain outside the capital, but the old man found himself standing in… Apricot Blossom Lane of Huai Huang County.

A young woman with peach blossom eyes and a melon seed face had just returned from carrying water from the Iron Lock Well. The old man was stunned, how could Ma Lanhua be so young?

The Ma Family’s kitchen was cooking for over a hundred people.

If it wasn’t for the strict rules in the ancestral hall, otherwise, including those illegitimate children inside and outside the capital who were not qualified to join the Ma Family’s family tree, it was estimated that the number of people would have doubled.

The chef, a woman in her thirties, had a towering chest that had not sagged at all, so they all thought she was an immoral fox spirit.

The women would curse her in all sorts of ways and the men wanted to sleep with her.

Every day, she lived in gossip and was abused in all sorts of ways.

If it wasn’t for the fact that she could cook privately for Ma Che and Ma Che was a recognized genius, she might not have been able to escape the hands of the Ma Family men.

She had been a cook in the Ma Family for many years and would always carry a pair of scissors with her for self-defense.

When the forest grows big, all sorts of birds appear.

A dung pit is just feces and urine.

That boy named Ma Che was a gifted genius and everyone felt that he would become a sage and gentleman of the Lake Observation Academy in the future.

In the past, Ma Che had been blushing and panting, hugging the voluptuous woman from behind.

The woman was busy in the kitchen again today and steamed a few steamers of buns, with all sorts of fillings.

The other cooks in the room stayed away from the woman named Yu Qing.

She reached out and brushed back the black hair on her temples and turned her head to look at an azure… swordsman sitting on the doorstep?

She seemed a little puzzled and it was said that gentlemen stayed away from the kitchen. The Ma Family disciples would not come to the kitchen, of course, it was because they felt that there were too many people here.

Not far from the kitchen, on the stone slabs under the flower shed, there were more than a dozen pots of expensive orchids. They had always been carefully taken care of by her.

The Yongjia County Ma Family’s private cuisine was something that even the top families in the Jade Declare Empire had to praise. When they tasted the Ma Family’s cuisine, they would exclaim.

Chen Ping’an asked in his heart with a smile: “I originally thought you were an informant that Gu Can had arranged here, but it seems that’s not the case. Surname Lu?”

Chen Ping’an stood up and walked into the kitchen, took a few heads of purple garlic from a stove, crushed the garlic skin, and clenched them in his hand, and then gave himself a bowl of fish soup noodles, and smiled: “Eating noodles without garlic is like killing people without seeing blood, in the end, it’s still a little lacking.”

Yu Qing was just staring blankly at the uninvited guest.

Chen Ping’an leaned against the stove and before starting to eat the noodles, he smiled: “The Ma Family of Apricot Blossom Lane owes our family some money, not much, eight coins of silver, less than a string of coins, but at that time, it wasn’t a small amount of money in our hometown. I used to muster up the courage and ask for it twice, but I still didn’t get it. I passed by Apricot Blossom Lane, but I didn’t knock on the door even more times. After eating this bowl of noodles, this first debt will be settled. Ma Ku Xuan is really thoughtful to invite you out of the mountain to protect the Ma Family.”

The woman turned to the side, smiled softly, and said softly, “You must be Master Chen?”

Chen Ping’an put down his chopsticks and burped, “The taste of collecting debts is really good. Now that I’m full, let’s get to work.”

Yu Qing smiled, “Could it be that a disciple of the Literary Saint can just commit violence and kill people in broad daylight?”

Chen Ping’an reached out and gently patted the stove, golden light shining in his palm. Countless golden threads spread out and went straight to the door, then turned his head and smiled: “I hope we can still chat like this next time we meet.”

Yu Qing narrowed her eyes, pinched a golden talisman with her two fingers, and looked around. The scene of the world changed, and she seemed to have arrived at an immortal’s residence.

In her field of vision, a towering green mountain stood alone with a long green river at the foot of the mountain.

Yu Qing looked down and saw an ancient well, with a golden lotus in the center, and the inscriptions outside the lotus which she couldn’t recognize. It was illogical to be trapped in the illusion realm as someone who was good in the Dao but something about it felt like it was a real place. Her logic said it was an array but her gut said it was an illusion.

She didn’t dare to breathe freely here and burned the secret talisman used to measure the time. Then she flicked her sleeves and threw a magic technique into the distance. In an instant, dust flew up, and she frowned slightly. This world didn’t seem to be any different except for the abundance of spiritual energy. Yu Qing squatted down, pinched a little soil, and carefully ground it into powder. When she looked at it, the soil was real, which made Yu Qing feel like she was in the clouds. Could it be the means of a peak cultivator? According to some family secrets, some peak cultivators could even carry Cave Worlds with them.

Yu Qing carefully sacrificed a miniature pagoda, threw it gently into the air, and protected the area she was standing on. Then she slowly rose into the air and tried to look down at this secret realm from a high place. As she rose, Yu Qing took in the entire scene of the white jade arch bridge in front of her. There were all kinds of strange beasts on the bridge railings and pillars, and under the bridge, there was a stone sculpture of a Dragon tortoise covered in scales, lying on the ground looking at the water.

Yu Qing finally found a “living person”, a young woman wearing a green feather coat, who was not in the mountain but walking along the endless green water. Her footsteps were not fast. Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, but still flew towards the green feather woman and landed on the opposite bank of the river. The woman clearly saw Yu Qing, but only lifted her eyelids and continued to walk slowly by the river. Yu Qing soon discovered the clues. Every step the strange woman took, some subtle scenes around her would change from monochrome to colored and she would also add a few drops of dew to a clump of weeds, turning a white carp jumping out of the river into a dazzling golden color. She was here to… make up for the flaws, and add color to the landscape painting?

Yu Qing looked down at the talisman in her hand. Sure enough, only about a finger’s worth of real time had passed, but the time she had been calculating in her heart had passed nearly a quarter of an hour. This made Yu Qing’s mood even heavier. The woman on the opposite side turned her head, a fair face, but there was a dead look in her eyes. When she stared straight at Yu Qing, the expression on the woman’s face was extremely complicated.

Yu Qing suppressed the strangeness in her heart and asked: “May I ask for your name?”

The woman’s voice was hoarse: “You can call me Xu Jiaoqie, and my demon clan name is Xiao Xing. I’m from the Wilderness and my mind has been trapped here for 12,000 ‘fingers’.”

Yu Qing was puzzled, according to the other party’s calculations, it was just twelve hours a day.

The woman, who called herself Xu Jiaoqie, suddenly twisted her face, as if she had guessed what the other party was thinking, and pressed her ten fingers against her cheeks. “Just one day, just?! Four million and eight hundred thousand ‘moments’, four million and eight hundred thousand!”

In that moment, the manic expression was hidden, and she pointed at the talisman in Yu Qing’s hand, using an expression of great joy, covered her mouth with her hand, and the low, creepy laughter came out from between her fingers, “It’s better to have fun together. It’s not so hard now that you’re with me. Have you noticed that the speed of time is getting slower and slower, but your thoughts are getting faster and faster. Here, you and I are sleepless people, so pathetic.”

In the small world full of ancient gods, Ma Ku Xuan said: “It seems that Yu Shiwu was wrong. You are not an 80% chance of being in the Nascent Soul Realm, you are in the Jade Pure Realm. When did that happen?”

The more than one hundred ancient Thunder Department Golden Armor Gods who had been invited by Ma Ku Xuan with the help of talismans and the “God Descent True” technique seemed to be suppressed by the Heavenly Dao and could only wait for their death without daring to move.

Just being swept away by that sword wielding illusion with a sword, the sword light was bright and seemed to split the heaven and earth. Half of the Golden Armor Gods were cut in half on the spot, and their golden bodies shattered.

Fire God raised his hand, and the world was like a furnace, with bright fire: “What a mystery, why burn here?”

In the blink of an eye, the world became clear.

Ma Ku Xuan didn’t care about this.

Chen Ping’an sighed: “It’s a pity that these golden body fragments are all illusions. Ma Ku Xuan, aren’t you very capable? Why don’t you just invite the true bodies of these gods.”

The scene of the small world was like the tide receding and the two returned to the real world, Ma Ku Xuan sat back on the steps at the entrance of the ancestral hall, while Chen Ping’an stood in the square.

Ma Ku Xuan smiled: “Could it be that Hidden Official Chen is specializing in seclusion for me? Without the Jade Pure Realm, do you still feel that it’s not reliable to come to Yongjia County alone with the dual identities of a Nascent Soul Realm Swordsman and a Tenth Realm Martial Artist?”

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly: “You have a big face.”

Ma Ku Xuan looked at the “outside world” and the real situation of the entire Ma Family had already fallen into a realm where time seemed to stand still.