The season of Clear Brightness arrived in a torrent of rain. Noble ladies and the daughters of middling scholars alike, adorned in fine raiment, rode in carriages beyond the city walls to pay respects at ancestral graves. Though their errand spoke of remembrance, their faces bore no trace of sorrow, and they carried with them choice wines and savory dishes. Their boisterous laughter and endless toasts transformed the solemn journey into a festive outing. Small wonder, then, that foreign scribes, in their travelogues, oft decried the folk of Jade Radiance’s capital as valuing the living over the departed, and life above death – a criticism that echoed through the ages.

Pei Qian, however, sought the City God Temple of the capital, a place somewhat removed from the Imperial Palace and the Astronomical Observatory. With a brief farewell to Gu Can and Gu Lingyan, she stealthily slipped into the city of Jade Radiance.

The defenses of this minor kingdom, whether magical barriers or mortal guards, proved laughably porous against the might of a martial artist at the pinnacle of cultivation. To call them “leaky as a sieve” would be a generous assessment.

Gu Can, taking the demure Gu Lingyan in tow, presented their travel documents at the city gate and, choosing the path of propriety, entered the capital on foot.

Gu Lingyan, her face veiled beneath a wide-brimmed hat, giggled, “You’re sending me to the Astronomical Observatory? Are you certain Liu Xianyang trusts me, and that you do as well?”

Gu Can replied, “Liu Xianyang certainly doesn’t trust you. But Liu Xianyang doesn’t get a say. He trusts me, and I trust that I can keep you in line.” As for his own reservations about her, he harbored none. Should she stray from the path, he knew the price she would pay.

Gu Lingyan chuckled. “He is a curious fellow.”

Gu Can said, “I mentioned in the tavern that Liu Xianyang relies on intuition. If you interpret that as a slight, then it’s your own wit that’s lacking.”

Gu Lingyan merely pursed her lips.

Gu Can continued, “Once inside the Observatory, maintain a low profile and await your moment. In your leisure, peruse the libraries and secret archives of the Calculation Bureau and the Measurement Bureau. As well as a drawing a precise map of the observatory and all major buildings and specialized equipment, Also draw what the officials are doing. Leave nothing out. While you’re at it, copy any secret texts or old dynasty archives you can find. Focus on records of Jade Radiance’s Xue Dynasty, including rituals for sacrifices, weddings, funerals, auspicious omens, calamities, copies of the imperial calendar and those used by the Crown Prince – gather as much as you can. It will be of use later.”

Gu Can had a nascent understanding of the “realm” Chen Ping’an now sought.

Gu Lingyan tentatively inquired, “These tasks are simple enough, but how am I to discern what is ‘of use’ and what is not?”

Gu Can glanced at the veiled cultivator, prompting Gu Lingyan to immediately amend, “I shall use my best judgment.”

As they parted ways, Gu Lingyan gracefully executed a *wanfu*, a traditional greeting. “This servant wishes the Young Master a journey of ease.”

Gu Can cautioned, “Aid should never become hindrance.”

Gu Lingyan smiled knowingly. “This servant understands.”

He likely offered such reminders only because it concerned Chen Ping’an.

Gu Can added, “Do not be overly cautious. A turtle in a jar, however large, is still confined.”

Gu Lingyan erupted in a tinkling cascade of laughter. Indeed, this capital city was a shallow pool teeming with turtles.

She found a secluded alleyway, uttered an incantation, cloaked herself in invisibility, and strode boldly into the Astronomical Observatory. Its meager enchantments were as child’s play, like crude mud forts built by infants. Simultaneously, her astral spirit wandered far afield, and her yang spirit, in a feat of separation, surreptitiously selected a high tower. From there, her astral spirit would craft a detailed map of the Observatory, while her yang spirit “copied” books and archives. Meanwhile, her true form strolled through the Observatory as if admiring the sights.

Along the way, she encountered several groups of Observatory officials, each benefiting from an unbroken chain of “hereditary succession.” On a whim, Gu Lingyan plucked several rare, “family heirloom” talismans from her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist, the talismans vanished, affixing themselves to the foreheads of these Astrological Clerks and Assembly Reciters. Thus, everything they saw – people, objects, buildings – was instantly perceived by Gu Lingyan.

It was her first time exploring such an obscure government office. That place she called her “home”, the wilds of the outlands, had no such institution. Everything was novel. She soon learned that the local Observatory officials were divided into two groups: “Inner Acolytes,” who held iron rice bowls, and temporary “External Offerings” summoned by the court. The former never retired, their sons following in their fathers’ footsteps, and their grandsons after them, generation after generation forever trapped within this quiet government office, never allowed to seek other positions. They were born as men of the Observatory, and would die as its ghosts, toiling selflessly to the very end.

One young Astrological Clerk returned to his humble, dimly lit office. Unfurling paper and ink, he began calculating arcane formulas. Gu Lingyan’s head reeled at the sight of his work: “Gap Accumulation Technique,” “Circle Intersection Method.” *Is this what they do all day? No wonder they’re losing their hair.*

Gu Lingyan cast a glance toward Silk Hat Street in Yongjia County, detecting nothing amiss.

*Alas, the list back then only clearly stated the magical attributes of the two flying swords wielded by Sword Cultivator Liu Cai.*

In another chamber, Director Luo Yongqing and Vice Directors Wu Jian and Li Fujing, the three chief officers of the Observatory, gathered to discuss pressing matters. Foremost among them was the emperor’s mandate to select a site for his imperial mausoleum. Director Luo often worked alongside officials from the Eunuch Directorate, the Ministry of Rites, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to find an auspicious location for His Celestial Majesty. These were matters of great importance, requiring careful assessment of the surrounding mountains and waters, a thorough examination of the earth’s vital energy, and the selection of a location where the splendor of the landscape and the imperial aura were in perfect harmony. Any oversight was unthinkable. The Observatory meticulously drafted memoranda, accompanied by detailed charts and diagrams, which were presented for imperial review. To date, nearly ten such submissions had been exchanged.

Just as common folk prepared their coffins in anticipation of death, emperors often began selecting sites for their mausoleums upon ascending the throne.

The three officials studied two sand tables within the room, each representing a potential mausoleum site favored by the Ministry of Rites and the Observatory, respectively, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Vice Director Wu Jian asked, “Does Senior Scholar Liu still insist on his phrasing?”

He had recently journeyed to the provinces alongside Court of Imperial Sacrifices Minister He Zhao to enshrine the spirit tablets of three founding princes in their new temples. The court had redefined the standards for their worship, elevating them to the Grand Prison rite. However, the vessels used to venerate the spirits within the temples were still made of silver, and three officials with the eighth rank of the Bureaucracy were selected.

Despite the Observatory’s reputation as a quiet, undermanned department, the duties it undertook were far from insignificant.

Vice Director Li Jian nodded. “Junior Secretary Hong of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices agrees with Senior Scholar Liu’s assessment. The Director and I recently visited the palace and had a small disagreement with them. The Emperor seems troubled by the matter as well. If this drags on, we’ll likely all face a beating of fifty strokes.”

Vice Director Wu Jian chuckled. “Outsiders’ scriptures are always more appealing. You should have heeded my advice and enlisted the aid of the Mountain Division of Deerhorn Mountain to speak on behalf of our Observatory. This matter would be settled by now.”

Director Luo Yongqing sighed. “You are unaware, but things are in utter chaos on Deerhorn Mountain during your absence. They have no time for us.”

Once His Majesty rendered his final decision, the Observatory and Ministry of Rites could select an auspicious day to inform the ancestors and the Ministry of Works to begin construction. Following established protocols, a hall of incense would be constructed to house the imperial coffin, and imperial envoys, along with the Emperor’s son-in-law, would be dispatched to inform the spirits of the mountains and the Mountain God of the chosen site. The Minister of Works would then pay respects to the deities in charge of earthwork and construction, and a Vice Minister of Works would oversee the project.

It was an undeniably intricate undertaking.

As Vice Director Wu Jian was about to inquire about the turmoil on Deerhorn Mountain, a woman’s voice echoed from the doorway, “Might the life force of this meticulously chosen imperial mausoleum site be too isolated? Would you not benefit from summoning experts in geomancy to review the site and offer counsel?”

Such temporary officials summoned to serve in the Observatory typically held low ranks, often as Clepsydra Doctors or Coronet Geomasters. Upon completion of a project, their temporary appointments would be revoked, and the court would offer symbolic rewards of salary and writing implements from the Bureau of Manufacturing. Even so, the Emperor personally reviewed all such appointments. Should these external officials fail the Ministry of Personnel’s specialized examinations, they would be expelled from the Observatory and forbidden, even as commoners, from uttering a single word about Observatory affairs. Discovery meant being shackled and exiled a thousand *li*. Such secrets were not recorded in official histories or court documents, and even local gazetteers and family genealogies were forbidden from making mention. Only after a change of dynasty would descendants dare to pen a few lines in their family histories to honor their ancestors.

Vice Director Wu Jian demanded, “Who is it?!”

The Astronomical Observatory was a national sanctuary. Any Qi cultivator who dared trespass would face severe punishment. And the officials in charge of the location would have to bear the consequences.

At the doorway, ripples appeared in the air, revealing a woman in a veiled hat, her figure elegant like a beauty from a painting. She placed a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Approaching the sand table, she lifted a yellow bamboo drawing stick and tapped gently on the mountain ranges and ley lines. She began to speak nonsense with an air of solemnity, “I serve in the Ritual Division of Luan Mountain. I had several encounters with your predecessors in the Observatory, may their souls rest in peace. We discussed geomancy and numerology – it wouldn’t be accurate to say who taught whom, but we mutually benefited. I was merely passing through, borrowing a few books, when I noticed your distress and thought to offer some ideas. Do not worry, I am a friend. Otherwise, why would I reveal myself and invite trouble?”

She was simply meddling out of boredom.

The three directors regarded her with skepticism, but after exchanging mental messages, they resolved to observe and await developments rather than resorting to force.

The Observatory’s books and instruments, though important, were not valuable in the conventional sense. Few Qi cultivators would risk so much for so little potential gain.

In the Imperial Palace, a middle-aged couple sat together on a heated platform. The woman, sensitive to the cold, clutched a delicately crafted charcoal brazier.

Nearby, a diminutive old man sat on a chair, warmed by a brazier at his feet. He scratched at lice as he spoke with the man.

Their discussion concerned how Hong Zhongyu had risen from the position of Clerical Judge in the capital’s City God Temple to become the City God of Lengzhou in the suzerain state of Great Li. Despite their deliberations, they could reach no definitive explanation.

Regardless, Hong’s appointment was a source of pride for Jade Radiance’s Xue family. Whether Hong, as a City God, would assist Jade Radiance in the future was a matter of speculation. City Gods, unlike other officials, are very different.

A sealed letter then arrived from the Ma family estate in Yongjia County, casting a shadow over Emperor Xue Feng. Dispensing with any concerns about courtly decorum, he immediately shared the letter with the Empress, who then passed it on to the old man, Huang Lie, the three-dynasty national teacher of Jade Radiance.

The Empress harbored a deep-seated resentment towards Qin Zheng. Despite their outwardly harmonious interactions, she held this Ma family matriarch in utter contempt. Did the ascent of a barnyard fowl to the branches of a tree change its nature?

The old man, after reading the letter, furrowed his brow and muttered, “A stroke of bad luck.” *Why did the Ma family, of all families, provoke this person? There are countless recluses on Treasure Bottle Continent. Why not cross swords with someone else?*

The old man was a golden core cultivator. In the past, even a terrestrial immortal on Treasure Bottle Continent would be regarded as someone with clout.

Upon the continent, a hundred nations stood, each with its own Emperor. The terrestrial immortals, however, were few in number. Even in the Orthodox Yang Mountain and the Gale Lightning Garden, despite their years of accumulation, the sects had never had a Jade Purity cultivator at the top. If one of the sword immortals had advanced, centuries of disputes would’ve been settled.

Of course, Treasure Bottle Continent was becoming increasingly difficult to understand. Not only for Treasure Bottle Continent, but for the other eight continents.

*How did so many cultivators of the Upper Five Realms suddenly appear?*

The cultivators of the younger generation seemed ridiculously strong.

*How did so many cultivators of the Upper Five Realms suddenly appear?*

To the south, the Upper Five Realm cultivators of the Tongye Continent were dying. Here on the Treasure Bottle Continent, they were becoming more numerous.

A royal guard in ornate armor and bearing a magical saber rushed in to report, “Your Majesty, the Yangcui Hall has inexplicably opened its doors. I investigated with my men. We saw a stranger, but the person refused to identify themselves.”

Thinking he had misheard, the Emperor inquired, “What?”

The Empress frowned. “You couldn’t drive them away?”

The guard, a man of humble origins who had been recruited into the court’s service, replied awkwardly, “We could not.”

They couldn’t even enter through the front door!

The Emperor lamented, “National Teacher, is this not a case of misfortunes never coming singly?”

The old man nodded. “The benevolent do not come, and those who come are not benevolent.”

The content of the earlier letter, so far from ambiguous or obscured, stated that Chen Ping’an of Fallen Phoenix Mountain had come seeking vengeance, and would not relent until he had achieved his aim.

The Ma family, in dire straits, requested protection from the Xue court, promising generous rewards upon their deliverance.

The Emperor’s thoughts were simple: Immortals and mortals were separate. The Xue clan must not get involved in settling personal matters, that would be like divine powers clashing.

As for Zhenwu Mountain, if Ma Kuxuan had any complaints, would he dare vent his anger on the Xue family?

Ma Kuxuan might act with impunity, but he wouldn’t dare bypass Great Li and Lakeview Academy, would he?

Thus, Emperor Xue Feng had only sought the National Teacher’s counsel. Was there any need to mobilize the palace guard, or should he assemble the soldiers from Yongjia County?

The National Teacher advised against it, lest they make matters worse.

In other words, they should feign ignorance.

The Emperor asked, “National Teacher, the Ma family are pillars of the nation.”

Their removal would cause too much disruption.

Her eyes lowered, the Empress idly caressed a powder-blue Vegetarian Fast plaque. She said, “What manner of hero is this Lord Chen? If he has come to settle scores, it is a private affair. Surely, Lord Chen would not seize the Ma family’s assets within Jade Radiance.”

The palace kept a secret ledger of the Ma family’s ever-expanding assets – a thick volume of nearly a hundred pages.

She had long coveted them.

If they were to die, they should die completely, so that their assets could be seized for the imperial treasury.

She feared the Ma family’s growing power within Jade Radiance. She hated the thought of a Ma family member becoming her son-in-law, or a Ma family woman entering the palace to become her daughter-in-law.

Xue Feng asked, “National Teacher, how should we handle the situation at Yangcui Hall? Should we ignore it, allowing them to wander as they please?”

The old man’s brow furrowed with worry. He rose to his feet. “Your Majesty, I shall go and see if I recognize this uninvited guest. If their identity is confirmed, even a cultivator in the Upper Five Realms would not frighten us.”

“I must state in advance, should I encounter someone who disregards convention, I shall act as best I can. If persuasion fails, I shall drive them out if I am able. Should I be outmatched, I shall close the doors. Even if they sit upon Your Majesty’s throne or defecate upon it, so be it. At least, behind closed doors, no one will witness their misdeeds.”

Emperor Xue Feng chuckled. “There is no need for haste, National Teacher. Avoid conflict if possible, and try and discuss the problem. I shall instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare fruits and pastries. If your conversation goes well, they can be served at Yangcui Hall.”

He was troubled, but they weren’t scared or panicked.

Thirty or forty years ago, the ruler of a minor kingdom might have been unnerved by the presence of an unknown Qi cultivator within their palace.

As a vassal state, they were not afraid of such “accidents.”

The National Teacher departed for Yangcui Hall. The Emperor smiled. “These immortal cultivators…”

Clutching her charcoal brazier, the Empress said, “Who knows what they’re up to?”

Pei Qian arrived at the entrance of the capital’s City God Temple. The street was lined with shops selling incense and candles. Heavy rain fell on the day, and the once-bustling temple was now populated by only a smattering of slow-moving oil-paper umbrellas. Pei Qian adjusted her bamboo hat, gripped her walking staff, and slowly passed through the outer gate, and entered through the second ceremonial gate, what she saw were placards with blue backgrounds and golden lettering. The colors were dark, unlike the bright hues of palaces. Seen by people on the mountains, City God temples still have officials assigned, but the jobs of Mountain Gods and City Gods have been split.

The main hall housed the spirit tablet and seated statue of the City God, with the Clerical Judge on the left and the Martial Judge on the right. Arrayed in solemn formation, the City God’s officials and ghost soldiers were responsible for overseeing the deeds of the living, eliminating evil from the region, and governing the souls of the dead. However, as the former Clerical Judge Hong Zhongyu had been transferred elsewhere, his golden statue was draped in a large red cloth, awaiting the arrival of his replacement.

Thanks to her sect’s all-knowing elder brother, Little Cui, and her own travels across the Nine Continents, Pei Qian possessed a comprehensive understanding of historical lore and local customs. As Cui Dongshan explained, the primary role of the City Gods was to “receive.”

*He has been to Fengdu.*

The Ministry of Revenue stored books detailing land, population and the census. City God Temples write down all living beings’ rights and wrongs.

Pei Qian approached the main hall, lit the incense she had purchased, and bowed thrice to the deities, paying respects to Heaven and Earth.

As Pei Qian completed her offering, a statuesque female Daywalker, adorned in a gauze hat and wide robes, approached. Despite her feminine form, she emanated an aura of strength. She wore a wooden plaque emblazoned with the words “Day Patrol” at her waist. She rode a horse whose fur was red. Sensing the anomaly within the temple, she had arrived to investigate. She dismounted, the fiery steed dissolving into a wisp of flame that merged with her wooden plaque. With a stern expression, she inquired, “Who goes there?”

Pei Qian stated her name, “This junior is Pei Qian, greetings to the Capital’s Daywalker. My credentials originate from Fallen Phoenix Mountain in Great Li’s Chuzhou Prefecture. Forgive the intrusion.”

The Daywalker simply replied “Wait here” and produced a blue-green jade book. From it, she “extracted” a series of golden characters, verifiable information.

Pei Qian’s name was recorded in the ancestral hall of the Fallen Phoenix Mountain. The government office had documented her residency in the Dragon Spring County.

A mundane travel document could be forged, but it could not deceive a temple.

The Daywalker hesitated before smiling and saying, “Mister Pei, your birthdate and hometown do not match. May I inquire if this is due to an error in the records of the household bureau of Great Li’s Huaihuang County?”

Despite the divide between the realms, the Daywalker, as a female deity of the City God Temple and an official appointed by the Underworld, was akin to a ranked official of the imperial court. She had no need to offer courtesies to a mortal martial artist. However, Pei Qian was the first disciple of Chen Pingan, and a “VIP” in certain records of the City God Temple. Pei Qian would be treated with deference.

Pei Qian smiled. “I am from Lotus Flower Paradise in Tongye Continent, but I have long forgotten my birthdate. When I followed my master to Huaihuang County, I simply registered a date with the household bureau.”

The Daywalker nodded. “It matters not. Omens can still be foretold.”

She inquired, “Master Pei, would you like to know your true birthdate?”

Pei Qian shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but it is unnecessary.”

The month and day of her registration in Huaihuang County coincided with the first time she met her master. “A martial artist regards their master as a second birth,” It felt good.

The Daywalker gave a quick introduction, her name was Qin Fuxuan.

She had been a general in Jade Radiance’s army.

Qin Fuxuan asked, “May I ask what brings Mister Pei to the Capital’s City God Temple?”

Pei Qian blushed and said, “I am not worthy of being called ‘Mister Pei.’ Please, just call me by my name, Miss Qin.”

Qin Fuxuan smiled, awaiting a response.

Pei Qian said, “I was merely passing by, taking in the sights.”

Qin Fuxuan nodded, taking her leave.

Pei Qian looked at the statue of the City God and the painted statue of the Martial Judge in the main hall.

Even in a small nation, the City God Temple would have a certain amount of departments. For capitals the size of Great Li, the City God Temple would have thirty six different departments.

As for the city God that led the other temples, which was located in Middle Earth’s Lingzhi Dynasty, there were 62 departments.

City God Zhou Fangyu held the same position as the Five Great Mountains and the Four Great Oceans. Zhou Chenghuang’s four most important generals were from the Gan, Liu, Fan, and Xie families.

Pei Qian visited that temple once. She’d met Zhou Chenghuang and General Fan.

She can’t converse with spirits today.

After working in the Ma estate for a while, Yu Qing dared not go up the mountain again and instead returned to the foot of the mountain and found Xiao Xing, who claimed to be from the wilds.

Yu Qing was not afraid of the many bodies with swords in them, she was just afraid of what the bodies meant.

Yu Qing halted, then she turned to the wilds cultivator. “May I ask, Miss Xiao, where is this place?”

Xiao Xing squatted beside the river and rinsed her face. Then she said, “Does it matter whether you know where you are?”

Yu Qing said, “If you won’t tell me, I’ll be leaving.”

Xiao Xing became scared, then she reached out as if she was in a river and needed saving, then she asked the woman to stay.

Yu Qing looked at the wild woman and sighed. What if that woman’s tomorrow became her today?

She asked, “Xiao Daoyou, how are you keeping your mind from collapsing?”

Perhaps valuing every conversation, Xiao Xing always told a story before getting to the point.

She said that although she was just a bit of her mind, she could view a full soul that would not be any different from a true soul. Soul traveling and dreaming were similar, but they were still different. Xiao Xing had a soul left behind to guard the body. It worked, but only temporarily. She had been using Wild techniques to keep her dao heart from dissipating.

Yu Qing asked, “Who is the young daoist sitting on the stone steps? Is he Chen Ping An’s wandering astral spirit, or a separate part of his yang soul? Does his appearance have any special meaning?”

Xiao Xing immediately smiled. “He is not! He will not have either an astral or a yang soul. Even though he is of sagehood blood, he cannot cultivate a dao heart. Pitiful. And as for the daoist, he is Young Master Ren!”

Yu Qing did not want to know if what Xiao Xing said was true. However, the last part caused her to become confused. “What?”

Xiao Xing asked, “Even I, a wild animal, know that there is a poem of Hao Ran saying, ‘Who is like Young Master Ren, riding a green donkey in the clouds’? Are you a terrestrial immortal and you’ve never heard of this saying?”

At the edge of her vision, hundreds of miles away, she saw a young daoist with a lotus hat. He was barefoot, and he was sitting on a green donkey while holding a fishing rod. The line turned gold, then it dropped into the river.

The daoist raised a hand to signal the others to keep quiet.

Xiao Xing suddenly asked, “Are you a sword cultivator?”

Yu Qing said, “How could I? Sword cultivators are rare.”

Sword cultivators were all precious.

Xiao Xing said, “Here, you can be. If you want, I can help.

“How many natal swords do you want? We can discuss this.”

“I only handle the rough drafts.”

Xiao Xing had now created a mud figure of Yu Qing. The clay figure hadn’t had its final touches.

The Yu Qing was beautiful.

Xiao Xing added to the figure with decorations. “Your figure. Do you want more makeup? Your face should be painted. Do you want a bigger chest? Do you want a bunch of swords? How should you be?”

The storyteller has a land filled with blank paper, which causes unique phenomenon.

Yu Qing asked, “You created this world?”

Xiao Xing laughed. “I didn’t do much.”

“The boundless lands you see are just ten scenes. Twenty more exist. I haven’t been given any power.”

Xiao Xing hates Chen Ping An and wants him dead, but she knows that she would bow down to Chen Ping An, so she hates him even more.

Hearing this, Yu Qing said, “You are telling me everything.”

Xiao Xing smiled. “Since you and I are destined to be together here, why should I hide anything?”

The next scene made Yu Qing caught off guard, only to see Xiao Xing smiled and stared at the woman. Xiao Xing then removed all of her clothing, and raised her leg to wrap around the waist of “Yu Qing.” Yu Qing then left. Across the river, Xiao Xing continued. Xiao Xing then removed the clothing of “Yu Qing.” She then spoke to the back of Yu Qing. “You do not know. The true dao heart is this.” Xiao Xing then are the flesh of “Yu Qing”.

Yu Qing had a dark look on her face and felt cold.

Because she had discovered the true form of the river.

It was a long green snake. The “river water” was the snake.

Desire.

Young Master Ren has finished fishing. The daoist arrived beside Yu Qing and said, “Daoyou Yu has good eyes. Xiao Daoyou is lacking.”

The young daoist had a gourd and was carrying a branch of peach. He smiled. “Those who enter the mountains do not fear desire.

“Those who become gods were all originally humans, but they all had a good mind. Normal people have thoughts of desire. Once you focus on desire, you will be stuck.”

“Those who are far away are not as good as those who are near.”

Yu Qing said, “You’ve guessed wrong. My surname is not Lu. It is Gongsun.”

The daoist smiled. “Do you have any connection with Xishan?”

Yu Qing had a complicated look on her face. “I used to be a cleaner, but I failed. I floated, then I was invited by Ma Kuxuan. I made an agreement to serve 60 years.”

But Ma Kuxuan didn’t say who his enemy was.

Yu Qing asked, “Who are you?”

The daoist smiled. “Since we are both people who have had misfortune, there’s no reason to discuss origins.”

Yu Qing laughed.

The daoist spoke shamelessly, “As we get to know each other better, Daoyou will understand that I’m not kind to myself, but I am strict with others.”

The daoist patted the gourd. “Do you want to know what’s in my gourd?”

Yu Qing said, “Regret pills?”

The daoist was surprised. “You’re smart. You’ve hit the mark.”

“We just need the medicine guide.”

“To taste regret, you must first have fear.”

Yu Qing no longer wanted to talk.

The Sword Qi Wall was weak.

In her mind, the Sword Qi Wall was better.

To get revenge with Ma, he should have marched from the front door all the way to the family hall.

Yu Qing said, “I have one last question. You are keeping me here. What is your goal?”

The young daoist smiled. “Our Luo Po Mountain’s Chief Jiang told a great saying. Do you want to hear it?”

The daoist answered, “The most important guardian for a cultivator is himself.”

The daoist squatted and grabbed dirt. As he opened his hands, the dirt stopped in the air. “Give more people the chance to have love and hate. Create more trees, and untangle the complicated. Use what you say, use what you think, use your expressions, and use what you do to create an environment, an unpure reality.”

“So you are seeds. Whether you are a plant or a tree, you are the ones who decide.”

Yu Qing couldn’t help but ask, “Others say that you can inscribe on the city walls because you borrowed Chen Qingdu’s sword, or because you borrowed Zhang’s spells. But I want to know, to what extent do you know?”

The daoist laughed. “A good question. Is Daoyou hinting that even though I have returned the First Swordsman’s sword and Zhang’s spells, I have secretly kept their minds? So even though I am in the Yuan Ying realm, I have kept the minds of the Fourteenth? So my methods don’t match my realm? You deserve to be called from Xishan’s sect.”

Yu Qing squatted and looked at the highest tower. “Can these be viewed as the top cultivators, the Fourteenth Realm?”

The daoist clapped his hands.

Yu Qing asked, “What is the core of this world?”

The daoist smiled. “Land, river, qi, weather, living beings, words, sentences, lands, buildings, talismans, and your emotions.”

Yu Qing asked, “Is there a limit?”

The daoist said, “The universe is a wonder. The heart has no end, law has no amount, right now is boundless.”

Yu Qing asked, “You found me by chance?”

“It’s easy to speak pretty words, but it has no meaning.”

The daoist grabbed dirt and held out his hands. “What comes from wealth, what comes from status? That’s called talent will be useful.”

The daoist dismissed the tower and got up. Then he pointed to the river. “To save effort, the river bed comes from the wild’s Wild River.”

“A long river snake is a sword technique.”

Yu Qing got up. “Now what?”

The daoist did not answer. He smiled. “Do you want to go to Bai Yujing again?”

Yu Qing was confused. “Again?”

The daoist did not answer and instead walked toward the mountain. Yu Qing turned and saw that the mountains were disappearing, and the mountains were turning into five towns and twelve towers.

The daoist started walking, and the dao appeared, writing out words.

Spring has come, birds are chirping. Those who live in the way are worried.

In ancient times, the virtuous sages saw a bird strike wood and create fire.

The capital of Jade Radiance.

Shen Ke was standing outside of the gates, and he knew he was in a strange place.

Walking out of Silk Hat Alley was like this. What will happen when he walks out of the capital?

The streets were filled with the same person. Shen Ke hesitated, and he did not dare leave “the capital.” He talked, he ate, he bought things, and he even killed people. The people of the capital were the same people with the same face. Their bodies were weak. Shen Ke even squatted beside a corpse, and it turned out that the blood was real.

Shen Ke was horrified and said, “This is cursed!”

Afterward, Shen Ke tried to leave, but whether he tried to run out or walk out, he would always return to the capital.

Shen Ke tried to find the third face, but he couldn’t.

Shen Ke tried to find the third face, but he couldn’t.

Living here was like living for years.

It was impossible for a living person to die from holding their urine. Shen Ke then tried to do other things, like teaching martial arts, storming the palace, or even opening a silk shop. His students and customers looked normal, except for their faces. The poor old martial master was getting thinner. At first, he tried to keep track of the days, but later, he couldn’t do so. In this enormous city with 200,000 people, he was living among the walking dead.

He didn’t know what year it was. On a snowy day, an old man sat beside a bridge.

He was getting old.

He was going insane.

A man with a gold crown and blue robes smiled and said, “Old Sect Master Shen, we are old friends. Do you mind if I call you Old Brother Shen?”

As expected of a man who was soon to be in the Golden Body realm. His qi was great. As the snowflakes were coming closer, they melted.

Shen Ke turned his head and looked at the immortal. “Chen Jianshan, please let me go.”

The man crossed his hands. “Why?”

Shen Ke said, “I have no ties with you. We have met for the first time, and I did not provoke you. Why are you keeping me here?”

Chen Ping An smiled. “You have no ties with me, but you have ties with this world.”

Shen Ke started crying. He’d studied martial arts since he was young. He was afraid that his heart was like a rock, more firm than a cultivator’s dao heart, but he had been trapped in a dream.

Chen Ping An said, “That’s a great finger ring. After so many years, it still has the dragon qi of a fallen country. Did you kill an Emperor?”

Shen Ke said, “That was from a small country’s palace. You can take it, even cut my finger off.”

Chen Ping An asked, “What do you think is wrong with this capital? What details need to be changed?”

Real isn’t about what’s correct and real. It’s about irrational, illogical, and emotional.

Shen Ke didn’t understand. Chen Jianshan, everything is illogical!

Chen Ping An smiled. “Talking about this with a martial arts master seems difficult.”

It was snowing, and there were no birds.

After a moment of silence, Chen Ping An said, “If you want good to be rewarded, evil must be punished. What do you think?”

Before Shen Ke could answer, the entire city changed. Everyone looked like Shen Ke.

Punish evil with evil.

Chen Ping An walked off the bridge and said, “If martial arts is killing, and you like killing, then go kill those insects. Kill them until your hands hurt. Kill them until you vomit. The only problem is the warriors of Jade Radiance. You will need some weapons. Also, remember to be quick.”

The city turned into a ball, and the people ran to Shen Ke. In the sphere, Shen Ke was unable to tell whether the snow was floating down or up.

In the snow, there was no longer the sight of the Sword Immortal.

Ma’s ancestral residence was shuddering at the sight before their very eyes.

The woman, who was wearing more wealth than those with authority, was squeezing a white silk ribbon and cursing. The man was just begging.

Qin Zheng straightened her legs. There were red marks on Ma Yan’s neck.

Chen Ping An asked the old woman to pry off the tiles where the two were standing, so they could rest.