The grizzled scholar, Lantern-bearer of the Ministry of Rites, a devotee of the Azure Scripts, sought a hidden path, his steps guided to the City God Shrine of Hongzhu. Ere he crossed the threshold, the crimson lantern in his grasp led the way, as if garbed in it. A fleeting shimmer, like water disturbed, served as a barrier, separating the realms of yin and yang, preventing the mixing of well water and river current. Within the lantern’s glow, sparks danced like captured fireflies, scattering light upon the walls.

Etched upon the lantern’s heart were four stark glyphs: Soul Adrift.

Within the shrine, a place where affairs of the living and the dead were kept separate from the magistrate’s court, an elder in Confucian robes, his face the hue of ripe dates, bowed low. “Red candles to the City God,” he intoned, “Homage to the Scholar.”

Flanking the crimson-faced elder stood two figures. To the left, a civil servant clutching a jade scepter; to the right, a military general, armored and sword-wielding, a raccoon perched upon his shoulder. These were local gods and heroes, beings born of shadow and light. They were mirror images of the clay figures adorning the shrine, and of the venerated statues in Wenchang Pavilion’s Martial Saints Hall.

The Lantern-bearer nodded, returning the greeting. “I trust you three have received the Court’s clandestine decree,” he began, his tone grave. “Within a thousand leagues, every mountain, river, spirit of the land, every shrine, and every temple is tasked to intercept and slay a swordsman named Aliang. He flees along a specific route, east, west, north, and south. Should any dare to falter, to shrink from the enemy, or hoard their strength, their golden idols shall be shattered. The shards of the River God shall be buried at the mountain’s root, the fragments of the Mountain God sunk to the river’s bed. Your shrine and temples shall be erased from the county annals.”

The old scholar offered a disarming smile. “This is not a death sentence, but an all-out effort. His Majesty himself orchestrates this endeavor, granting you a golden chance for advancement. The iron legions of Dali march south, unstoppable. As our borders expand, richer, grander positions await within the conquered lands. Surely, those who have long held the mantle of divinity understand what this means.”

The three local deities responded with fervor.

“I would not dare to be remiss!” vowed the first.

“I shall give my all!” cried the second.

“I once gave my life for Dali,” the third roared. “Now, I feast on incense for centuries! Let my golden form be shattered, I care not! This dog’s jealous teeth shall find their home here!”

The Lantern-bearer nodded with approval. “The verdant lands to the south shall rely on you to safeguard their prosperity. Let us work as one, and usher in an age of glory.”

—

At the Jade River Temple, nestled near Hongzhu, stood a hulking figure once seen on Guanshui Street alongside the Lantern-bearer. He was, in truth, a Doctor of the Ministry of War’s Martial Selection, a man who held the power of life and death over the martial world, just as the Lantern-bearer oversaw the Qing officials of the Ministry of Rites. One dealt with the mud-dwelling fish, the other laughed with the gods and spoke of immortality.

Within the River God’s sanctuary, two imposing River Gods stood guard. One bore a spear of black iron, etched with glyphs of shimmering gold. A verdant serpent coiled around his arm, its tiny maw spewing puffs of snow-white vapor.

Both River Gods were shrouded in mist and swirling waters.

The hulking man spoke, his voice deep and resonant. “Once the net closes, the swordsman will likely flee south, thus, your vigil here. I shall be the first to hinder him. If you fall, I shall not. I yearn to act, but His Majesty’s gaze is upon us; I dare not. I trust you both will not disappoint our Emperor.”

He strode from the temple, facing the north, removing his shirt, revealing a landscape of rippling muscle and fearsome tattoos. No common soldier would dare etch a dragon on his shoulder, or a tiger rising from his back.

Bathed in moonlight, the man crossed his arms, immovable as a mountain, his power rising.

—

Along the road leading to Pillow Post, the woman who had implored Lin Shouyi to return to Changchun Palace lingered, taking refuge in a tavern. The innkeeper was a young, alluring woman, whose ribald jokes brought blushes to the faces of her patrons. The woman’s expression remained serene, while her timid husband bustled about his duties.

Seated beside the woman, once a common boat girl upon pleasure barges, was now favored by the Supreme Elder of Changchun Palace. She would be taken away and granted the art of Immortal cultivation. According to her new patron, the girl had good talent due to her life upon the water of the Chongdan River. She was born with the ability to control the element and she had the talent to reach the fifth floor of Zhongwu.

The girl did not know what Zhongwu was but she followed the elder’s example and drank wine. Not because she was prone to drunkeness like the other girls from the water, but so that she could learn the ways of the master that she followed.

The girl asked softly, “Master, why does not that young man want to follow us to Changchun Palace?”

A woman who was nearly 220 years smiled calmly. “I cannot fault him, I can only say that fate is not at hand. Cultivation requires solid foundation, but height depends on how far one may go. Lin Shouyi has a firm mind and a good embryo to practice Taoism. So long as you work hard then there may be an opportunity to meet him next time, so you must not feel ashamed.”

The girl nodded, lowered her head and drank a sip of wine.

The youth seemed eternal and ambition shone clearly in her eyes.

Hongzhu Town shuddered for the first time.

Fortunatley, the disturbance was not as bad and only made the table shake and made the boat move.

The woman’s face showed the slightest hint of worry. “The man is a Qi training man who has reached the fifth floor.”

The woman worried and said, “I hope that he is not the man on the 12th floor or the military genius that is on the 11th.”

She told the girl, “Do not panic, just stay where I am.”

When gods and immortal fight it may not be possible to escape even if one were to know of the coming disaster.

If the seventy-two academies in the world did not exist or that the strongest military monks outside the three religions were not there, then how chaotic would this world be?

She could not even imagine the possibilities.

She was even a god of the mountain.

—

Aliang stepped into the open space, sleeves billowing in the wind. With both hands, he clasped the green bamboo knife and the auspicious talisman, inhaling deeply. Without the hidden secrets of the hat, without the deliberate suppression, he could finally stretch his limbs, unburdened.

He called out as he looked to the side, “While you have achieved success in practicing Taoism, Dali is booming with strong yang energy and it is natural for you to avoid cities. Ask Lin Shouyi to refine the pure yang talismans as your passport.”

A shadow appeared not far from the corridor. A person emerged slowly into Chen Ping’an’s view. It was covered in black mist with a visible head and a pair of white eyes.

The Yin God nodded.

Aliang smiled, “I will leave these children in your care. As long as you escort them to the Yefu Pass, then their luck will be up to them.”

The Yin God used the local language and hoarsely asked, “Senior, why do you believe a Yin object?”

Aliang smiled and said, “Your face is so inhumane but you are chivalrous.”

The Yin Shen hesitated. “Is it because he looks like a senior?”

Aliang was taken back by the words. “You bastard…. you speak funnily.”

The evil thing grinned and did not say anything.

Li Huai hid behind Li Baoping and pulled the sleeve of the little girl with the red cotton-padded jacket. “The treasure bottle is a ghost.”

Lin Shouyi looked curiosly and tried to restrain his curiosity. “The Book of Langlang on the Clouds” explained the way that Yin things become gods. One way relied on belivers and the other was like a qi practitioner.

The Yin God glanced at Chen Ping’an and then Li Huai.

Li Huai cried, “Do not look at me, look at Lin Shouyi and Chen Ping’an.”

The evil thing followed the way and slowly dissipated as the corridor went back to normal.

Aliang looked north and did not rush to leave. He laughed and said, “There was a little accident so there is time to talk. If you have anything to say, then hurry up.”

Li Baoping asked, “If the knife is broken, you do not have to give it back for I am friends with you.”

Aliang stretched his thumb at the little girl and said, “That warms my heart! But I will return it to you so do not worry.”

Lin Shouyi asked, “Do I need to be more tenacious than a pure martial artist or a military monk?”

Aliang shook his head, “No, some people are suited for something, like me, and some are not. For example, you, Lin Shouyi, can only work hard on the word “deep” and not waste your energy.”

The young man nodded.

Li Huai muttered, “You feel uncomfortable all over if you do not brag for a day.” The child stepped forward but was pressed by a hand. “Do not walk around for Senior Aliang is too powerful. If not for the senior, then his aura would make me disappear. Besides, a big battle is coming so Senior Aliang will have difficulty taking care of us.”

Li Huai was stunned. “Are you kidding? Even I can chase him, right?”

The silly object smiled and said, “It is not easy for you to be so big.”

Aliang looked back at Chen Ping’an, Li Baoping, Li Huai, and Lin Shouyi. He felt a surge of emotion and thought that this meeting was a gathering of trivial things. The man said, “Okay, it is time.”

His aura burst out and a bamboo hat suppressed the energy.

Qi practitioners regret that magic weapons do not increase their cultivation.

Aliang has a different view.

On the Great Wall, there was a sword energy that had been accumulating for thousands of years to help suppress his spirit.

After killing the great demon, he carved a word on the city wall and then entered this world. Aliang had to wear a hat so that he would not be noticed. Aliang was not afraid of fighting, but he feared trouble.

Aliang had never been afraid.

There were eighteen ancient monsters and Aliang liked to travel with his sword and fight to the death with eleven of them. It took two months and the battle stretched thousands of miles.

Aliang smiled and said, “You must remember that the freedom of each should be the boundary of the weak. The opponent is the invisible rule between the world and its power. One must be brave when they encounter the strong.”

Aliang pointed to himself, “After hitting Dali, I have to go somewhere else and fight the strongest.”

Li Baoping raised his fist, “Good looks!”

Li Huai cried.

Lin Shouyi’s face turned red as he finally had a goal to catch up to.

Chen Ping’an looked at Aliang.

Aliang winked, “It is not good to be thoughtful at a young age. Chen Ping’an, smile!”

Chen Ping’an forced a smile.

“If you want to fight, then hit the big ones! Let’s go!”

Aliang’s body rose in the air and the sky thundered.

The whole Red Candle Town shook.

The Yin God muttered, “It is so strong and unreasonable.”

—

Dali Capital City.

A man in yellow robes came to a high platform for worshiping the country. Dali belonged to the uncivilized north.

Beneath the high platform was a man in white robes. It was the god of the Dali army, the vassal king Song Changjing.

He lowered his head and said, “Your Majesty.”

The middle-aged man smiled, patted Song Changjing’s shoulder and said, “Tenth level, not bad. When will you enter the eleventh level?”

Song Changjing asked, “Brother, can you do serious business?”

The middle-aged man nodded.

He asked, “Do you want to go together?”

Song Changjing said, “I am impatient with those two old men and I am afraid that they will fight.”

The man laughed and continued to climb as he asked, “I agreed to make a small fuss and I will help you.”

Song Changjing restrained his smile and asked, “Brother, is this too big? The man is a dangerous guy.”

The man had turned around and said calmly, “Dali needs to tell the Dongbao Bow Continent that everyone can be killed under the thirteen realms.”