Xiao Mo and Xie Gou offered a reminder.

It turned out that Rong Yu and Fu Qing were utterly absorbed in their viewing of the map, becoming dizzy and lost within it, unaware of their surroundings. This is what is known as “entering a trance” on the mountain.

The girl in the mink hat deliberately circled behind them, suddenly shouting at the top of her lungs. This startled them, causing their souls to momentarily leave their bodies, a phenomenon known as “soul detachment.”

Xie Gou extended her hands and pulled back, easily restoring the souls of the two young female martial artists to their wooden forms. She smiled and said, “Be careful, sisters. If you were proper cultivators, you’d need to mend your Dao hearts right now. But don’t worry, I know some ancient methods. I can perform a ‘great dance’ at the State Preceptor’s Mansion and help you summon your souls back.”

Rong Yu and Fu Qing quickly composed their scattered thoughts and thanked the second-in-command offering from Fallen Leaf Mountain. They then excused themselves and left together.

For ordinary mortals, it is difficult for those who have no dreams to have a beautiful dream, and for those who dream often to have a dreamless night. Rong Yu and Fu Qing happened to be these two types of people: the former had no idea what a dream was, while the latter had strange dreams almost every day, remembered them clearly upon waking, and had even recorded them one by one.

According to the mountain’s teachings, deep affinity is predestination. Heavy karma is one’s potential. In essence, these are the talents for cultivating the Dao in this life.

A sudden awakening, like a great dream, allows one to see their past and future paths. One might become disillusioned with the world, venture into the mountains to seek immortals, and perhaps encounter a fortunate connection with an immortal guiding them upwards. Or, at a lesser level, one might become utterly disheartened in the vastness of the mundane world, become dispirited, unable to escape their entanglements, and unable to break through their shell of ignorance.

There are also fortunate individuals who settled all their debts in their previous life and will thus enjoy a peaceful death without illness or disaster in this life, having traveled through the world in a stable manner.

Xie Gou turned her head to look at them and said, “Both sisters have stories to tell.”

Earlier, they were unable to tear their gaze away from the giant map, one looking at the great river and the other at a certain place in the south.

Xiao Mo nodded with regret and said, “They are actually very suitable for cultivation, but unfortunately, they are already Golden Body realm martial artists. It’s a bit late; they can only go down one path and achieve higher levels. If I had met them earlier, they could have advanced in both arts and martial arts according to the methods of Pushan Yuncao Hall. Xie Gou, can you tell if they are reincarnations of ancient divine officials? Or reincarnations of great cultivators who shed their bodies?”

If it’s the former, their human bodies have a good foundation. If it’s the latter, they often have one or two great opportunities waiting for them “on the mountain.”

Xie Gou shook her head and said, “Neither.”

Xiao Mo was a little puzzled by Mr. Cui’s arrangements, which seemed less focused on achievement regarding them.

Xie Gou looked up at the layered map and said, “Dual contemplation: contemplating the Dali Dynasty as a human body, and I am the Dali Dynasty.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “That’s quite difficult.”

Xie Gou nodded and said, “Most people wouldn’t dare attempt this. His Majesty the Emperor certainly could, but he is not a Qi cultivator. Song Xu certainly could too, but unfortunately, he cannot become the Crown Prince.”

Furthermore, if one’s Dao power is insufficient and their methods inadequate, the consequence of attempting this is shattering upon contact, easily ending as soon as it begins.

Xiao Mo reiterated, “Everything is ready, only waiting for the Dali court to announce the Young Master’s identity as the State Preceptor to the world.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Righteous name leads to smooth speech, and smooth speech leads to successful undertakings. This is an undeniable truth throughout history.”

For this Dali “harmony” map to truly interact with him, Chen Ping’an needed to obtain that brand new State Preceptor’s Seal.

Just like in the Battle of the Night Cruise Ship, Wu Shuangjiang would rather give the millennium’s worth of Dao power, the most substantial Dao fruit, of the first ancestor of the military strategists, Jiang She, to Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City. He himself chose to “usurp the throne.” Wu Shuangjiang also calculated that one of his allies, Chen Ping’an, would “seize the name” but would not occupy the first ancestor’s title. Regardless of Chen Ping’an’s own character or the lineage of the Literary Sage, and regardless of his current circumstances or future plans, Chen Ping’an could not transform into a military strategist cultivator. He was more focused on pursuing the purest path with the least worldly constraints.

Wu Shuangjiang, who usurped the throne and gained fame, then created that brand new Military Temple, which seemed to rise like a mountain from flat ground, and thus quickly established a foothold in the Azure Nether World.

Of course, Wu Shuangjiang was a decisive person. Having gained a tremendous advantage, he was not at all ambiguous. He gave Chen Ping’an all the benefits that he and the Sui Chu Palace could offer.

A golden Daoist scripture that compiles techniques for reaching ascension through unconventional means and is used for mutual reference. Chen Ping’an, at his current realm, was actually unable to open it.

An entire set of Resting Dragon Stones, whose value cannot be estimated with immortal money.

A strange banner whose method of activation, refinement, and use is currently unknown.

Twenty-seven invaluable green talismans. They are of great use when needed, and when not in use, they are extremely pleasing to the eye to behold.

Five hundred Gold Essence Copper Coins, plus a full twelve thousand Grain Rain Coins. This resolved Chen Ping’an’s immediate urgent needs.

In addition, Xiao Mo took the Master of Azure Vault Cave to the Sui Chu Palace and also brought back an immortal artifact, saying that their mountain master knew its rightful owner.

Indeed, Wu Shuangjiang and the Sui Chu Palace showed Chen Ping’an and Fallen Leaf Mountain the utmost sincerity.

Furthermore, there were shards of glazed glass from the “division of spoils.” Didn’t this mean that the future golden body of Zhang Jia Zhen’s ancestral temple had a place to go?

As for the consecration ceremony presided over by Dali court officials, Chen Ping’an could personally conduct it, thus saving the Ministry of Rites the expense of dispatching personnel and the Ministry of Revenue from paying for travel expenses.

Xie Gou asked curiously, “When did the Mountain Master have such an idea?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I had it as soon as I entered the State Preceptor’s Mansion. I truly made up my mind when I was strolling under the peach tree. As for the inspiration for this idea, it came even earlier. Back when I was traveling in Northern Reed Continent, I persuaded my friend Liu Zhiqin to use Golden Crow Palace as a Daoist site to observe human hearts, temper his sword heart, and cleanse, temper, and refine his sword. It has been proven that this path is indeed viable; Liu Zhiqin became a Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator based on this.”

Alright, a principle that was spoken to others back then, consisting of only a few sentences, spoken lightly, has now fallen upon himself.

Of course, Liu Zhiqin only needed to observe the Dao. During the observation period, he did not need to influence the direction of human hearts in Golden Crow Palace.

For Chen Ping’an’s ascension map to “land,” it was exactly the opposite; he needed to influence all aspects of the Dali Dynasty to the greatest extent.

Remembering Liu Zhiqin and Golden Crow Palace, Chen Ping’an tentatively said, “Dog, do you have time to go to Golden Crow Palace in Northern Reed Continent? See if you have some connection with it?”

Unexpectedly, Xie Gou said, “Did the Mountain Master forget? When I first arrived in Vast Expanse World, the first continent was Northern Reed. On the road south, when I heard the name of that sect, I went to investigate. I looked around a bit, and there’s no connection. It’s just that when that great sun fell to the ground back then, some dregs of the true meaning of the Great Dao were splashed out. They didn’t completely melt upon touching the ground and barely formed an immortal connection. The founding ancestor of Golden Crow Palace picked up that meteorite iron, stumbled upon the mountain, cultivated immortal techniques, and thus rose to prominence.”

Chen Ping’an said, “If that’s truly the case, then the connection is not small.”

The foundation of Golden Crow Palace cultivators’ Qi refinement lies in the relatively rare and higher-threshold path of refining the sun, which is more effective and immediate than the more widespread methods of worshiping the moon or drawing on the radiance of stars.

This path can arguably be considered a branch of the ancient Fire Sun Palace lineage, which is why Xie Gou feels that the Pure Yang Lu Yan can be considered a half-compatriot with her. Of course, Bai Jing’s Dao lineages are many.

However, these Dao lineages that once dominated certain regions on the ancient land have all been severed, just like the owners of those “Daoist names.” Otherwise, the path of refining the sun in the current world would not be so desolate and obscure.

Xie Gou rubbed her mink hat and sighed, “Alright, when I go to Northern Reed Continent again, I’ll make sure to write a Daoist formula on the portrait of the founding ancestor of Golden Crow Palace without anyone knowing. The cultivators of Golden Crow Palace can just think of it as their ancestor ‘manifesting’.”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his temples and said, “That works too.”

Xie Gou put her hand over her mouth and said, “Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo, not only is my writing good now, but those two volumes of landscape travelogues I wrote, according to an old gentleman in the palace, can be discussed with a market bookstore about publishing and selling them. As for my flowing, skilled brushwork, it’s simply divine. Rong Yu can’t take her eyes off it after just one glance!”

Xiao Mo twitched the corner of her mouth and said, “As long as you’re happy.”

Xie Gou immediately changed the subject and smiled, “No wonder the Mountain Master was unwilling to have Dali destroy Cui Chan’s old State Preceptor’s Seal at the small court assembly.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “I need to refine both the new and old State Preceptor’s Seals into brand new life-bound artifacts.”

This will allow for the most distinct comparison and the most intuitive understanding of the changes in the Qi and blood and bone structure of the “human body” of the old and new Dali Dynasty.

One can deceive the Dali Emperor, the perception of the entire court, and even the common people, a single Bottle Province… but Chen Ping’an can never deceive his own Dao heart, nor can he obscure the rise and fall of the Dali Dynasty’s national destiny.

The reason why one needs to hold a ceremony in the ancestral hall and register their name on the golden jade genealogy when entering the mountain to cultivate the Dao and become a formal registered cultivator is because their fate is subtly linked to the immortal mansion Daoist site. The same applies to Daoists receiving consecration, and the mountain techniques of “inviting gods into the body” or “mounting,” as well as the reason why strange tales in the market always mention being listed among the immortals and having one’s name recorded in the green register, is essentially the same internal principle.

If it is successful, it will be an ascension map used to prove the Dao, and it can be considered a rough draft of Chen Ping’an’s bragging.

However, if it fails, it will be hindered and dragged down by the Dali Dynasty’s national destiny, which would be more than just a useless burden. Water-dwelling spirits and demons, such as Jiaolong, would only choose to be linked to a certain dynasty’s national destiny under the premise that they are destined not to travel by water and absolutely cannot break through their bottlenecks. Once the national destiny is severed, they will suffer backlash from the Great Dao, and the calamity of war will follow like a shadow.

Xiao Mo sighed with emotion, “It’s still a double-edged sword after all.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “How many incredibly intelligent immortals in the world, who have exhausted their energy, resources, wealth, and Dao power, have been unable to prove the Dao and ascend?”

Xie Gou nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken, “Yes, yes, it’s difficult, it’s difficult.”

What was originally a very sensible statement became very boring when Xie Gou said it like that.

Xiao Mo said, “Jiang She is quite sensible; he knows to slowly walk out of Bottle Province, which can add some martial luck to our side. However, there is actually a quicker way for the Dali Dynasty to become more harmonious and prosperous. I can have Daoist friend Bixiao walk across Bottle Province. It will only take some time and won’t consume much Dao power…”

Chen Ping’an’s heart tightened, but he still feigned a relaxed expression, patted Xiao Mo’s shoulder, and advised, “You don’t have many friends to begin with, so don’t keep picking on one.”

As he spoke, Chen Ping’an gave Xie Gou a look. Second-in-Command Xie immediately understood and added, “Xiao Mo, it’s indeed wrong of you to be so distant with Daoist friend Bixiao; it will hurt his feelings. But even if you are too impolite with Daoist friend Bixiao, he is broad-minded and won’t hold it against you, but you will still lose the way of friendship, which is inappropriate.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in agreement. His own second-in-command offering was more than capable of being a county magistrate.

Xie Gou suddenly asked in a low voice, “Mountain Master, it won’t be easy to refine life-bound artifacts right now, will it?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I have to try. Let’s practice with a few spiritual artifacts first.”

Xie Gou quickly added, “Mountain Master, I was speaking unpleasant but truthful words, unpleasant but truthful words.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “You’re just speaking the truth. What’s there to avoid?”

Xie Gou said, “Liu Xiang’s recognition is also very important, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “Extremely important, absolutely crucial.”

Chen Ping’an sensed Liu Xiang’s “worship” in Bottle Province from the ancient battlefield site within Zheng Juzhong’s abdomen.

Within Zheng Juzhong’s abdominal Daoist site, Wu Shuangjiang’s Azure Sky Great Talisman, and Chen Ping’an’s caged bird, Chen Ping’an was still able to feel it. Since it could penetrate layers of worldly barriers, it also allowed him to deduce the profound and condensed nature of Liu Xiang’s Dao power.

The prerequisite for contemplating first and then “Daoizing” is, of course, having a “Dao.”

Liu Xiang’s “nod” and “consecration” mean that Chen Ping’an at least has a path whose existence can be confirmed and whose correctness can then be verified.

Xie Gou couldn’t keep anything to herself and asked directly, “Why didn’t you agree to Zheng Juzhong’s proposal? Were you afraid of being severely tricked by him? Was the Mountain Master really frightened by Jiang She’s words and worried that Zheng Juzhong is a more meticulous, ambitious, and well-hidden schemer? But after thinking and pondering, Xiao Mo and I both feel that it was an extremely safe choice. Even now that we know the Mountain Master’s ascension method, I still think the path Zheng Juzhong deliberately revealed is better.”

Xiao Mo hesitated for a moment and did not refute anything.

Chen Ping’an thought for a while and found it difficult to give a precise answer with accurate wording, so he vaguely said, “Perhaps it’s due to inertia. Maybe our brains are constrained by our hearts, often fighting and contradicting each other?”

In that veritable heartland, within that “White Emperor City,” Zheng Juzhong had advised Chen Ping’an, who had just returned from reclaiming his sword from the New Heavenly Court, that since he had successfully seized the name, he might as well directly transform into a military strategist cultivator and simply hide behind the scenes.

He could become the person who gained the most in the world within five hundred years. To put it conservatively, Chen Ping’an would be at least “one of” them.

With Vast Expanse counterattacking Savage Desolation and civil unrest in the Azure Nether World, regardless of the outcomes, Chen Ping’an could gain seven or eight parts of the benefits.

It would be like the safest and most profitable business under the heavens, where one only needs to lie down and receive a considerable annual dividend, guaranteed regardless of drought or flood.

Zheng Juzhong’s meaning was simple: you, Chen Ping’an, first reach the Fourteenth Realm and secure your gains, and then you can talk about how to shed your military strategist identity.

A huge problem that cannot be solved in the Immortal Realm and Ascension Realm might not be a problem at all in the Fourteenth Realm.

Chen Ping’an was not completely unmoved, but he forcibly suppressed this greed at the time.

The matter of jointly killing Jiang She is currently only known to the cultivators at the peak of the mountains in each world. As for how long it can be concealed, it is hard to say for now.

The matter of the three Sages of the three religions dispersing their Dao is now well known to great cultivators, but who dares to mention it casually and reveal it?

One must bear the karma. For Qi cultivators with lower realms, unintentional words may not have a big impact, but the higher the realm, the more taboo it is.

How many successes and failures in the world, how much painstaking effort, are lost to a single phrase, “There is a divine will in the unseen”?

Furthermore, since Zheng Juzhong is one of the three allies, it is estimated that the small group of enlightened individuals at the peak of the mountains will have to carefully consider the consequences, no matter how uninhibited their words and actions are. If they can stay out of it and let things take their course, but insist on revealing the inside story when they are full, then don’t blame Zheng Juzhong for possibly coming to their door when he is full.

Xiao Mo looked at the map again, and the more she looked at it, the more she felt it was worth contemplating.

Rong Yu and Fu Qing were not cultivators after all and could not see the deeper mysteries hidden in this map.

In the eyes of Xiao Mo and Xie Gou, it was very different from what the two martial artists saw.

Huang County in Chuzhou, the Six Ministries of the Dali capital, Wei Bo’s Piyu Mountain, a rural school, Shujian Lake, Qiu Kingdom…

The secondary capital Luoyang, Tong Wenchang’s Western Peak, Fan Junmao’s Southern Peak, Zhengyang Mountain, Old Dragon City, the capital of Yuxuan Kingdom, several water mansions in the great river…

There is also a traveling route that starts from the small town and ends at the capital of the Great Sui Dynasty, Qidun Mountain, Hongzhu Town, Yefu Pass, Huangting Kingdom…

These areas all have lights of different brightness and varying sizes, either points, lines, or patches.

Some places are gradually dimming, or becoming brighter. Some places suddenly light up, then dim out, and then light up again.

Chen Ping’an said softly, “Xiao Mo, Xie Gou, I ask you, what is a truly pure strong person? What is the essence of power?”

Xie Gou grinned and said, “A truly pure strong person is someone who can kill whoever they want, and whether they kill or not depends only on their mood? Freedom, one must have pure freedom, which of course includes the freedom to choose not to be free.”

Xiao Mo was not interested in what a strong person or power was. As long as she could challenge a strong person with her sword, and then continue to live and drink with her Daoist friends, and then challenge them again after drinking, that was probably it.

Chen Ping’an put his hands in his sleeves and muttered to himself.

“Is it being remembered by many people, having a name that goes down in history for a long time? Being mentioned a hundred or a thousand years later?”

“Or are the things that arose because of them, like threads spreading throughout the world, profoundly affecting the hearts of one or several generations?”

Xie Gou said, “Mountain Master, talking about these things is like asking a blind person for directions.”

Xiao Mo smiled and nodded, “That’s the truth.”

Chen Ping’an also smiled, “Then let’s talk about something you are better at than me.”

He lightly flicked his sleeves, and two咫尺物 (zhi chi wu – artifacts of limited space, often refers to spatial treasures) floated in the air.

Of these two 咫尺物, one was merely a fragmented small heaven-cave secret realm that had been refined and “named” as a 咫尺物; otherwise, it would not have been able to hold that Resting Dragon Platform. This place will be the future Daoist site and birthplace of the Daoist lineage of Kong Hou, a registered cultivator of Fallen Leaf Mountain.

The other 咫尺物 was actually a gilded incense burner made of coral, looking like an item from a lady’s boudoir.

Wu Shuangjiang had removed thirty-six magical restrictions, which were both arrays and refined objects. Chen Ping’an needed to set up restrictions for this 咫尺物 again, which was a relatively new mountain experience. Chen Ping’an already had a plan in mind. If this process was too tedious, time-consuming, or the knowledge too profound and obscure, and he could not find the method, he could simply hand the 咫尺物 to Xie Gou and let her study it and write down her insights.

Even if the benefits would be far less than figuring out the method himself, it was better than chasing after water in a bamboo basket and letting this item sit idle for a long time.

Chen Ping’an simply told Xie Gou directly.

Xie Gou was radiant, rubbing her hands together, eager to try, “Alright, it’s settled. Mountain Master, I’ve already found the trick to writing books and compiling stories. It’s just talking nonsense in a serious manner. Now I write like a flying bird, more and more skillfully, simply terrifyingly good! It’s a small matter!”

As for the tracing, imitation, and resetting of those restrictions, Xie Gou did not mention them at all, although it seemed unnecessary for her to do so.

Chen Ping’an said, “This incense burner ball can be given to Kong Hou later under some pretext.”

The immortal artifact Xiao Mo brought back to Fallen Leaf Mountain was a beautiful waist saber with a light green scabbard.

It was evident that Wu Shuangjiang had given it to Kong Hou. He had no concerns about Fallen Leaf Mountain intercepting it.

There are some well-known names on the mountain.

For example, partnering with Liu Jubao in business. Even if you lose money, you won’t suffer a loss. To put it simply, you will definitely make money.

If you ask Yu Xuan to teach you talisman Daoist techniques in person, you will always gain something. If you invite Bai Ye to drink good wine, he can write poems.

Or if you anger the Master of Azure Vault Cave, Daoist Sun of Xuandu Temple, there will definitely be no overnight grudges, no misunderstandings that cannot be clarified on the same day.

Fallen Leaf Mountain also has a few well-known names.

The first thing Xiao Mo did upon returning to Fallen Leaf Mountain, without even greeting her Young Master, was to go to Qilong Alley, find the white-haired boy squatting on the side of the road eating pastries, and give him the waist saber. However, she used the explanation that it was a gift from the Mountain Master. The white-haired boy clapped his hands vigorously, swallowed the pastry, and raised his hands above his head to receive the beautiful waist saber that he had fallen in love with at first sight. “Thank you, Ancestor Hermit, for bestowing this magical treasure. Your great kindness and virtue will never be forgotten. I am deeply grateful and moved to tears. I will go cry in the back of the shop now…”

Xiao Mo couldn’t help but laugh and still congratulated the white-haired boy a few times.

The scabbard is named “Cuiwei” and was refined by an ancient True Person. The blade is engraved with a string of inscriptions, which roughly introduce the origin of this magical saber, recording the name of the refiner. Judging from the text on the blade, it is clear that the scabbard was added later.

To make an extraterrestrial demon return to a human body, it is unique in ten thousand years.

If Liu Laocheng of Shujian Lake is considered a faithless man, how should Wu Shuangjiang be counted?

Xiao Mo adjusted her sleeve and reminded, “Young Master, what about Lu Fang that I brought back from that Lotus Flower Blessed Land?”

Chen Ping’an got a headache as soon as he heard this. “Let’s leave him for a while longer?”

Xiao Mo smiled and said, “Young Master, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s estimated that Lu Fang is still stunned right now.”

It turned out that the Old Temple Master had taken Lu Fang out of the blessed land and Xiao Mo had taken him back to Vast Expanse in her sleeve, saying that Fallen Leaf Mountain could dispose of him as they wished.

Among the avatars of the Second Ancestor of the Military Strategists, those that Chen Ping’an could currently come into contact with included Song Hanhong, the Bureau Chief of the Ministry of Rites’ Sacrifice and Offering Department, who had left a string of spiritual pearls.

There is also Zhang Tiaoxia, who was once the number one martial artist in Vast Expanse. Since he did not go to that “mountain peak,” it means that Zhang Tiaoxia is temporarily still at the first level of the Ultimate realm, unable to cross that threshold.

Furthermore, there is the human monarch in the northern part of the Five-Colored World, wearing that set of great frost armor. This fellow is also a ruthless person. In his early years, his reputation on and off the mountains in Fuyao Continent was very poor, but when the barbaric demons attacked the land of Fuyao Continent, he was truly capable of handling things.

Just in the “멸국” battle in the capital that annihilated the country, he was still able to gather half a million elite soldiers who were willing to fight with him.

In the end, only fifteen or sixteen thousand remained, retreating to the capital to continue their desperate defense. During this period, this person repeatedly took the lead, leading his elite cavalry into the enemy’s heartland. Although it was attributed to that treasure armor, it must be admitted that this slippery fellow did cause considerable trouble for the barbaric demons. By the time the barbaric army finally had to truly pay attention to this stubborn dynasty, rearrange their forces, and send in upper-realm demons to decapitate him within the capital, they discovered that this fellow had actually used some mountain secret method and had already fled to the Five-Colored World.

And then there is Lu Fang, who is currently in Xiao Mo’s Qiankun sleeve.

Chen Ping’an had not expected that simply asking Xiao Mo to help deliver a message to Liu Tui in Tianyao Village and have a drink with a fellow Daoist would result in the Old Temple Master directly throwing such a hot potato at him, and Chen Ping’an could not refuse to accept it.

A sword cultivator from Tongye Continent, a close friend of Jiang Shangzhen, Lu Fang, who went to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land for experience as a banished immortal,

Back then in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, that Bird’s Eye Peak was quite famous. Mentioning Grandmaster Lu Fang always inevitably involved “infatuation.”

Cui Dongshan was indeed worried that Jiang Shangzhen was that “one in ten thousand chance.”

Chen Ping’an did have a permanent solution: actively talk to Liu Xiang?

Anyway, he had visited Fallen Leaf Mountain and had even ventured into a Vast Expanse sect for the first time. It could be considered reciprocating the courtesy?

But how to find this manifestation of the Great Dao in Vast Expanse World?

Learn from Chen Lingjun and shout Wei Bo’s name a few times in his heart whenever something happens?

It’s not that Chen Ping’an was unwilling to lower himself, but he had tried several times, and it didn’t work. It seemed that he couldn’t be invited. Surely he couldn’t resort to cursing?

Stepping out of this main hall, Chen Ping’an called for Rong Yu and Fu Qing. He was naturally more familiar with his senior brother’s style of doing things than Xie Gou and Xiao Mo.

Entering the study, Rong Yu and Fu Qing were indeed standing on the fixed positions of the green bricks.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Do you want to leave here?”

Rong Yu shook her head.

Fu Qing hesitated a little.

Rong Yu’s father, Rong Yi, was the son of a courier station master, so he was given such a hasty name. Rong Yi grew up hanging around the Dali courier stations, but he joined the army early and was once a very powerful Dali military general. He spent most of his life on horseback. After his wife died, he did not remarry, so he only had Rong Yu as his only daughter. A close friend who was a life-and-death friend once joked privately that Rong Yi had experienced promotions, getting rich, and his wife dying, why not marry a young woman from a wealthy and influential family again? Afraid that the girl Yu would be bullied? No need, don’t be afraid of that. At least this brother of mine has a surname of a Grand Pillar of the State, and he has a say in that area of Yichi Alley in the capital! I’ve met the current officials of the Six Ministries, and they either call me uncle or elder brother. What woman from a noble family would dare to bully our girl Yu? Rong Yi was too lazy to say another word to this friend. During his lifetime, through a series of military achievements, Rong Yi was promoted to a permanent general with the surname “Zheng” in the court. If he could have lived a few more years, until the end of the war in Bottle Province, Rong Yi would have likely been promoted to Patrol Envoy. Even if his military achievements were inferior to Cao Ping, Patrol Envoy Su Gaoshan had died on the battlefield, and the Dali Dynasty needed a Patrol Envoy from a common background who was alive. This was what is called official luck, and it should have been Rong Yi’s. But Rong Yi died in battle along with that friend. Perhaps this was fate.

Fu Qing’s background is also quite special; she is from a royal family of the old White Frost Dynasty, a powerful dynasty that historians generally consider to have lost its national destiny due to lenient rule. Unlike the old Scarlet Glare Dynasty, the similarly massive White Frost Dynasty offered almost no resistance to Dali.

Chen Ping’an said, “Fu Qing, don’t rush to make a decision. You can think about it. If you go back, I support it. If you stay, I welcome it even more.”

Fu Qing nodded.

Rong Yu covered her mouth and smiled.

Chen Ping’an asked doubtfully, “Did I say something wrong?”

Rong Yu quickly put away her smile and shook her head.

Fu Qing said, “Rong Yu feels that if State Preceptor Cui said the same thing, the order might be reversed. It would be relatively harder to guess.”

If you stay, I welcome it. If you go back, I support it.

Actually, it’s not difficult to guess; State Preceptor Cui wanted Fu Qing to go back, especially since this was already Fu Qing’s inclination.

Cui Chan would occasionally ask for a pot of wine and a white bowl. A dish of peanuts, pig’s ears, and cold salad of zheergen. He would drink by himself, and when the wine was finished, the accompanying dishes would also be gone.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but smile and remembered something, saying, “Copy a copy of the files of officials above the sixth rank in the Dali capital and secondary capital. In addition to their names, native places, and official positions, you only need to specifically mark whether they are from wealthy families, scholarly families, or commoners. I will discuss this with Grandson Mao of the Ministry of Personnel later; it will be useful.”

Rong Yu and Fu Qing went off to busy themselves.

Chen Ping’an leaned back in his chair and began to close his eyes in contemplation.

Yu Shiwu, Xiao Xing, and the others, as well as those Tongye, were all shaken out of that package by the bald man riding the fire dragon.

Fortunately.

Chen Ping’an hesitated whether to have them help out at the State Preceptor’s Mansion, as the construction of the various mind-image worlds was temporarily halted anyway.

What could he talk about with Lu Fang? Try to gather them? Should he take this opportunity to plan this matter?

Besides confirming Jiang Shangzhen’s identity. There is also the matter of helping to devise Lu Zhi’s Dao integration, which is also completely without any leads for now.

Officialdom, battlefield, Daoist site, marketplace, romance, threshing ground…

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes, walked out of the study, stepped over the threshold of the main hall again, and passed through a door into a great Dali secret vault.

Three great mountains.

To be precise, they were mountains of money.

Mountains of gold, silver, and copper coins were piled up separately.

For example, the copper coins were all “old items from previous dynasties” of the various states in Bottle Province, which should have been melted down and recast by the Ministry of Works. However, the Dali court still kept a large portion of the copper coins here.

As long as Chen Ping’an was willing, he could go to other secret vaults. As long as the Dali Dynasty had it, he could see it, and even possess it exclusively.

Ripples spread, and a person walked out of a door. It was Emperor Song He, who seemed to be waiting for this moment.

Song He said, “I hope that everything within the State Preceptor’s sight is within Mr. Chen’s grasp. How to use it, I don’t care. The more the State Preceptor takes, the more at ease I will be. Mr. Chen should know that I am speaking from the bottom of my heart.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

Song He continued to speak on his own, “Mr. Chen is the new State Preceptor of our Great Dali, and even more so a cultivator residing in the Daoist heart. When the entire Great Dali Dynasty continues to operate in an orderly manner under the name of Emperor Song He and in reality under Mr. Chen Ping’an’s personal will, it may become better based on the foundation laid by State Preceptor Cui, or it may become slightly worse. In short, the entire Bottle Province will be widely and profoundly influenced by Dali’s governance. At the same time, Mr. Chen will inevitably become lax. For a Fallen Leaf Mountain, in about thirty years, the Mountain Master has been so dedicated. But for the sixteen young men and women sent to Jumping Fish Mountain by the court, Mr. Chen will no longer be so concerned, and will even deliberately keep a distance from them. Later on, Mr. Chen will only have less and less interaction with the increasingly numerous new faces, subsequent disciples, and disciples of disciples. This is the case for Fallen Leaf Mountain, and it is also the case for Green Ping Sword Sect. It must be even more so for the Dali Dynasty.”

Xie Gou sat on the summit of that golden mountain, clicking her tongue in wonder, “This Dali Emperor is quite something.”

Xiao Mo sat beside her and smiled, “But not much?”

Xie Gou shook her head, “Emperor’s art, coupled with treating people with sincerity, is still very formidable.”

Xiao Mo nodded.

Xie Gou suddenly asked, “Xiao Mo, what do you think is the most difficult thing about being a person?”

Xiao Mo shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”

Xie Gou said, “It’s very simple: restrain your desires.”

Xiao Mo was greatly surprised, “That makes sense.”

Xie Gou said, “Xiao Mo, we are lucky to have cultivated the Dao. In fact, we just have more strength. When it comes to scheming, we may not be as good as them.”

Xiao Mo’s expression was strange. Did she really gain these insights from reading books?

Xie Gou nodded to herself and said, “This sentence is brilliant! I must write it in the book!”

Xiao Mo couldn’t help but laugh.

At the foot of the mountain, Song He continued, “I have only one request: I hope Mr. Chen can serve as the State Preceptor of Dali for a long time. It’s best if that chair no longer has a third surname. When the day comes that Mr. Chen feels the Dali Dynasty no longer needs his personal control over the court, he can return to the mountain peak to continue cultivating the Great Dao. He just needs to pay a little attention to the direction of the Dali court every sixty or one hundred years in the future, or if he feels that a certain emperor of the Dali Song clan is unworthy of his position, even… even if he feels that the surname needs to be changed, then he can come out of the mountain again.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment and bowed to him. Song He seemed a little surprised and returned the bow.