Emperor Song He led Chen Ping’an to a top-tier Dali Secret Vault, saying that the court had prepared a congratulatory gift long ago.

Little Mo and Xie Gou, the two honored guests of Fallen Mountain, no longer concealed their tracks, following behind them. One was in the Fourteenth Realm and the other in the Ascension Realm, acting as bodyguards. Song He’s mood was peculiar. He had never imagined receiving such treatment. Looking through the historical records of various countries in Haoran, how many emperors had attendants of such high realms? It was extremely rare.

The key to opening the door was Chen Ping’an’s jade tablet. When he opened the door to the “Sword Room,” a dazzling spectacle unfolded. The room was filled with brilliant treasures. On tables and tiered shelves of various heights were many miniature boxes crafted from celestial wood and jade. Each box contained a sword embryo, and next to each box was a small booklet detailing the origins and history of these flying swords.

Each sword embryo contained a Dao-infused essence. The various colors of sword light had long steeped the boxes, like a patina. Especially the jade “sword cases,” they continuously seeped out radiance, creating the magnificent scene of the entire room filled with treasure light and vibrant colors.

The sword qi within the room was chilling, to the extent that Song He felt a bone-chilling cold, truly like falling into an ice cave. His hands were tucked within his sleeves. Xie Gou’s eyes were glued to the sight. She touched this, looked at that, only distinguishing between what she liked and what she liked even more. If she had known about such a place earlier, and if she hadn’t met the Mountain Lord, and had “accidentally passed by” the Dali Dynasty’s treasury, hehe.

Little Mo, however, helped Song He dispel the cold.

Song He immediately thanked the gentleman Little Mo. Little Mo smiled, “Your Majesty is too kind.”

Approaching a “gourd stand,” Song He smiled, “Mr. Chen, you can choose a few sword-nurturing gourds at your leisure.”

A piece of ancient jade, originally from the old collection of the Ancient Great Dudu Dragon Palace, was fashioned into the shape of a gourd vine, hung with various colors of sword-nurturing gourds.

There were over a hundred sword-nurturing gourds of varying quality. These gourds were spoils of war collected during the Dali iron cavalry’s southern campaign and battles against the demon race of the Wilds. Nearly half were severely damaged. Of the remaining half in good condition, those of lower rank accounted for another half. While earth immortal sword cultivators coveted them, they were somewhat lackluster for those in the Upper Five Realms.

Song He explained, “Mr. Cui once had a vision of the Dali Dynasty personally establishing a sword Dao sect. The general framework was to dismantle Zheng Yang Mountain, borrow people from Feng Lei Garden, and recruit a group of sword immortals from Beiju Luzhou to serve as honorary enshrinees. Wei Jin, Song Xu, Yuan Hua Jing, and Yuan Bai would all be members of the Patriarch Hall. However, it was delayed and had to be abandoned.”

Xie Gou suddenly realized, “No wonder Dali built a bridge across the sea back then, connecting Baopingzhou and Beiju Luzhou into a single landmass. Was it to guide the sword Dao fortunes south?”

“Mr. Cui’s plan was even grander than that idea.”

Song He shook his head and smiled, “If Assistant Elder Xie had looked at a map of the two continents and turned it upside down, she would have found that when our Baopingzhou is joined with Beiju Luzhou by that great bridge, it becomes the largest sword-nurturing gourd in the world.”

“The smaller half, the ‘upper gourd,’ cultivates a sword whose body is the Great Dudu water sword, and whose hilt is the Shujian Lake.”

“The larger ‘lower gourd,’ Beiju Luzhou, has a sword body that is the dragon脉 of Zhongtiao Mountain, and its hilt is the area of Muyi Mountain and Ghost Valley, forming a ‘earth dragon originating from the veins entering the sea’ pattern.”

“Since this sword-nurturing gourd is the largest in the world, the two flying swords it cultivates should also be of matching scale. As for the sword wielders, they would be stationed in the imitation White Jade City. The ancient sage of Shujian Lake and Mr. Cui would respectively wield the Great Dudu water sword and the dragon脉 mountain sword. They would specifically target those Ascension Realm demons who enjoy employing stratagems. The flying sword kills of the imitation White Jade City earlier were originally just a ruse.”

“Back then, our Dali Dynasty made long-term plans to deal with the demon race of the Wilds. Mr. Cui was prepared from the start to fight and retreat to the north of Baopingzhou, defending this Dali capital to the death. Of the nine secret plots, gathering sword immortals from various sides, establishing a sword Dao sect, forging the Two Continents Sword-Nurturing Gourd and the Mountain and Water Dual Swords, as well as detonating Old Dragon City and Old Nan Yue to kill countless wild demons, were just some of them.”

Xie Gou exclaimed repeatedly upon hearing this.

Little Mo was also deeply shocked.

To be honest, as ancient Daoists who personally experienced the War of Ascension ten thousand years ago, in their hearts, it was difficult for them to hold the so-called wars of later generations in high regard.

Xie Gou glanced at her Mountain Lord. Knowing the Embroidery Tiger’s heaven-reaching schemes, when she looked back at the Dali human form ascension painting, it didn’t seem so remarkable anymore? Xie Gou recalled the Mountain Lord’s previous analogy, how self-deprecating it was, and how vivid. Saying that the Embroidery Tiger watched with cold eyes, as if saying “Is that all?” Truly worthy of being senior and junior disciples of the same sect.

No wonder Chief Zhou said that if he had the assistance of Mr. Cui and City Lord Zheng, he could also achieve a monumental feat.

Chen Ping’an’s focus was different from theirs.

Each person giving their utmost, each object serving its purpose, each nation expending its wealth. The boundaries were clear, rewards and punishments distinct, and there were precedents to follow. For example, when the old emperor of Qiu Kingdom secretly colluded with the demon race, General Su Gaoshan directly burst into the imperial palace, drew his sword without a word, and beheaded him. Cui Chan could tolerate enough mistakes, including various human flaws, and even directly utilize many human weaknesses. In affairs, like clashing metal and stone, it would eventually subtly inspire the solemn spirit of sages and heroes within people’s hearts.

For instance, Pang Yun, the old Patriarch of the Jade Boat Sect, no matter how cowardly, how fond of fame and fortune, had to stay on the Dudu battlefield in the auxiliary capital Luoyang for three years before returning to the mountain. Regarding his nephew Fu Xian getting involved in the Qiu Kingdom’s internal strife, Pang Yun felt utterly disdainful in his heart. Even though Dali had indeed lacked the presence of the Embroidery Tiger in recent years, it was not something a small Qiu Kingdom could contend with. They truly did not know their own limits.

On one hand, the Dali Dynasty allowed anything not prohibited by law and was willing to give opportunities for trial and error. However, at the same time, it constantly corrected errors during the process.

Song He’s original intention was for Chen Ping’an to simply take away this gourd stand and those Dragon Slaying Stones.

Chen Ping’an ultimately took two high-ranking sword-nurturing gourds from the highest point of the gourd stand, respectively to nurture his natal flying swords “Big Dipper” and “Green Water.”

In the corner of the sword room, there were also some Dragon Slaying Stones piled up, from the Pearl Cave-Heaven. Chen Ping’an then selected two pillar-base sized Dragon Slaying Stones and had Little Mo cut them in half, placing them in three new and old sword-nurturing gourds, including the Jiang Pot.

Song He was a little disappointed. As he himself said, he was not afraid of Chen Ping’an taking too much, only afraid of Chen Ping’an taking too little, especially not taking anything.

Fortunately, Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything like “borrowing.”

Song He then took the next best option, allowing Little Mo and Xie Gou to choose sword embryos or Dragon Slaying Stones themselves.

Little Mo smiled and declined the emperor’s kind offer. Xie Gou, in contrast, had her usual temper: if you are polite to me, I will be impolite to you. She immediately chose two small Dragon Slaying Stones. Not taking them for free, Xie Gou reached out and rubbed her mink hat, solemnly promising Emperor Song He that she would definitely choose a direct disciple in the Dali Dynasty in the future.

Song He then smiled and went to the highest point of the gourd stand, took down a bright red sword-nurturing gourd, and handed it to the mink-hatted girl, “Wishing Assistant Elder Xie a smooth apprenticeship.”

Just now, Song He had noticed her gaze lingering on this object for a long time, clearly coveting it.

Xie Gou regretted it deeply, thinking she should have said “one or two.” She shifted her gaze, looking at the gourd stand again a few times.

Song He was not a stingy person, nor did he care about the ownership of a sword-nurturing gourd. It would only collect dust if left here, so it was better to directly give it to Bai Jing.

Xie Gou, however, was stopped by Little Mo who pressed down on her mink hat, reminding her, “Know when to stop!”

She had no choice but to stop the already moving Emperor. She patted her chest and promised, “Your Majesty, I can see that we are both heroic individuals who have read many books but act decisively. If you ever find a cultivator from another continent displeasing, just let me know, and I guarantee I will handle the matter perfectly, cleanly and efficiently. Whether it’s crippling them or killing them, just send a word!”

Song He was in a great mood listening to these wild, uninhibited words.

Chen Ping’an walked alone to a table. Three crystal clear white jade boxes contained three sword embryos, but there was only one booklet. He casually flipped through it, made up his mind, and put the sword case and booklet into his sleeve. He said, “Your Majesty, before I was acting on personal business. These are for official use, as Fu Qing will return to the Yunxiao Dynasty soon. I plan to find her some helpers and pave the way a little.”

Song He smiled, “National Master, please handle it yourself.”

With the matters here concluded, Song He was about to take his leave.

Chen Ping’an suddenly suggested they visit the Seal Room together. Song He, not understanding why, decided to treat it as a walk.

This room was filled with the seals of various countries in Baopingzhou collected by the Dali Dynasty. For the newly established countries south of the Great Dudu, it was simple enough to forge new seals. However, it was more awkward for those countries that had restored their rule under the banner of inheriting the orthodox lineage. In addition to re-creating their seals, these countries had been repeatedly negotiating with the Dali Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple over the years, hoping to reclaim these seals of their “current dynasty.”

After all, even if they re-forged their seals according to the established regulations, the storage of old seals by the Dali Dynasty would leave residual, or rather,截留, a portion of their national fortune and dragon luck. While the impact on the national situation and destiny might not be significant, the problem would always exist, like an old land deed that had never been officially transferred at the yamen.

Logically, since Dali had agreed to allow the southern countries of Baopingzhou to restore their rule, the Song clan of Dali should return these seals. However, Cui Chan had once explicitly stated at a small court meeting that whether or not to return these items, or when to return them, would be discussed later.

As a result, the person occupying the chair in the Imperial Study had changed, yet this matter remained undecided, becoming a muddled account.

Zhao Duanjin of the Ministry of Rites could pretend not to know, but Yan Yongfeng, the Minister of Honglu Temple, had been hounded for over a year, giving him a headache. His predecessor, Changsun Maoxian, had already left for the Tongzheng Office, and now he had been transferred to the Ministry of Personnel. Well, after the small court meeting dispersed today, the high and low Nine Ministers returned to the Thousand Step Corridor together. Changsun Maoxian actively approached Yan Yongfeng. The Minister still smiled and reminded him, “Yan Honglu, the matter of the seals of the various countries, don’t delay. Whether to return them or not, there must be a plan. It’s not a big deal, we can’t have a special court discussion, can we?”

Yan Yongfeng, who was short and sharp and already dark-skinned, became even darker upon hearing this.

Thinking of those little rascals in his Honglu Temple, one by one, still happy about Old Master Changsun Mao’s promotion to Heavenly Official, always thinking that their Honglu Temple was half the old Minister’s maternal home, and that it was reasonable to expect some partiality within the rules… Yan Yongfeng wanted to call these brats in front of him and give them a good dressing down.

Opening the door, Song He felt exceptionally refreshed.

Xie Gou tutted, “Such heavy dragon qi, it’s almost going to manifest into a spirit.”

Little Mo nodded. In his vision, a room filled with shelves displaying various seals, streams of fine threads floated gently, like seedlings in the wind. Those with thick destiny were like small snakes raising their heads in the fields. Each country had a pile of seals, and between them, they were like hostile neighbors with strained relationships. Listening carefully, Little Mo heard rustling sounds in the room, like snakes hissing, rising and falling.

Giant dynasties like the former Zhu Ying and Bai Shuang, due to their severed national fortunes, had thick but not high dragon qi, like coiled great snakes, low and sprawling, appearing listless. The qi of some small countries, however, appeared as young flood dragons and young chǐ, thin but high.

Chen Ping’an opened the door, but he was the last to step over the threshold. As soon as he entered the room, the dragon luck symbolizing the nation’s fortune instantly retracted into the seals, temporarily concealing itself, as if every household had closed its doors.

Seeing this scene, Xie Gou found it amusing and laughed heartily.

Her Mountain Lord was like a local tyrant or gentry who was used to oppressing the villagers, or a dissolute youth who had frequented the streets engaging in activities of bullying men and women, going down to the countryside.

Chen Ping’an cupped his hands in his sleeves, deliberately restraining his aura. However, those snake and dragon qi still refused to emerge.

These mystical beings naturally felt close to Song He, the legitimate emperor of a continent, yet also held him in awe.

But towards Chen Ping’an, who had succeeded Cui Chan as the Dali National Master, they were filled with hostility and immense fear.

Moreover, due to Chen Ping’an’s past “契” with the true Dragon King Zhu, their fear was layered even further.

Even though Baopingzhou was the smallest of the Nine Continents of Haoran, it was still known as the Continent of a Hundred Nations.

The total number of seals of various countries exceeded a thousand. Some large dynasties had only five or six seals, while some small countries had as many as thirty.

Give more respect to those who deserve it.

So Chen Ping’an spoke, “Your Majesty, our Dali now has three options. The first option is for the countries established in the south to immediately destroy all useless old seals and return those that belong to restored countries. This is the most benevolent and righteous course of action.”

A portion of the seal qi was overjoyed as if granted a great amnesty, while those like the former Zhu Ying and Bai Shuang became somber.

“The second option is to refine all of them and integrate them into the Dali dragon luck to strengthen ourselves. This option benefits Dali the most.”

When Chen Ping’an uttered these words, the entire room began to boil like water. With shared enmity, they left the jade seals and shook wildly.

Little Mo slightly frowned. With a sweep of his spiritual sense, it was like pouring cold water. The qi of the various countries immediately retreated back into the seals.

Song He smiled, “May I ask what Mr. Chen’s third option is?”

Chen Ping’an said, “It is still extensive refinement, but different from the second option. It is to help them make a complete break with the national fortune of the former dynasties. At the same time, like refining true gold in a great fire, see if there is an opportunity for them to gather together and form a pure and earnest ‘human form of destiny,’ secretly serving as guardians of the Dali Song clan.”

“However, if this is done, the Dali Dynasty must treat it well and must treat it with courtesy. This is the rule of the Great Dao of盈亏. It is not to say that those seated on thrones in the south should be given special treatment, nor does Dali need to indulge them. Instead, Dali should show more goodwill towards the mountains, rivers, and people in the southern part of Baopingzhou.”

“Regardless of whether a human form can condense, as long as the Dali Dynasty issues an imperial decree, I believe that the欽天監 of the newly established countries will each sense this anomaly of returning to their original owners. No verbal agreement is necessary, let alone signing any paper contracts. As for the restored dynasties inheriting the orthodox lineage, regardless of their size, and regardless of what those emperors, rulers, generals, and ministers think, the dragon and snake qi entrenched in their capitals will remember this goodwill given by the Dali Song clan. This action is neither saintly nor heroic, but pragmatic.”

Song He said without hesitation, “It is mutually beneficial, let’s choose this one.”

National Master Chen Ping’an proposed, and Emperor Song He seconded.

One spoke with the power of law, and the other’s words were decrees of Heaven.

The room was first in an uproar, then silent, and finally, radiance soared, displaying the peculiar phenomenon of over a hundred rivers converging into a single line.

Dragons merging into a Dudu.

Little Mo nodded secretly, full of praise.

Xie Gou gasped again. Her Mountain Lord had more and more things. Truly worthy of being the Embroidery Tiger’s junior disciple.

However, Xie Gou had some realization. Some past words, which she hadn’t taken seriously or bothered with, slowly surfaced in her mind.

Among their group of ancient demons who had slept for ten thousand years, Little Mo considered himself among the top three in both offense and defense. Yet, back then, he was still chased by Bai Jing and had to hide in the Looting Beach.

According to the Master of Bixiao Cave, Bai Jing, due to her exceptional talent and excessive killing intent, was actually disliked by Heaven.

Just speaking of those with high vision like Zhi Ci, when he looked at Bai Jing, he was willing to consider her as one of the most talented Daoists in the human world.

With Bai Jing’s actions of killing and plundering, stealing Dao titles, seizing magical treasures, and destroying Dao lineages in the ancient years, was she also disliked by Heaven?

However, early on, by a tree, Bai Jing had heard the Dao. That young Daoist had advised her to create less karma and avoid divine retribution.

Xie Gou rubbed her chin, lost in thought. She should indeed seriously consider the matter of Dao merging. The debts owed to Heaven and Earth could not be avoided by hiding.

When Chen Ping’an and the others left the room, a being that was neither human, immortal, god, nor ghost appeared behind them.

Its figure was slender, its gender indistinguishable, its hair disheveled, its appearance exquisite, dressed in yellow and barefoot, with skin like solidified cream and double pupils.

When speaking, its voice was soft and sweet, with extremely subtle golden threads swimming in its eyes. It possessed exceptional nobility, yet its Dao qi was remarkably overbearing.

The two parties agreed that it could not leave the capital of Dali by a single step.

It gave itself a name and a Dao title, Song Yunjian, with the Dao title “Ying Ning.”

Unexpectedly, there was such a pleasant surprise. Emperor Song He returned to the Imperial Study.

Song Yunjian followed Chen Ping’an and the others back to the National Master’s Mansion. Its demeanor was extraordinary, looking around with self-assurance.

When it lingered under the peach tree for a moment, near the time of Mangzhong, the tree blossomed with golden peach blossoms.

Little Mo returned to Fallen Mountain and needed some time for seclusion to stabilize his new realm.

Xie Gou continued to stay at the National Master’s Mansion as an attendant. When she had nothing to do, she read the travel books that she had asked Sister Rongyu to find.

Fu Qing still patrolled the courtyard on time. She ignored the strange figure standing under the peach tree who called himself Song Yunjian.

Chen Ping’an sat alone in the study. The two green sword-nurturing gourds he had just acquired, one had an ancient seal imprint “Mount Qingcheng,” and the other had “Chaofeng Palace” engraved on the bottom of the pot.

The former came from Golden Armor Continent, and the latter from the Wilds.

Chen Ping’an recalled something and asked Xie Gou with his inner voice, “Doggo, when you were wandering in Beiju Luzhou, did you go to that Shuijing Mountain?”

Xie Gou was sitting in a chair in Rongyu’s room, leaning back, with her feet on the table, reading a book. Upon hearing this, she replied, “I went, of course I went. The illusion and several layers of mountain and water restrictions set up in that forbidden area were not clever, they were very clumsy. From time to time, a burst of azure treasure light would shoot into the sky, very bright and eye-catching.”

“At first glance, I thought it was the gourd vine personally planted by the Dao Ancestor, so I went over to check. Ha, luckily the Confucian sage guarding the heavenly curtain was watching me at the time. If it had been before, I would have pulled it out and run.”

“That would have been very embarrassing. After finding out about our roundabout mountain friendship with Shuijing Mountain, wouldn’t it have been like the great flood washing away the Dragon King’s Temple? Not only would I have had to return the gourd vine, but I would also have had to apologize and compensate others, and it would have also implicated our mountain’s reputation, leading to misunderstandings.”

Chen Ping’an smiled upon hearing this, “Shall I help you reserve a sword-nurturing gourd from Shuijing Mountain in advance?”

Xie Gou shook her head, “No need. Something that will happen one thousand five or six hundred years from now, with my temper, I can’t wait that long, eagerly anticipating it.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Does it take that long?”

Xie Gou casually said, “If you’re willing to spend a lot of money, you could probably shorten it to seven or eight hundred years, but the revenue from selling the sword-nurturing gourds would be too low, and it would also affect the quantity and quality of those gourds, which is very uneconomical. Everything grows according to its own principles. Interfering with the Dao of Heaven with the Dao of Man is like pulling seedlings to help them grow.”

Chen Ping’an was puzzled, “The harvest years of the sword-nurturing gourds, and their specific numbers, can all be clearly seen by you?”

Xie Gou was even more puzzled, “Huh?”

Chen Ping’an then stopped discussing the matter with her.

Shao Yunyan’s gourd vine had successfully refined eight sword-nurturing gourds earlier. One of them was given to Chen Ping’an as a congratulatory gift to celebrate Fallen Mountain becoming a Zong-headed sect.

The last one, and also the one with the best quality, Shao Yunyan sold to the Ascension Realm sword cultivator Bai Shang. It is said to have been sold at a sky-high price.

But for this kind of “no shop after this village” transaction, no matter how high a price Shao Yunyan asked, as long as he was willing to sell it, Sword Immortal Bai Shang had to accept the favor.

Bai Shang naturally knew Shao Yunyan’s intention, which was to hope that he would take good care of Shuijing Mountain. Bai Shang understood this and did not need to make any promises.

Before Inverted Mountain was taken back by Yu Dou, Shao Yunyan, who built a Chunfanzhai just to plant this gourd vine, foresaw the great war was coming and had Liu Jinglong and Lu Sui, who were traveling in Sword Qi City, take the immortal soldier-grade gourd vine back to Shuijing Mountain in their hometown of Beiju Luzhou. He chose a geomantically auspicious location to transplant it. If it was nurtured properly, perhaps in the next thousand years, a string of new sword-nurturing gourd embryos would grow on the gourd vine again.

This treasure among treasures, although said to be of immortal soldier grade, was only because the highest grade was immortal soldier.

So Bai Shang bought that sword-nurturing gourd, personally went to Shuijing Mountain, and saw the gourd vine with his own eyes, reserving one in advance.

After Real Person Huolong successfully merged with the Dao, he also took the time to visit Shuijingzhu and reserved a sword-nurturing gourd for Pazhidi Peak.

In this way, this gourd vine truly returned to its hometown and was firmly rooted.

Through a thousand years of diligent cultivation, Shao Yunyan sold a total of eight sword-nurturing gourds, which were eight not-insignificant mountain incense friendships.

Apart from Fallen Mountain and Bai Shang, the other six buyers were all long-famous old sword immortals in Haoran.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an entrusted Shao Yunyan with a task, giving him a piece of paper. The heavenly materials and earthly treasures were all related to “literary fortune.” He asked him to help purchase them, without considering whether the price was affordable or not.

He had long been considering Nuan Shu’s “walking in water and transforming into a flood dragon.” However, Nuan Shu’s Dao roots were different from Chen Lingjun, who was born as a water snake in the Imperial River. She was formed by Pure Yang Lu Yan painting talismans on the beams and pillars to protect books in the past.

Earlier, he had been buying books, borrowing characters, and then refining characters everywhere. Chen Ping’an was very careful, for example, requesting help from Zhong Yue Jin Qing and the former Qiantang Chief Cao Yong, all for the purpose of building a water transport river. Coupled with the talisman given to Nuan Shu by Lu Yan, Chen Ping’an believed he had made full preparations, waiting for the day when Nuan Shu herself said she wanted to break through the realm. Chen Ping’an would protect her “walking the river.” This was naturally different from Chen Lingjun walking the water in the Great Dudu in Beiju Luzhou. If Nuan Shu encountered even the slightest setback during her journey, it would be considered the fault of Chen Ping’an, the Mountain Lord!

As a result of his fight with Jiang She, he accepted the loss of other Daos, but only this matter made Chen Ping’an’s liver ache with anger.

He couldn’t help but let out a curse.

Fortunately, there was no one around.

He had forgotten about Song Yunjian, whose Dao title was Ying Ning, in the courtyard. He was clearly quite surprised.

Chen Ping’an called for Rongyu and Fu Qing, saying that there would be a few new people in the National Master’s Mansion soon. He then asked them to ask Yuan Hua Jing and Song Xu to come here. At the same time, he gave Fu Qing a secret letter to be sent to Gu Can at Fuyue Sect on Quan Jiao Mountain in Fuyue Continent.

In the crossbody bag of the golden bald little person, besides shaking out Yu Shiwu and the others, there was also a sword-nurturing gourd that had accompanied him for many years. Currently, “Jiang Pot” was nurturing the two flying swords, Chuyi and Shiwu.

Now, the human body and heaven and earth were in chaos. Although he had barely “opened his orifices like the eye of heaven,” it was already very difficult to maintain this state. Even dividing a single thought of mustard seed required extreme caution. The task of refining objects, which he had long been skilled at, had to be practiced first before Chen Ping’an dared to attempt to refine the two new and old National Master’s seals.

Yu Shiwu and the others, who were responsible for creating the illusionary heavens and earths, had naturally sensed the terrifying anomaly of the heaven and earth returning to chaos earlier. Not to mention Dou Kou, who was still contemplating how to escape this cage and was filled with unwillingness, even Yu Shiwu felt despair at the time. In contrast, Xiao Xing was the calmest and completely fearless, placing life and death outside of her consideration. She just sat on the divine path steps, her expression relaxed, gently patting her knees and humming a folk song, waiting for the heaven and earth to collapse.

Chen Ping’an waved his sleeve, and Yu Shiwu and the others were flung out of the small heaven and earth within his sleeve.

They all sighed with emotion. Yu Shiwu took a deep breath and began to survey the surrounding scene, which was a study.

Kitchen maid Yu Qing subconsciously reached out to block the light, murmuring, “Finally, back in the light of day.”

Xian Cao and the sword cultivator Dou Kou exchanged glances, each suspicious. Could it be that the Hidden Official was showing rare kindness this time, and they were being allowed out for some fresh air?

Only Xiao Xing moved first, without any taboo. Fortunately, she did not step directly out of the door into the courtyard.

Chen Ping’an originally wanted to ask where Luo Fumei was, but after thinking for a moment, he asked Xie Gou to bring her directly here.

Yuan Hua Jing and Song Xu had just arrived at the National Master’s Mansion when Xie Gou quickly brought Luo Fumei from a ferry boat.

Luo Fumei was dizzy. Upon arriving at this unfamiliar courtyard, she found a beautiful woman with slender eyes and eyebrows standing under the peach tree.

Everyone stood inside the study.

Chen Ping’an first introduced Fu Qing’s identity to them and said, “Song Xu, Yuan Hua Jing, and Luo Fumei, you will accompany Fu Qing to the Yunxiao Dynasty, connect with Su Lang, and together help Fu Qing restore her national fortune and ascend the throne as emperor. You will also be responsible, together with Zhao Yao of the Ministry of Justice, for investigating and evaluating the Dali spies and sleeper agents in the surrounding ten-odd countries, and then weeding out those who dare to play both sides. As for how to handle them, follow the rules of the Ministry of Justice.”

The Yunxiao Dynasty inherited roughly seven or eight tenths of the mountain and river territory of the former Bai Shuang Dynasty. However, the Lingfei Temple, which was within the former Bai Shuang territory, is now not in the Yunxiao Dynasty. Lingfei Temple first rose from a Temple to a Palace, becoming a Zong-headed immortal family. Subsequently, Heavenly Lord Cao Rong, one of Lu Chen’s direct disciples, went on a long journey and reached the Ascension Realm in the sea area between Beiju Luzhou and Aigai Continent.

This caused the Yunxiao Dynasty, both in the court and the wilds, to regret it greatly.

Chen Ping’an looked at Song Xu and said, “If you need more manpower to take south, you can choose whoever you want. Han Zhoujin and the others will also be arranged and assigned by you. I will write you a National Master’s Mansion order, and the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Ministry of Justice will release the people. By the way, the spy in the capital of Qiu Kingdom named Huang Jie has been interrogated by the Examination Division of the Ministry of Justice. He was indeed personally trained by Liu Wenjin of Qiu Kingdom. You can take him and allow him to atone for his crimes by rendering meritorious service.”

Not long ago, Su Lang, under the order of the Ministry of Justice, had just established a jianghu sect in the auxiliary capital of the Yunxiao Dynasty, which was the old capital of the Bai Shuang Dynasty. For the time being, its reputation is not well-known.

Song Xu nodded.

Luo Fumei had just received a third-class enshrinee token from the Dali Ministry of Justice, but she didn’t expect to have a task so quickly. While she was excited, she also had a small regret that she hadn’t yet registered and signed at the Ministry of Justice.

Fu Qing hesitated to speak.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Fu Qing, when you arrive there, you can first go to Nan Yue. Perhaps you can still catch that grand Night Tour Feast.”

Fu Qing’s eyes turned red, and she nodded silently.

Chen Ping’an said to Luo Fumei, “You can also choose a few people from the law enforcement lineage within the Fox Kingdom to go south together. But remember, if there are any mistakes, the punishment from the Ministry of Justice will only be heavier, not lighter. Yuan Hua Jing, you can directly convey this to Zhao Yao.”

Luo Fumei’s eyes lit up, and her fighting spirit soared.

After Fu Qing and the others left the study, Chen Ping’an looked at Yu Shiwu and the others.

Yu Shiwu had already been removed from the Jade Register of Zhenwu Mountain.

The demon race’s true name was Xiao Xing, with the Dao title “You Ren,” wearing a dark green Dharma robe named “Da Mao.”

The kitchen maid Yu Qing of the Ma Mansion in Yongjia County, dressed in cherry green, was Gongsun Lingling in disguise.

The Wilds sword cultivator, Dou Kou. From the Frost Department of Guanghan City, Xian Cao.

Chen Ping’an said to Gongsun Lingling, “I have seen Liu Taozhi and the others. There is a possibility of you restoring your identity.”

Gongsun Lingling no longer had any aloofness in her expression, her face full of disbelief.

Chen Ping’an said, “Xiao Pu of Zhulan Hall still owes me a favor, neither big nor small. I will arrange for you to meet later.”

The Washers, who were skilled in assassination and had hidden identities, were divided into three lineages. The Xishan Sword Hidden lineage was almost all sword cultivators. The Cherry Green Robe lineage was all women. In addition, there were the Sewers, also known as the Bowl Sawyers, who served as officials in various countries outside of Baopingzhou in the Haoran world.

Gongsun Lingling’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. After a moment, her eyes were complex. She cupped her fists towards the desk but did not speak.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “In the near future, you will help out here. Rongyu, you will arrange their division of labor.”

Rongyu smiled and accepted the order.

He then asked Rongyu to inform the Ministry of Justice to investigate Wei Yueshan of Qingwu Peak on Zheng Yang Mountain in the near future. Both he and Liu Wenjin were from Huaxiang County.

Chen Ping’an borrowed a person from Gu Can’s Fuyue Sect.

Like Gongsun Lingling, she was an enshrinee of the Ma clan in Yongjia County, an old woman in the Nascent Soul Realm, with the alias Puliu and true name Xu Fu.

She and Huang Lie, Shen Ke, and others had already established sects in the Golden Jade Dynasty, subordinate to Fuyue Sect.

Gu Can was naturally indifferent to this. Individuals like Xu Fu were dispensable, the kind whose corpses wouldn’t even be collected if they died outside.

Xu Fu was well aware of this and felt no sorrow. Now, this old woman’s Dao heart was firm, not just her own assertion, much less a boast.

Before she left, Gu Can specifically called her over and chatted for a few words, asking her to rebuild her Daoist site in Baopingzhou and restore her lineage. If she successfully broke through to the next realm during her seclusion, Fuyue Sect would recognize that sect as a subordinate. If she couldn’t reach the Upper Five Realms, she should just never return to Fuyue Sect in this lifetime.

Old Patriarch Pang Yun of the Jade Boat Sect was a fake Nascent Soul, while she was a genuine Nascent Soul old immortal.

She had entered seclusion twice, both times extremely perilous, but was always unable to break through.

If you brought up Xu Fu alone, perhaps no one would care. But if you mentioned her Dao title “Iron Bracelet,” within the vicinity of the Bai Shuang Dynasty, everyone knew of her.

Thirty to fifty years ago, Nascent Soul realm cultivators in Baopingzhou could walk sideways.

Li Tuan Jing of Feng Lei Garden, Fu Qiu of Old Dragon City, Zhu Huang of Zheng Yang Mountain, Jiejing Zhenjun of Shujian Lake, the family head of the Xu clan in Qingfeng City… These few were all in the Nascent Soul realm at that time.

Back then, Xu Fu somehow learned the true lineage of Lingfei Temple. After failing her second seclusion, she held a glimmer of hope and wanted to seek an opportunity at Lingfei Temple. Naturally, Celestial Lord Cao looked down on her and refused to meet her. However, Xu Fu did not dare to make trouble. She hit a wall and was refused entry. How could the old woman dare to hold a grudge in her heart?

Instead, before descending the mountain, she apologized to herself, “I am a foolish and ignorant person, who rashly intruded upon this sacred place and disturbed the Celestial Lord’s pure cultivation.”

If Xu Fu were to “support the dragon” Fu Qing, how could those former dynasty elders not shed tears? How many dynasties in Baopingzhou deserved the historian’s comment of “governing too leniently”?

Chen Ping’an personally wrote a letter, but he did not send it directly from the National Master’s Mansion. Instead, he sent it via flying sword from Fallen Mountain to Qi Tingji of Long Xiang Sword Sect, inviting him to the capital of Dali.

Changsun Mao was appointed as the Minister of Personnel. With the Ministry of Personnel as the main body, assisted by the Tongzheng Office and the Censorate, he immediately began the new round of inspections and evaluations for Dali, held every Zi, Chen, and Shen year according to Dali’s regulations.

Early that morning, Chen Ping’an stood at the door with a smile, looking at the embarrassed Lin Shouyi outside the door.

It turned out that Lin Shouyi had sent a secret letter to his father, who was the head of the Logging Department in Hongzhou, explaining the situation.

Lin Zhengcheng quickly sent back a family letter, asking Lin Shouyi to immediately move to the National Master’s Office, study and prepare for the imperial examination while becoming familiar with the political process… The letter also contained some overt and covert ways and rules of officialdom. Judging by the tone, if Lin Shouyi’s imperial examination didn’t go smoothly, he shouldn’t expect a second letter. Regardless, it was the first time the family letter had so much text content, so Lin Shouyi had no choice but to bite the bullet and come to the National Master’s Mansion.

Since it was an official residence, there were naturally living quarters.

Rongyu noticed that when she was preparing meals, probably because of Lin Shouyi’s presence, the National Master’s demeanor and expression were different.

Qi Tingji received the secret letter and traveled across the sea by sword. Chen Ping’an had naturally greeted the imitation White Jade City. Qi Tingji landed and went directly outside the Dali capital, presenting his travel documents. He walked to the Thousand Step Corridor. Passersby along the way looked at him. It was not because they recognized Qi Tingji’s identity, but because this “young man” was too handsome.

Xie Gou led the old Sword Immortal Qi to the backyard and then busy herself with her writing. Qi Tingji merely glanced at Song Yunjian.

Song Yunjian narrowed its eyes and smiled.

Entering the study, Chen Ping’an had already moved two chairs and they each took a seat.

Qi Tingji did not expect Chen Ping’an to propose going to Ascension City in the Five Colors World together.

Qi Tingji smiled and asked, “Has the Hidden Official already reported to the Confucian Temple?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled, “The Confucian Temple agreed, but it will require deducting some merit.”

Qi Tingji said, “No matter.”

Calling Xie Gou, they went to the heavenly curtain and to the Five Colors World, but they did not head directly to Ascension City. Their figures landed in the north.