The Setting Sun Boat set sail, its passage swift as it traversed thousands of miles, leaving a long trail across the sea of clouds, like a carpenter’s snapped ink line. Since he was in a hurry, Liu Tui paid little mind to the spiritual energy consumed, pushing the Setting Sun Boat’s speed to its limit.

Chen Ping’an knocked on the door, and Ning Yao opened it, a book in hand. Chen Ping’an glanced at the cover; it was a popular tale of official investigations. Ning Yao said she wished to check his current state. Chen Ping’an took a deep breath, opened the layers of restrictions, and revealed the universe within his body, mind, and soul.

She condensed a grain of mustard-seed consciousness and carefully observed Chen Ping’an’s spiritual landscape. Amidst a chaotic expanse, signs of primordial creation appeared. In the sky, a massive hole opened in the thick green sea of clouds, like a god’s eye opening. The “gaze” extending from this eye manifested a scene: boundless heavenly light cascading down upon the human realm, so glorious and magnificent it resembled a constantly melting blazing sun.

A colossal whirlwind, drawing in the azure sky, consistently avoided the perpetually melting, solidifying, and increasingly thick and towering golden foundations that were falling to the earth. This terrestrial whirlwind, imbued with spiritual energy, Dao resonance, fist intent, and sword intent, spun tirelessly across the land in a lonely posture, as if desperately seeking a kindred spirit. It carried a powerful, untamed aura, ancient and heavy, silent and still, like a great shaman who had stood between heaven and earth, wanting to sing to entertain the gods around a nascent divine platform named “Eternity,” only to fall silent in the end.

Standing together on the solitary peak of a temporary, illusory mountain corner within Chen Ping’an’s spiritual world, Ning Yao gazed out at the peculiar spectacle in the central region. After a long silence, Ning Yao inquired about Daoist Ding from Peach Talisman Mountain’s ascension method and the Grand Li mountain and river Daoist diagram.

Chen Ping’an naturally held nothing back, explaining everything in detail. Ning Yao merely commented that the idea was good, offering no further remarks.

Chen Ping’an flicked his sleeve, and the golden “high platform” in the central region once again stirred with strange phenomena. A thought, like a pebble, dropped into water, splashing ripples. These “ripples” were the words “Luopo Mountain.” The golden characters flashed and vanished, settling back onto the high platform, like raindrops merging into a pond. Soon after, a golden line suddenly ascended like an immortal, arcing through the sky, flying up to the azure heaven. It was as if the human heart had met the heavenly will, touching only to fall. The golden line transformed into a silver ray, returning to the human realm. The pure white color spread across the land, and within the hazy blur, Luopo Mountain took shape. Following this, relying on memory, the towns of Huaihuang County, Piyun Mountain, Grand Li’s imperial city, Shujian Lake, Hongzhu Town, Rouge County in Caiyi Kingdom, Old Dragon City, Zhengyang Mountain, Xianyou County, the Central Great River… up to the recently visited capital of Qiu Kingdom, were “constructed.” A chaotic, night-like map of Bottle Neck Island emerged, with towns, Daoist sites, mountains, and rivers lighting up one after another like flickering lamps. And each speck of light would correspond to one of Chen Ping’an’s qi orifices in the future.

In each place, figures of various colors were seated, lifelike and with different expressions, their heights remarkably disparate. This was Chen Ping’an’s painstaking and exhaustive effort, consuming his essence, qi, and spirit, a unique interpretation of “the creation of heaven and earth, the Dao exists within sight.”

Ning Yao glanced at the number of lights, estimating that Chen Ping’an still needed about three hundred more “locations” to reach the over one thousand one hundred human acupoints he had found. She asked, “Are you planning to use green talisman paper to create several sturdy doppelgangers, making it convenient to simultaneously project your consciousness to over three hundred locations? That way you can complete this ascension-convergence diagram? How long will this process likely take? One year, ten years?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “First, I’ll roughly and quickly visit them to fill in the numbers. That won’t take too long. I’ll send out those nine talisman doppelgangers all at once; half a year should be enough. At that point, I’ll likely have a general idea if I can achieve the Dao. If I feel I have a sixty percent chance, I’ll enter seclusion, first opening my facial features and then dotting the eyes, striving for ascension. If I feel the chances are not good, not even sixty percent, then I’ll refine it further, traveling the mountains and rivers on foot in my true body, visiting the areas of Bottle Neck Island I haven’t yet explored, and also ‘gilding’ the important places I have been to.”

Ning Yao asked, “Will the new people and scenes added later count just by having seen them?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “It’s useless to have just seen both the old and new groups of people, places, and scenes. This kind of contemplation lacks structure; the spiritual landscape created through this will be a precarious castle in the air, easily changing color like mountains and rivers, transforming from vibrant green landscapes into meticulous ink paintings, and after being washed by the river of time here a few times, it will become blurred like illegible inscriptions. Therefore, I also need a dotted line to connect many people and places. This line is the seal imprinted by the new Grand Li National Teacher on various official documents and state letters. For example, Assistant General Huang Mei Xian of Hanzhou will soon be promoted to general of a certain state. The National Teacher’s seal will be primary, supplemented by the seals of the officials from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Military Affairs. When all three seals are stamped, there will be a seemingly ethereal but actually real human-heavenly resonance between me, Huang Mei Xian, and the martial destiny of that state. This applies to military generals, and the same principle applies to the promotion of civil officials in each state. Especially with the upcoming reform of the Grand Li court, which I will personally oversee the merging of several states into one Dao, it will be a kind of imprint, an extension of the National Teacher’s power in controlling the court, just like what is called ‘Dao transformation’ on the mountain.”

Ning Yao nodded and said, “With a road to walk, you don’t fear the dark.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “You hit the nail on the head.”

Ning Yao recalled something and asked, puzzled, “Why do you still keep that red string?”

The red string on her end of the marriage thread between her and Chen Ping’an had been cut by the senior sword immortal back then. For some reason, Chen Ping’an had refused to cut his end, keeping it to this day.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Let’s just say it’s a memento.”

Of the thirty-six glazed fragments he received from the distribution, Chen Ping’an kept only the largest and smallest pieces for future needs. The former, for instance, was reserved for Zhang Jia Zhen. As for the latter, he believed there would always be someone fated to encounter it during his future travels across the Vast Expanse.

The remaining glazed fragments were refined by Chen Ping’an into pure golden bodies for “two people.” Chen Ping’an flicked his sleeves, and the two golden bodies transformed into two golden lights that traveled into the distance, appearing in the east and west of his spiritual landscape.

One was a young Daoist wearing a purple-gold Daoist crown and a feathered robe, with the alias “Young Master Ren” and the Daoist title “Qi Xie.” The Daoist was faceless, carried a wooden sword on his back, held an iron mace in his hand, and wore a talisman seal at his waist. It was as if Chen Ping’an had molded him from clay and casually wiped away his facial features. Beside the faceless young Daoist hovered a brightly shining five-colored armor, a replica of the armor worn by Wu Shuangjiang’s Dharma form. His attire could be described as exceedingly lavish.

The other was a pure martial artist with a face between that of a youth and a young man, the Chen Ping’an who had left the city wall one step ahead to confront Li Zhen that year. This was likely the version of himself that Chen Ping’an considered most fitting for the words “vigorous qi.” He wore white clothes, went barefoot, and his hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin, exceedingly plain.

Two ancestral temples rose from the ground. Looking at the plaques, their names were increasingly grand, reading “Daoist Site” and “Martial Temple” respectively. Chen Ping’an pointed to the distance, his eyes shining, “That previous river of literary fortune refined from millions of written works is废了(废了 – has been discarded/rendered useless/spoiled), but it doesn’t matter. We’ll start over, and it will only be more stable, with a higher and better quality. Nuan Shu will sail along this great river of literary fortune in the future, ensuring favorable timing, location, and harmony.”

Since there were no outsiders present, perhaps because of his relaxed mood, in this quiet yet not lonely human realm that seemed to contain only him and her, Chen Ping’an, like Xie Gou, bounced and swung his arms on his own, unsure of who was imitating whom, or perhaps they were both imitating the little green-robed boy.

When showing Ning Yao the interconnected ascension diagram, Chen Ping’an was cautious and deeply introspective. But when he spoke about Nuan Shu’s future journey along the river, he was proud and radiant.

Ning Yao asked, “Why did you still choose to accept the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect?” Although it was Qi Tingji’s unauthorized decision and he had tricked him, it wouldn’t be out of character for Chen Ping’an to renounce it.

Chen Ping’an explained, “It’s the same principle as consolidating the large mountain to the west of my hometown. Either don’t take even half, or take it all. When I established the subsidiary sect in Tongye Island, it was for that great river and to make up for the lack of favorable location. I had no intention of taking advantage of the situation and becoming some kind of island master. As for now…”

“Not only am I willing to accept the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, but I also need to quickly build another subsidiary sect to catch up to Fu Lu Yu Xuan’s Peach Talisman Mountain and become the largest ancestral court in the Vast Expanse at one stroke, the sect with the most sword immortals.”

“When Chen Ping’an only possesses one mountain with a sect name, all sorts of unfounded speculations and rumors are as numerous as willow catkins.”

“When I possess two sects, there will still be cold stares and ridicule, dragging down Sword Qi Great Wall along with it, still unable to ward off those with malicious hearts lying in wait.”

Chen Ping’an squatted down, picked up some earth, habitually rubbed it lightly between his fingers, and looked ahead.

“Once I possess a Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, everyone will fear me. Those mountain-top figures who are hiding in the shadows and malevolently watching me, Luopo Mountain, and you and Ascension City, if they want to wrestle with me again, they will have to first weigh their own strength.”

“One day, Luopo Mountain will be no different from Peach Talisman Mountain, both with a structure of one mountain and three sects. Then, when Luopo Mountain’s封山解禁(封山解禁 – mountain seal is lifted and restrictions removed), sword cultivators from various islands will join one after another. Those who feared me before will also respect me, both respecting and fearing me. When they mention Sword Qi Great Wall and the Grand Li Dynasty again, they will have to be careful with their tone.”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment, then murmured, “I want to make this world move upwards a bit. I want to try.”

Liu Tui found Qi Tingji and didn’t ask about the reasons behind such a major event as the change of sect master in the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. He only sought Qi Tingji’s opinion on one matter. Liu Tui said he wanted to donate half of the White Porcelain Grotto-heaven to Luopo Mountain, considering it equivalent to two immortal artifacts, supplementing the congratulatory gift and then some. Liu Tui was truly too lazy to bother looking for someone to negotiate the sale of an immortal artifact again.

Qi Tingji was somewhat shocked. The White Porcelain Grotto-heaven was the ancestral property of Heavenly Melody Village, and like Azure Sky Mountain, it was related to the very foundation of their Great Dao. Qi Tingji pondered for a moment and did not give an immediate answer. He smiled and asked, “Jiang Shang is indeed Luopo Mountain’s chief consecrated cultivator, and he’s quite lavish, isn’t he? He’s also the family head of the Jiang clan in Jade Tablet Sect, yet even he doesn’t dare to give half of the deed to the Jiang clan’s Cloud Grotto blessed land to Chen Ping’an. Liu Tui, tell me, what are you thinking?”

Liu Tui said, “The idea is very simple. Either don’t get on the gambling table, or if you’re on the table, bet hard.”

Qi Tingji shook his head, noncommittal. Although they were friends, their styles of action were completely different. Liu Tui was a typical example of achieving success at a young age; whenever he traveled outside the mountains, he made no secret of his ambition and sharpness, his eyes seemingly carrying thorns. Although Qi Tingji was famously thunderous in his sword strikes on the battlefield, in his usual demeanor off the battlefield, at least on the surface, he was gentle.

Liu Tui said, “My luck has been good in recent years. First, I was saved by you and didn’t die in Golden Armor Island. I hid in the White Porcelain Grotto-heaven to cultivate in seclusion, originally to recover from injuries, not daring to dream of achieving the Dao and ascending. But it happened anyway. The matter of Azure Sky Mountain’s ownership has been a suspense for thousands of years, from the previous generations of patriarchs to me. Who wasn’t afraid of waking up one day and finding the entire ancestral mountain had flown away, becoming the laughingstock of the entire world? How about that? The Cave Master of Azure Sky gave his golden word and agreed! If not now, when will I gamble?”

Qi Tingji said, “Since your mind is made up, you can talk to Chen Ping’an yourself.”

Liu Tui said, “Yes, I need to find an opportunity to chat with him privately for a bit.” Otherwise, with Ning Yao, Little Mo, Bai Jing, Lu Zhi… all of them present, Liu Tui’s pressure was indeed considerable.

Qi Tingji teased, “Aren’t you worried about being called a sycophant?”

Liu Tui chuckled, “I am inherently a follower of convention, a true villain. Why would I be afraid of others reminding me?”

Qi Tingji was speechless. Perhaps people like Liu Tui were the so-called individuals with flawed private morals but no lack of righteousness.

Liu Tui sighed without cause, “It’s a pity his Dao companion is her.” Otherwise, he could have given his Daoist friend Jing Hao a higher seniority.

Liu Tui asked with his mind, “Both are Fourteenth Realm pure sword cultivators. If they were in opposing camps, who would win and who would lose, who would live and who would die?”

Qi Tingji shook his head, unable to answer. Ning Yao’s breakthrough was too fast, making it difficult to determine the current height of her sword art.

In the water pavilion of Hua Qinggong’s palace, Nie Cui’e, who didn’t know that she had almost made her master gain seniority twice, felt a bit awkward. This was simply because the貂帽少女 (貂帽少女 – mink-hat girl, referring to Xie Gou) kept staring at her, grinning foolishly. Nie Cui’e had no idea what kind of temper Xie Gou had, so she could only endure it.

Empress Yan Houdao bought ten “Leisure Talismans,” which Xie Gou claimed were bestowed by divine beings. Xie Gou was generous, selling and giving away half of them, only charging Sword Immortal Yan five Guyu coins.

Tian Xian was truly curious, and due to her personality, she directly asked Xie Gou about her Dao age and realm. Xie Gou rubbed her chin, “How to calculate my true Dao age is a tricky problem.” If she counted the ten thousand years she spent sleeping, and she was only in the Ascension Realm now, wouldn’t it appear that her talent was dull, putting her in the same company as Liu Tui, Qing Tong, and the like, or even slightly inferior? How unlucky!

Seeing Xie Gou’s troubled expression, Tian Xian didn’t intend to ask further. Xie Gou suddenly let out a cry of surprise, pointed at a golden-scaled fish swimming around the beam, and exclaimed in astonishment, “This fish is truly strange! How can it spit out a book?”

Hua Qinggong’s mind was shaken. She looked in the direction Xie Gou was pointing, and indeed, the golden swimming fish, which had been transformed from her ancestor’s ascending Dao resonance that year, slowly spat out a golden Daoist book glowing with brilliant treasure light. With a gentle flick of its whiskers, it pushed the Daoist book of astonishing quality towards the pavilion. Hua Qinggong subconsciously reached out to take it, but the Daoist book floated towards Nie Cui’e instead.

Hua Qinggong retracted her hand, feeling somewhat awkward. Nie Cui’e was even more embarrassed. What was this? Looking at the name of the Daoist book, written in ancient clerical script, it was “Precious Edict of the Full Moon.”

Hua Qinggong exclaimed, “It must be a handwriting of an ancient true person. The full moon corresponds to a full soul, this must be your destiny, Nie Cui’e. Do not hesitate, quickly accept the Daoist book.”

Ancient Golden Immortals and Ancient True Persons were both terms of great weight. Ancient Golden Immortals opened grotto-heavens and passed down Dao lineages. Ancient True Persons took great peaks as their Daoist sites and places of governance. Over ten thousand years, time had passed swiftly, and Ancient Golden Immortals were no longer seen. Ancient True Persons who permanently resided on land were also like changing dragons, living a life of clouds and water, occasionally passing on true teachings, all of which were first-class immortal opportunities.

Xie Gou encouraged her with a look, “Fellow Daoist Full Soul, just take the book with confidence. As the secondary consecrated cultivator of Luopo Mountain, my sword art is considered exquisite, and I can completely protect your Dao.”

Nie Cui’e carefully took the Daoist book, which felt extremely heavy in her hand. The clear and cold voice of a female immortal resonated in her mind, briefly explaining the origin of the Daoist book and urging her to take good care of herself and act on behalf of heaven.

Xie Gou suddenly widened her eyes and pointed outside the pavilion again, “Again! There’s more!”

Just then, a standing lotus flower, with its bud about to bloom, gradually opened. A flying sword shone brightly, and upon closer inspection, the flying sword was actually a sword art. However, the characters flowed like lightning, moving extremely fast, accompanied by the resounding thunder of mighty divine power. Hua Qinggong and the others wanted to see clearly, but in an instant they felt dizzy and their Dao hearts became unstable. Only Tian Xian gazed fixedly, seemed to gain something, and had no difficulty.

Xie Gou egged her on again, “If Heaven gives, but you do not take, you will be blamed. Tian Xian, opportunities don’t come twice, why aren’t you taking the sword quickly?!”

Upon hearing this, Tian Xian nodded. She tentatively beckoned, and the flying sword flashed with spiritual light, entering her sleeve. It spun joyfully within her mind, and the thousands of originally disordered characters arranged themselves, finally forming a complete sword art.

Tian Xian focused her mind and saw that the beginning of the sword art was “Jade Purity Crescent Moon Sword Art.” Ripples also spread in her mind, and a female immortal teacher, whose person was unseen but whose voice was heard, issued a decree, instructing her to cultivate this sword art and be sure to slay demons and eradicate evil.

Xie Gou was full of envy, clicking her tongue in wonder, “With such opportunities coming one after another, you few Daoist friends should really become closer, sworn siblings of different surnames.”

While Hua Qinggong was happy for Nie Cui’e and Tian Xian, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. After all, she was in her own Daoist site, yet only she gained nothing. Could it be that the patriarch disliked her poor talent? But Hua Qinggong quickly stabilized her Dao heart. That’s right, the art of longevity, the method of life and death, the way to achieve the Dao, how could it be confined to sectarian views? The patriarch’s action was open and aboveboard; perhaps only in this way could she be called a Dao-achieved heavenly being, a Golden Immortal detached from the mundane world?

In an instant, Hua Qinggong recalled many “family precepts” about aspirations and intentions from the Ancestral Hall, as well as the murals in the You Sheng Palace, and some questions left by Ancestor Ling Fu for future generations. Countless thoughts, like a tide, flowed into her mind, leaving Hua Qinggong in a daze.

“Life and death, given by heaven and earth. Dao heart follows form. Sincerity aligns with heaven, and blessings are coming.”

“For those who study the Dao, what is the pivot of the Dao?”

Xie Gou smiled. Since Hua Qinggong had such a Dao heart, how could she not have blessings? However, there was no need for her to unnecessarily put on airs; she only needed to help out a bit. Then it would happen naturally, truly, “seeing the wind and moon arrive.” It was likely that the Hua ancestor who ascended here had a profound Dao power, leaving behind a deep ancestral legacy for the family.

Here it comes. The two Dao hearts resonated, and the Daoist site changed color. The characters on the couplets and the plaque began to detach themselves, and golden threads intertwined, slowly transforming into a blurry female figure. Hua Qinggong was first astonished, then tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed out of the pavilion, prostrated herself on the ground, reported her name, and bowed to the patriarch.

Xie Gou let out a cry of “Wow,” and whispered, “This is truly a flight of divine fancy. The patriarch has appeared!”

The female figure was just a wisp of Hua Ling Fu’s Dao resonance. She first told Hua Qinggong to get up, then looked at the mink-hat girl and whispered a sentence, “Senior Sword Immortal is deeply righteous.”

Xie Gou pouted and said, “Not really. I’ve just ‘achieved the Dao’ too much. If I don’t ‘disperse my Dao’ anymore, I’m afraid I’ll be struck by lightning.”

Hua Ling Fu smiled slightly and said, “I have never heard of such a method of converging with the Dao. It’s truly a new approach.”

Xie Gou smiled dismissively. Converging with the Dao? Still far from it. Afterwards, she took Nie Cui’e and the others with her and left the Daoist site, allowing Hua Ling Fu to teach Hua Qinggong the method of talisman swords.

In a quiet room, Little Mo stood by the viewing platform, while Mei Dandang was still asking questions left and right. Little Mo patiently answered the questions while also paying attention to the movement in the water pavilion. The moment Hua Ling Fu appeared, he immediately withdrew his divine consciousness.

Xie Gou strutted over. Seeing Mei Dandang still pestering her Little Mo, she became impatient, “Great Sword Immortal Mei, you also have a master!”

Mei Dandang had a thick skin and said, “My master told me to ask Mr. Little Mo for advice more often. As long as Mr. Little Mo doesn’t chase me away, I won’t leave.”

Xie Gou gave a thumbs-up, “Stronger than ordinary Gans.”

Xie Gou squinted at Great Sword Immortal Mei, then looked at Little Mo, complaining, “Why are you taking such good care of him?”

Little Mo said, “He’s too weak.”

Mei Dandang was speechless.

Xie Gou’s eyes darted around and asked, “Little Mo, Little Mo, where’s the Mountain Master? I have something to do, act first, report later.”

Little Mo frowned and said, “What is it?”

Xie Gou said sheepishly, “Haha, minding other people’s business.”

It turned out that she had acted on her own initiative, using an ancient secret method, without anyone knowing, and secretly brought out the fifty-odd female ghosts from the Five-Colored World.

Little Mo glared and said, “Nonsense! Do you really think the rules of the Confucian Temple are just for show? No matter how well you hide them, fifty-odd women have disappeared out of thin air from Ascension City. How many days can this be kept hidden from the Confucian Temple?”

Xie Gou said weakly, “What should I do? I’ve already done it.” As the old cook said, the most frightening thing about being human is “understanding all the principles.” Zhong Diyi’s principle wasn’t bad either, freeloading food and drinks, “Since you’re already here.”

Little Mo fell into thought. This matter seemed trivial at first glance, but it was actually very troublesome.

Xie Gou said, “Little Mo, lend me your mountain-traveling staff. I’ll carry it on my back and go to the Mountain Master to apologize with thorns.”

Little Mo was amused and exasperated, “The Young Master has something to discuss with the Mountain Master’s wife. We’ll talk later.”

Hearing this, Xie Gou’s eyes lit up. She turned and left, going to eavesdrop. But Little Mo reached out and grabbed the back of her collar, dragging her back to the table and making her sit down obediently.

Mei Dandang hesitated. Xie Gou glared and said, “If you have something to say, spit it out quickly.” Mei Dandang asked with his mind, “How strong is Ning Yao?”

It wasn’t just Liu Tui who was curious about this; Mei Dandang, who came from the Savage Wasteland, was also curious. High爽(High Shuang) and the other private swords from Sword Qi Great Wall were even more curious. Xie Gou looked at this guy with pity in her eyes, “A Fourteenth Realm pure sword cultivator, plus the identity of the number one person in the world, what do you think?”

Before Zheng Juzhong left the Night Sailing Boat, he had told Xie Gou a truth. “If the battlefield were in the Five-Colored World, Ning Yao could actually kill Jiang She, who is in the Fourteenth Realm, alone.” Because it was Zheng Juzhong who said it, Xie Gou had to believe it.

Over there, Ning Yao and Chen Ping’an withdrew their mustard-seed consciousness. The popular tale of official investigations in Ning Yao’s hand had a slight touch of the bizarre and supernatural. It had gained some reputation in the market towns of Tongye Island a few years ago. Chen Ping’an had always had little interest in such stories. He remembered that Zhang Lu, the sword immortal guarding the entrance of Upside-Down Mountain, and the Daoist boy Jiang Yunsheng seemed to enjoy reading chivalry novels with flashing swords and sabers. These two true Upper Five Realms individuals could actually read about the fictional Jianghu grievances imagined by effeminate scholars and penned down, finding them with relish. It was quite strange. When Zhu Lian left Lotus Flower Blessed Land and first arrived in Tongye Island, he also bought a large pile of lewd books. At that time, Pei Qian was still a little darkie, with a good memory. She glanced at a few and remembered the book titles, reporting the menu every day and exposing Zhu Lian’s secrets. Wei Xian was with Pei Qian at that time, also saying that Zhu Lian was ugly and made trouble, which made Pei Qian laugh uncontrollably.

Chen Ping’an said, “Assuming, and I mean assuming, that there is a private sword from Sword Qi Great Wall hidden in Bottle Neck Island, guess who it might be?”

Ning Yao thought for a moment and said, “Gao Mian.”

Chen Ping’an was truly shocked and asked curiously, “You can guess that?”

Ning Yao countered, “What’s so difficult to guess?”

Chen Ping’an was half-convinced, “It’s not difficult to guess? Was it really not Qi Tingji who told you about this in advance?” If Qi Tingji hadn’t revealed the inside story, Chen Ping’an would never have thought that there was a “private sword” from Sword Qi Great Wall right here in Bottle Neck Island.

It was precisely the person Ning Yao had guessed, the founder of the Invincible Divine Fist Gang, Gao Mian. Gao Mian was definitely an alias. But Chen Ping’an was someone who had reviewed and annotated all the archives and secret records of the Summer Palace and Winter Palace, yet he had found no clue about “Gao Mian.”

Ning Yao continued to flip through the book and casually explained, “First, since you asked me this way, he must still be alive. Otherwise, the deceased are to be respected, and you would never joke about such things as casual conversation. Second, this person must be quite famous in Bottle Neck Island, otherwise you wouldn’t ask such a question to me, an outsider. Third, since he left Sword Qi Great Wall based on accumulated military achievements, his killing power is bound to be considerable. In your Bottle Neck Island, how many Upper Five Realms have appeared in the past thousand years? Gao Mian has fallen in realm three times from the Upper Five Realms. If I don’t guess him, who would I guess? Liu Laocheng of Shujian Lake? Or Qi Zhen of Shengao Sect?”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his chin, “So there were so many ready-made clues.”

Ning Yao didn’t even lift her head, smiling and saying, “So it turns out it’s not that I’m smart, but that you’re slow.”

Chen Ping’an had no choice but to change the subject and asked, “The sword-nurturing gourd given to Luopo Mountain by Sword Immortal Shao as a congratulatory gift hasn’t been named yet. Its quality is too high, and I haven’t been able to decide who to give it to. Who do you think is more suitable?”

Pei Qian and Guo Zhujiu were his personal disciples. Chai Wu had entered the Upper Five Realms, so Luopo Mountain should prepare a congratulatory gift, right? Sun Chunwang was Ning Yao’s future direct disciple… In fact, they all needed this sword-nurturing gourd, and it seemed that any of them would be suitable to refine it.

Ning Yao said, “Keep it for yourself.”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his cheeks and said nothing.

Ning Yao said, “It seems that Xie Gou secretly brought out over fifty women, and the Confucian Temple hasn’t noticed yet.”

Chen Ping’an spoke to Xie Gou and Little Mo with his mind, “Gouzi, get off the boat immediately and go to Shujian Lake. Temporarily settle them at Zeng Ye’s Five Islands Sect, then we’ll meet at Cunzhuang Ferry near the Great River. I need to find someone there. Little Mo, go to the sky canopy and explain the situation, say we accept the punishment.”

Xie Gou tentatively said, “Mountain Master, Little Mi Li said it well: if you’re angry, don’t hold back. I also accept the punishment. But penalizing my salary is fine, it’s best not to demote me.”

It was nothing at first, but after Xie Gou said that, Chen Ping’an immediately became angry. Just as he was about to speak, Xie Gou had already received a hint from Little Mo’s eyes. With a flash of sword light, she instantly sped away from the Setting Sun Boat, rushing towards Bottle Neck Island like lightning. Little Mo, on the other hand, ascended towards the sky canopy.

Chen Ping’an clicked his tongue. Ning Yao continued to read.

Chen Ping’an asked, “How does Chen Li’s achievement in the Great Dao compare to Qi Shou and Pang Yuanji?”

Ning Yao said, “Their fates and fortunes are probably similar. Since their foundations are comparable and their fortunes started at different times, you won’t see too much difference within thirty to fifty years. After they have endured three to five hundred years, it will be clear at a glance.”

Among the younger generation of sword cultivators, Chen Li, nicknamed Little Hidden Official, was undoubtedly the number one in terms of realm, talent, and military achievements. Therefore, young men and women scattered across the nine islands of the Vast Expanse, like Yedun and Xuezhou, liked to treat Chen Li as an “imaginary enemy” who was ahead of them on the path, always wanting to compete with him. Children like Bai Xuan and Sun Chunwang were younger than Chen Li and the others, but they were still of the same generation in their hometown.

Chen Li’s breakthroughs were extremely fast. At a young age, he had already reached the Golden Core bottleneck. Not long ago, he entered seclusion in a secret realm in Floating Duckweed Sword Lake and has not yet emerged. Li Cai personally guarded him. After her realm fell, she had lost much interest in practicing sword and cultivating the Dao. Li Cai had already announced that she would abdicate as soon as her first disciple, Rong Chang, entered the Upper Five Realms. She put more effort into her direct disciples, Sui Jingcheng, Chen Li, and Gao Youqing. Like Xie Songhua and Song Pin, these female sword immortals who had been to Sword Qi Great Wall were all dominant in their sword strikes against demons, each one more ruthless than the last.

Chen Ping’an had privately compiled a booklet specifically detailing the growth process of Chen Li and the others. Since he had suggested that they settle in the Vast Expanse back then, he felt responsible for them and would continue to follow their growth in the long term. Luopo Mountain always liked to tease him, the Mountain Master, as a hands-off shopkeeper who was rarely home. The wanderers, scattered like dandelions in the wind, were temporarily not at home, and should not sink into decadence.

The Setting Sun Boat crossed the sea and entered the land of Bottle Neck Island, following the Great River deep into the island’s interior. Near Huangni Slope Ferry, Chen Ping’an told Liu Tui and the others to go directly to the Grand Li Imperial City, while he and Ning Yao disembarked and headed to Cunzhuang Ferry. According to the Ministry of Criminal Affairs’ intelligence, Gao Mian had been living in seclusion there since resigning as the gang leader, and had recently taken in a disciple.

The four sword boats of the Grand Li court had finished patrolling the vassal states but did not return to the docks. Instead, along with over sixty Grand Li military ferries, they were about to head south. Tomorrow was Mangzhong (Grain in Ear).