The sun shone brightly, the sky was washed clean like a sapphire, and the mountain flowers bloomed profusely. This group of sword cultivators journeyed into the deep mountains where clouds are born, gradually treading upon uncharted territory. The path was rugged and stony, the vegetation thick and dense, with occasional signs of human activity.

The mountain ranges stretched out, like a winding dragon’s spine, yet they were willing to yield a path for the streams to flow down.

Wooden planks served as bridges over the streams, and the sword immortals crossed one by one, the planks creaking beneath their feet.

Beneath the bridge flowed a murmuring stream, with clusters of sweet flag growing on the rocks. Fish darted away, startled by the footsteps on the bridge.

The bridge was made of new wood with noticeable axe marks, clearly built not long ago. Indeed, Gao Shuang discovered a stone tablet nearby, inscribed with the words, “This bridge was supervised by Alliance Master Guo and jointly built by Xie Gou and Kong Hou. Travelers, be advised, remember this well.”

Who is Alliance Master Guo? Looking at the tone of the inscription, it seems Bai Jing is ranking himself, informing everyone that he is after Alliance Master Guo and before Kong Hou?

But this was not the most unusual part. Next to the stone tablet were many pebbles. Gao Shuang was bewildered. Could this be a local custom of the Pearly Grotto Heaven?

Qi Tingji chuckled, “Kong Hou is the librarian of Fallen Dust Mountain, and Alliance Master Guo is Guo Zhujiu. She is a sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage from the Summer Solstice Palace, and now she is Chen Ping’an’s direct disciple.”

As for the meaning of the pebbles, Qi Tingji was not certain. He guessed it was a count kept by the Right Protector passing by during his mountain patrols? A token of gratitude? However, Qi Tingji found this guess childish and endearing and did not want to vocalize it.

Qi Tingji said, “The Hidden Official’s arrangement of your seats in the Patriarch Hall is very particular. Shao Yunyan’s current cultivation realm is still too low, and he is an outsider to the Sword Qi Great Wall, so he definitely cannot be the sect master. For both public and private reasons, Chen Ping’an is not suitable to place him in the position of sect master, otherwise you will only be more scattered, and Shao Yunyan himself will feel restless. But Shao Yunyan has one thing that is stronger than all of you: he sincerely has the greatest sense of identity and belonging to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. Therefore, for him to serve as the deputy sect master is good for his own sword cultivation and for the future of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect.”

Qi, the old sword immortal’s words about “too low a realm” and “you don’t have enough identity with the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect” swept across a wide swathe like a club.

“Lu Zhi is good at being a sect master, but not good at being the sect master.”

“If something goes wrong and you can’t agree, you go to her to discuss matters. Lu Zhi will only use her eyes to ask you in return, ‘Why are you coming to me, the sect master, to discuss matters?’ What will you do then?”

“Zhusu has good aptitude and is ambitious. Apart from the sect master and deputy sect master, the high positions in the Patriarch Hall are nothing more than those of the disciplinary elder, the chief enshrined, and the one in charge of money. For her to be among them is giving her enough face.”

“Mei Kan is astute and values practical benefits, not empty fame. The heavenly materials, earthly treasures, and mountain opportunities of a blessed land are actually no different from the firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea of a household. For her to manage a Suspended Bow Blessed Land is most suitable. If Gao Shuang or Huang Ling were to handle the household chores, it’s hard to say whether you would lose money, but you definitely wouldn’t make big money. Don’t forget, Chen Ping’an’s ‘famous battles’ in the Sword Qi Great Wall were first, the life-and-death battle with Li Zhen, the direct descendant of the Barbarian Patriarch, and second, the business negotiations with the ship masters and stewards of Spring Banner Studio. You only value the former, but Mei Kan cares more about the latter. Therefore, Mei Kan is happy with this identity, and her wariness towards her disciple Mei Dandang’s identity as a demon sword cultivator is lessened.”

“Jin Kao outwardly seeks neither fame nor profit, but ever since he was young, he has had a bad habit of wanting to teach others, like a little pedant back then. Xuanyang has always had a habit of drinking and chatting with sword embryos of good aptitude. When he sees them, he can’t resist and must teach them a few sword techniques before stopping. Aside from killing demons outside the city, Gao Shuang is actually very ungenerous. Xuanyang is truly drinking when he drinks.”

These words, indeed, were only appropriate for Qi Tingji to say.

The only one who seemed to be at a disadvantage was Madame Tuoyan, who was replaced by Mei Dandang as the chief and had to become the second guest elder.

However, a woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Madame Tuoyan had her own ledger. For example, while feeling internally disappointed and complaining, she would also feel smug, like a willow branch sprouting a thought.

The Hidden Official didn’t treat me as an outsider either.

The sword immortals suddenly saw a narrow but long waterfall cascading from a suspended point on the side of the mountain, hanging between the green clusters, like a hundred-zhang jade dragon resting on the mountain.

They stopped to admire the scenery. Huang Ling suddenly reached out and caught a dazzling, specially made communication flying sword. The secret message was sealed with a Dragon Elephant Sword Sect Master’s seal.

It turned out that Chen Ping’an had secretly sent him on a trip to Golden Armor Continent, to a place called Mang Mountain, to find a private sword named Zhou Song. As for what to talk about after finding this female ghost immortal, Huang Ling was free to decide.

Qi Tingji leaked the heavenly secret to them, explaining, “Zhou Song is the former sacrificial official of the Yan Kingdom. She is acquainted with the Ailanthus Tree Taoist of the Slanted Seal Palace.”

In fact, the private swords were not aware of who the “Yan Kingdom” was. However, the sacrificial officials of the Sword Qi Great Wall had almost no presence, let alone compared to the Hidden Official, they couldn’t even compare to the executioners.

Huang Ling pondered for a moment, “Then I’ll be careful with my words.”

Looking into the distance, they saw several giant trees on the mountain peak, standing tall like swords and halberds pointing at the sky. Roses climbed their branches and bloomed, exceptionally vibrant and red. Guo Du immediately flew back and forth, picking a flower to give to his Taoist companion. Ling Xun was not coy either and wore the flower like the ladies of the Dali capital, her smiling face brighter than the flower.

Then their vision suddenly broadened. They saw intricate rice paddies, planted with rice, spiraling up and down, resembling lacquer carvings.

Next to a patch of leek and green onion, a wooden sign was planted, with two lines of text: “One of Xie Gou, Second Enshrined of Fallen Dust Mountain’s private dojos.”

All precious produce from this place is exclusively for the kitchen of Elder Zhu of Spirit Gathering Peak. Outsiders, birds, and beasts are not allowed to enter without permission. Violators will either be beheaded or roasted.

Jin Kao and Xuanyang exchanged glances, both feeling speechless. It seems this Bai Jing truly considers Fallen Dust Mountain his home?

Qi Tingji said, “Being a sword cultivator in the Sword Qi Great Wall is different from being a sword immortal in a sect in the Vastness World. You need to learn to adapt.”

“Ning Yao chose Chen Ping’an as her Taoist companion, the Oldest Sword Immortal chose Chen Ping’an to be the last Hidden Official, and I, Qi Tingji, chose to abdicate and let Chen Ping’an be the sect master. Since that is the case, pay attention and give Chen Ping’an, the last Hidden Official who has shown you enough respect, the greatest respect.”

“Earlier on the Sword Worship Platform, that little girl’s words were indeed unpleasant, but she didn’t wrong you. She was even too lenient in scolding you.”

Qi Tingji didn’t say one thing: thankfully Sun Chunwang didn’t visit the Summer Solstice Palace, otherwise you would have a hard time.

“Since I am no longer the Sect Master of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, I have reminded you of everything that needed to be reminded during today’s chat, and I have said everything that should and shouldn’t have been said.”

“I’ll leave you with a few final words here, as a farewell gift. In the future, anyone who prioritizes private matters over public affairs, whether it’s falling out with the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect or Chen Ping’an, whether they are struck off the golden jade roster, or if it’s a gentleman’s separation with no harsh words, simply leaving.”

“Very well, then you will fall into my hands.”

“Whether you become carefree rogue cultivators or are guests in some sect, Qi Tingji will personally come to reason with you.”

Qi Tingji’s implied meaning was that he would personally send them on their way.

Mi Yu and the two sword cultivators Xing Yun and Liu Shui walked together and did not wander around with Qi Tingji and their group. They chose a high mountain that had not been developed into any dojo or cave dwelling yet. Green bamboo stretched out like a sea, and there were no paths within the bamboo forest. The three sword cultivators stepped on the bamboo sea, their forms飘然 (piāorán – floating gracefully), gradually ascending, as if wrapped in clouds and swirling mist. Their feet were filled with greenery. They reached the peak of the mountain, where there were steep cliffs on three sides, with twisted vines and trees on the walls, a path for monkeys to ascend and descend.

They ascended high and looked down, overlooking the mundane world. The mountain peak was shrouded in mist, which was then illuminated by the sun, making the place feel as though its vast energy reached the Emperor’s seat.

Mi Yu stood with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. Xing Yun glanced at the Great Sword Immortal Mi and had to admit that this young man indeed had a fine physique. It was a pity his Dao heart was not firm, otherwise his future would be limitless.

Liu Shui said softly, “Mi Yu, you are a very intelligent person. I won’t prattle on about things you’ve already figured out. I’ll ask you one thing. Have you ever thought about why the Oldest Sword Immortal arranged for you to be responsible for the new Hidden Official’s safety back then, and later even had you enter the Summer Solstice Palace? Besides Chou Miao being a capable general, if it weren’t for Chen Ping’an, he should have been the Hidden Official. So what about you? What was the intention?”

Xing Yun nodded. These words from the fierce woman Liu Shui had hit the nail on the head.

Mi Yu’s furious strike on the city wall, beheading his friend Lie Ji on the spot, was what impressed Xing Yun the most.

Drawing a sword to kill, without thinking. This might seem like a derogatory phrase, but among the local sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, they all understood the weight of these words. It was definitely a great compliment!

To give an inappropriate analogy, for example, if Liu Shui suddenly lost her mind and tried to assassinate Chen Ping’an, Xing Yun admitted that his sword strike would never reach Mi Yu’s level.

Mi Yu said, “When I was in the Sword Qi Great Wall, I thought the Oldest Sword Immortal considered me useless. But even if I was a useless jade pillow, I was still a Jade Pure realm cultivator. Since I was useless on the battlefield, he had to find something for me to do, just to give my brother some face? You might not believe it, but regarding this matter, I was a completely idle person in the Summer Solstice Palace and Spring Banner Studio anyway, so I thought a lot, but I only dared not think about one answer.”

This answer was both comforting and incredibly cruel.

The Oldest Sword Immortal, he placed hope in me, Mi Yu.

Perhaps it was because Mi Yu’s reputation was so bad after reaching the Upper Five Realms that many young sword cultivators couldn’t even imagine that in the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms, Mi Yu was the sword cultivator who dared to chat with the Oldest Sword Immortal the most among all sword cultivators in the Sword Qi Great Wall, possibly without exception, besides the Upper Five Realms sword cultivators.

Every time he put away his sword, Mi Yu would go and chat with the Oldest Sword Immortal for a few words. Or if he was seriously injured and had to immediately return to recuperate and go into seclusion, he would still grin and look at the figure in the thatched hut on the city wall from afar.

The young sword cultivators seemed to be asking about Chen Qingdu.

How?!

Without these experiences and heroic deeds, how could Nalan Caihuan and the others have admired and loved Mi Yu back then?

Qi Tingji performed a Shrinking the Ground into Inches technique alone, arriving at this place in one step.

Xing Yun muttered enviously to himself, “He also has a good physique.”

Qi Tingji said angrily, “Qi Shou’s aunt was severely harmed by you back then.”

Mi Yu said guiltily in a low voice, “Didn’t she end up marrying a good man?”

Qi Tingji slanted his eyes at him.

Old Sword Immortal Qi gestured with his eyes for Great Sword Immortal Mi to speak louder.

Mi Yu forced himself to say, “I advised her many times, but she didn’t listen. What could I do?”

Mi Yu didn’t dare to say the words, “The more I advised her, the more she thought I had feelings for her.”

He was afraid that Qi Tingji would send him on his way.

Qi Tingji smiled, “You’re still a bit thin-skinned. You only have the ability to be a philanderer and play with women, but not the ability to deny everything and say ‘What can you do to me?'”

Mi Yu felt a sense of familiarity and suddenly realized, “It’s similar to what the Hidden Official said back then, but Old Sword Immortal Qi is a bit more direct, not as subtle as the Hidden Official, who hides needles in cotton.”

Human words are like human wine. If you are not desperately craving it, a jug of cheap wine, you can go without it. A jug of good wine with some water, even if you frown, you still have to drink it.

After a moment of silence, Qi Tingji smiled and asked, “Mi Yu, how about you accompany me on a trip to the Barbarian Wilderness?”

Mi Yu smiled and nodded, “This Great Sword Immortal Mi was just thinking the same thing.”

Qi Tingji asked, “What do you intend to do when you go there?”

Mi Yu waved his hand, gathering clouds and mist into a pure white long sword. He ran two fingers along the blade to the tip, then lightly flicked the tip, and the clouds and mist dispersed. “Wash my sword!”

Inside the capital city of Dali, at the beginning of the Shen hour.

In a room, the furnishings were clean and refined. The calligraphy and paintings on the walls were all valuable. From the window, one could see the beautiful lake scenery, with occasional egrets soaring through the air, dotting the sky.

A middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a couch, flipping through an intelligence report that had not been successfully delivered. Dali had intercepted a communication flying sword. The report was naturally not the original manuscript, but a copy of the content deciphered by a术家 (shùjiā -术- technique,術- magic) cultivator. The man shook his head. To dare to transmit intelligence today, what else could it be but walking into a trap. Regarding flying sword communication, the Dali court had indeed not issued a ban, but you spies, do you think any of the thousands of communication flying swords haven’t been opened and recorded? In most cases, the flying swords would still leave the Dali capital unobstructed. Only a handful of flying swords would be intercepted. Once this was done, it meant that the messenger would soon see officials from the Ministry of Punishment.

The man raised his eyelids and looked at the spy who was sitting stiffly on the chair. He was a thin man in his late thirties, who should be called a deathsworn instead.

The recipient was the Cloud Heavens Dynasty, which inherited most of the territory of the former White Frost Dynasty.

The man was, of course, no stranger to the Cloud Heavens Dynasty. He remembered that when the Dali cavalry marched straight down and reached Old Dragon City, some small countries had fought to the death with the Dali Dynasty, and there were also powerful nations like the Vermillion Flame Dynasty that preferred to be broken jade rather than intact tile. The former White Frost Dynasty belonged to the kind of great dynasty that stretched out its neck early, so that the Dali blade could cut it down quickly. It was no wonder that later when Dali mobilized elites from various regions to supplement the cavalry, the number selected from the former White Frost Dynasty was even less than that from some small countries with a population of less than ten million.

Fu Qing, one of the two maids in the Imperial Preceptor’s Mansion, was a member of the imperial clan of the former White Frost Dynasty. Compared to the current emperor of the Cloud Heavens Dynasty sitting on the dragon throne, she was the real golden branch and jade leaf.

However, the man felt that with Chen Ping’an’s personality, it was unlikely that he would let her travel south to revisit her former country. But it wasn’t for reasons like coveting beauty.

He smiled mockingly, “Historians say that the former White Frost Dynasty fell because its governance was too lenient. That’s a very gentle way of putting it. But do you really believe that? Isn’t it the result of several successive emperors being mediocre and having to govern the world with civil officials, gentry, and yamen runners? And this Cloud Heavens Dynasty, which claims to inherit the legitimate line, isn’t it afraid of being just a grasshopper in autumn?”

Although there were several pots of ice in the corner of the room, the spy was still sweating profusely, his hair matted in clumps. He smiled tragically, “In this world, it’s always the winner who writes history. Since you Dali Song clan have won, everything you say is naturally right.”

The man chuckled, “I won’t argue with a fool. Let’s say everything you say is right. If there is even one point where you are wrong, then it’s my, Song Jixin’s, fault.”

The spy had a belly full of prepared words, but at this moment, he was speechless.

Because this capital city celebration did not use the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique, nor was any cultivator allowed to arbitrarily use mountain techniques for “copying.”

Therefore, it completely relied on the spectators’ eyesight and memory. For example, the content of this intelligence report was extremely detailed. The appearance, position, demeanor, clothing, eyes, etc. of each sword immortal on the imperial road were described with great vividness. Reading the words was like appreciating a painting, and the writing was excellent.

At the end of the intelligence report, there was a suggestion or perhaps a warning, the general idea being that the Dali Dynasty’s national power was currently booming, its momentum like a rainbow, and it was irresistible. Therefore, at least within the next ten years, it would be best to avoid its sharp edge, pretend to comply, and wait for a change.

Song Jixin read it twice, shook the paper filled with tiny script, and smiled, “Irresistible, but can be outsmarted?”

The letter writer before him was a Dali official working in a yamen in Nanxunfang. He had thought he would fall into the hands of the Ministry of Punishment, but he had not expected Prince Song Mu to personally interrogate him. He had already given up hope and did not intend to say anything.

After all, this man before him was still the master of the Dali auxiliary capital, the King of Luo, Song Mu, who had once guarded the national gate of Porcelain Bottle Continent!

Song Jixin picked up an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it, took out a segment, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully. He asked, “You are not a native of the Cloud Heavens Dynasty. From a humble background in a northern vassal state, you participated in the imperial examination of the suzerain state Dali Dynasty, successfully passed the Jinshi exam, and your ranking in the second class was not low. You have already become a sixth-rank official in the Dali Dynasty. Once you return to the small court in your vassal state hometown, you will be promoted by two ranks according to custom, to the fourth rank. This is just on the surface. Within three to five years, you will at least be a third-rank official. Why do such a head-chopping deed?”

The man smiled bitterly, “This is a dead end. It’s not something I can stop just because I want to. Song Mu, you are of imperial blood, you wouldn’t understand.”

Song Jixin raised an eyebrow, “That’s not right. I remember a few years ago, the Dali court’s Ministry of Punishment accepted the suggestion of Minister Liu of the auxiliary capital, allowing officials with unclean backgrounds to immediately go and secretly surrender to the Ministries of Punishment in both capitals. After recording, all past offenses would be forgiven, and they would help conceal the stains. I don’t know the real situation of the capital’s officialdom, but at least in the auxiliary capital, this matter was personally handled by me, and everything was done according to the rules. Many local Dali officials, and even deathsworns and spies from other countries, lived quite well afterwards, and many were promoted. Moreover, this rule has never been outdated. As long as there is no direct murder case, at most you will get a clean identity by confessing early, and by confessing late, you will receive varying degrees of punishment, but it will definitely not ruin your career. You, Zeng Tao, are not from the former White Frost, and your family and relatives are all well in the vassal state. As for national enmity, there is naturally some, but there is no family hatred at all. When you chose to defect to Dali back then, these dozen or so local prominent families like yours were the best at judging the situation. Moreover, a person like you, I have carefully reviewed your resume and files earlier, you don’t look like that kind of righteous person who would sacrifice for the country. I have indeed seen many true righteous people, and killed quite a few. As for you, forget it.”

Song Jixin nodded to himself, “I remember. The Cloud Heavens Dynasty has a rather hidden yamen that likes to target seventh-rank officials in various prefectures of Dali, and uses various methods to help you pave the way for promotion. The records state that your eldest son died suddenly at the age of sixteen. He seemed to be a recognized prodigy. What, does your son have cultivation aptitude, but not high, so the Cloud Heavens Dynasty promised to help him enter the Middle Five Realms?”

Zeng Tao’s expression immediately became flustered.

Song Jixin chewed the orange, his expression playful. When he saw Zeng Tao looking defeated as if mourning his parents, Song Jixin clapped his hands and smiled, “Your acting is terrible. I was just teasing you.”

Song Jixin clasped his hands together, resting them on his knees, and stared intently at Zeng Tao, “Your seemingly frail second wife is a cultivator from the Cloud Heavens Dynasty, right?”

Zeng Tao looked up in horror, staring at Prince Song Mu.

Song Jixin said slowly, “I guess she used mountain techniques to secretly occupy the body of a local woman. Apart from her name and face being real, everything else is fake.”

Veins bulged on Zeng Tao’s forehead.

Song Jixin smiled slightly, “Then guess whether your eldest son, who was known as a prodigy, is currently cultivating steadily in the Cloud Heavens Dynasty, or if he really died suddenly on the road long ago?”

Zeng Tao was stunned.

Song Jixin leaned against the tea table where the fruit plate was placed, turned his head to look at the beautiful scenery outside the window, and mumbled in a low voice, “Then let’s fight. If they don’t learn their lesson this time, let’s do it again. Let’s see if they still dare to jump around like this? Will there still be so many unnecessary and bothersome things? You, the new Imperial Preceptor, are you completely lacking in confidence to control a continent’s situation like the Embroidered Tiger?”

Zeng Tao was disheartened and timidly asked, “How does the King of Luo plan to deal with me… us?”

Song Jixin picked up the copied intelligence report again, “Do you know why you must die today?”

Zeng Tao was bewildered.

Song Jixin crumpled the paper into a ball, grinding it into dust in his palm.

There was a detail in the intelligence report related to Ning Yao. It recorded a seemingly insignificant trivial matter.

The content of that sentence was, “Ning Yao first squinted before looking up at the sky, instead of looking up at the sun and then squinting. Strange.”

Song Jixin tugged at his collar, twisted his neck, and suddenly cursed, “You’re really courting death!”

As if that wasn’t enough, Song Jixin began to curse Zeng Tao’s ancestors for eighteen generations in his local dialect.

If he had known this would happen, he shouldn’t have gotten involved in this mess when he was full and idle. As expected, when people are idle, they tend to find trouble for themselves.

Damn it, if that guy knew this intelligence report fell into his hands…

With his vengeful nature, wouldn’t he settle both new and old scores? Do I dare to fight back, or can I beat him?

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Song Jixin continued to curse Zeng Tao’s ancestors for eighteen generations.

Zeng Tao wanted to fight Song Mu, the Prince, even at the cost of his life, but unfortunately, a scholar is useless.

Zeng Tao asked, “Surname Song, since I must die, why are you wasting so much time with me?”

Song Jixin smiled slightly, “I am a subject to the Emperor. What is there to talk about? Just answering questions. You see, I haven’t even attended court. With the new Imperial Preceptor, who has been my neighbor since childhood, I can only chat for a bit when we meet. If we really talked more, he would want to hit me and I would want to scold him. It’s not worth it.”

In the room, a beautiful woman, a stunner, finally couldn’t help but laugh.

Not bad, not bad. It seems following Song Jixin won’t be boring. Should I also tell the Water Lord?

The woman was called Gong Yan, her given name A Wu. She was sitting in a chair behind Zeng Tao during this “interrogation.”

Besides Gong Yan, whom Zeng Tao mistook for the princess at first glance, there was also a burly young man guarding the door, a peak Ninth Realm martial artist named Xi Man, whose Dao foundation was a land dragon.

Since Wang Zhu, the Water Lord of the Eastern Sea, had come to the Dali capital, the four water mansion retainers, including Gong Yan, followed their master on a tour. It just so happened that two of them, the Taoist Li Ba and the martial artist Xi Man, both wanted to pledge allegiance to Prince Song Mu. They dared not say anything about assisting the dragon or asking the prince if he wanted to wear a white hat.

Wang Zhu had no grudges about Li Ba and Xi Man changing their allegiance. This time, Wang Zhu asked them to come from the Great River in Tongye Continent to the Dali capital, which happened to be a good opportunity to introduce them to “Song Mu.” It was also a kind of compensation, however insignificant, to Song Jixin.

In fact, Li Ba and the others were a bit awkward. They had known for a long time that in the Mud Bottle Alley back then, “Zhigui” had been “Song Jixin”‘s maid.

In this case, according to “seniority,” wasn’t Song Mu their master’s master?

The Jade Taoist Huang Man, who was almost beaten to death by Zhang Tiaoxia once, was a man whose appearance was no less beautiful than Gong Yan’s.

He had been admiring the calligraphy and paintings on the wall. Instead, that fellow Li Ba did not come to see Song Jixin and walked alone by the lake, being pretentious.

Li Ba, who founded the Azure Chapter Daoist Temple in Golden Armor Continent, had the Daoist name Cuizhang. He was actually also from an “Imperial Preceptor” background. Unfortunately, he made friends unwisely and had extremely bad luck, being friends with that old Yan Jing.

At the door, Xi Man was impatient with these winding schemes and conspiracies. The burly man habitually scratched his crotch and asked in a muffled voice, “King of Luo, shall I handle the disposal of the body?”

Song Jixin nodded. Xi Man walked towards the chair, grabbed Zeng Tao like he was picking up a chick, lifted his 法袍 (fǎpáo – Dharma robe) sleeve, and threw him in.

Xi Man asked, “The King of Luo came here actually…”

Gong Yan coughed, reminding Xi Man not to ask unnecessary questions.

Song Jixin remained silent, just looking at Xi Man.

Xi Man nodded, “Understood the rule.”

Huang Man smiled, “King of Luo, how about I go to Zeng Tao’s vassal state and meet that woman? Judging by her actions, maybe I can even gain an unofficial disciple.”

Song Jixin shook his head, “You don’t need to get involved. Leave it to the Dali capital’s Ministry of Punishment to handle.”

Huang Man was a little disappointed. After witnessing this small ripple that might not even cause a splash for the Dali Dynasty, the Jade Taoist suddenly had an interest in working for the government in the auxiliary capital.

Song Jixin suddenly said, “Take a message to Wang Zhu. Tell her that I once saw a fragment of a poem similar to a green verse in a book of strange tales, ‘The four seas ground into a mirror to illuminate the cold heart.’ I have been searching for the complete poem for years but haven’t found it. I heard that the Dragon Palace has many books. Ask her if she can help complete it. If she finds it, have someone copy it and send it to the auxiliary capital’s princely mansion.”

Seeing that the two men in the room were silent, Gong Yan had no choice but to steel herself and nod, “Yes, King of Luo.”

Xi Man did not understand the true meaning. He was just too lazy to make another trip. Huang Man, however, was shaken in his Dao heart and regretted not being as wise as Li Ba. The reason? Grinding the sea into a mirror!

In the western mountains, the Sword Returning Lake created by relocating a mountain is indeed a beautiful sight, with its deep blue waves and fish palaces. This lake belongs to the forbidden marshes of Chuzhou Prefecture, where fishing nets dare not enter.

Building a thatched hut was a simple task done casually. Building a mountain and water formation for seclusion took Zhusu considerable effort. However, with Mei Kan and her disciple Mei Dandang living as neighbors, Zhusu did not pay too much attention to the precision of the formation. Behind the thatched hut by the lake was a lush bamboo forest. In the Dali capital and on the Sword Worship Platform, Zhusu was indeed quite anxious, wanting to go into seclusion quickly and break through quickly. Walking on the bamboo forest path at this moment, her heart was instead calm. This path was probably trodden by local people burning charcoal, cutting wood, and digging for bamboo shoots in the past. The bamboo was dense and thick. The larger ones could be made into walking sticks, and the smaller ones could be used as chopsticks.

Perhaps it was because this female sword cultivator’s surname was “Zhu” (竹 – bamboo), the woman walked on the secluded bamboo path, reaching out her slender hands, as white as jade, to caress the bamboo joints. The soft sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, creating a hazy and ethereal beauty. One might think that it would be suitable for a night stroll when the moon is bright.

Zhusu gradually developed a sense of clarity, connection, and heartfelt joy. She suddenly turned and walked towards the thatched hut. The time had come, the opportunity had arrived. When else to go into seclusion but now?!

A small yellow mud path lined with ancient pines reaching for the sky. The pine trunks were like dragon scales. There were two visitors from the Sword Worship Platform area. Wu Jiang stood with his arms crossed, holding a black-sheathed long saber. By his side was his close friend from the martial world who had “ascended” to the upper realm immortal ranks, Yuan Huang.

Wu Jiang said, “Mountain fairies are indeed more attractive than martial world heroines. What do you think?”

Yuan Huang said distractedly, “It’s the same.”

Wu Jiang sighed, “You just haven’t had your epiphany yet. When you do, you’ll definitely be more eager than me.”

Yuan Huang said, “Then we’ll see when that happens. When I get married and have children in the future, as long as I don’t set my sights too high, insisting on finding a beautiful and flower-like wife, I think it will always be easy.”

Wu Jiang said angrily, “You only dare to talk nonsense like this with me. Do you have the guts to say it to Brother Dafeng, Wen Zixi, or Taoist Xianwei?!”

Yuan Huang just smiled and ignored him.

Having left the Lotus Flower Blessed Land with Luo Fumian and the others earlier, and traveled through Tongye Continent, arriving at Fallen Dust Mountain, they had enjoyed the scenery of the mountains and rivers along the way. Saber user Wu Jiang felt very satisfied. Yuan Huang, who was single-mindedly focused on becoming Chen Ping’an’s disciple to learn both boxing and swordsmanship, had not yet met the mountain master. Fortunately, Yuan Huang was patient. It’s not easy to find a good teacher and receive true instruction after great difficulty. The most feared thing is carrying a pig’s head and not being able to find a temple. Now that he, Yuan Huang, had entered the temple, what was there to fear?

They would also follow Wen Zixi to listen in from outside the window to Enshrined Gan’s teachings on Flower Shadow Peak, but Wen Zixi was intent on secretly learning, while they were genuinely pure martial artists, just gaining some knowledge and listening for fun.

Earlier, when they saw the imposing sword lights, the two of them wanted to come to the Sword Worship Platform to try their luck and see if they could meet the legendary sword immortals.

The abundance of sword energy distorted the surrounding light, making the sky, which was clear for thousands of miles, look like a slightly wrinkled light blue silk cloth.

Wu Jiang just looked at it, regarding it as a profound display of immortal elegance. Yuan Huang, however, was deeply moved. He wondered if he, a martial world swordsman, would be able to roam far and wide across the land as a pure martial artist after luckily entering the Grandmaster realm, flying with the wind like mountain refiners, and looking down on the Five Sacred Mountains as if they were mounds of earth. Could he be as elegant and unrestrained as Mr. Chen, without even needing to speak, possessing an aura of invincibility where he himself was the Dao?

Therefore, deep down in Yuan Huang’s heart, what he truly wanted to learn from Mr. Chen was not boxing or swordsmanship, but the Great Dao of human martial arts.

In contrast, Wu Jiang’s ambition was very simple: ensure he ate a full meal every day, then become famous in the martial world, and have many confidantes. After arriving in the Vastness World, he added one more goal: he had to be able to defeat immortals.

Wu Jiang hesitated for a moment and said, “Yuan Huang, don’t think I’m being discouraging, but I heard Brother Dafeng mention that Mountain Master Chen already has a closed-door disciple in the field of martial arts and boxing.”

Yuan Huang nodded, “I already knew about that.”

Wu Jiang said, “Then aren’t you afraid of being rejected and making a fool of yourself? If you ask me, you might as well directly acknowledge Brother Dafeng as your master. I can even put in a good word for you. Don’t look at how ugly Brother Dafeng is, but he has real skills. Just looking at him teaching and sparring these days, we can see many insights, right? Otherwise, why would he say he taught Mountain Master Chen boxing and swordsmanship?”

Yuan Huang smiled slightly, “Master Zheng is naturally a person of high cultivation and hidden profoundness. However, I am determined to only acknowledge Mr. Chen as my master. Nothing is impossible for a determined person, and I believe that sincerity can break through even metal and stone. Moreover, I also feel that I am fated with Fallen Dust Mountain.”

Sitting side by side on the bamboo chairs under the eaves, Wen Zixi had just secretly learned a side-branch divine ability of observing mountains and rivers from Enshrined Gan. Not only could he see the scene on the ancient pine path, but he could even hear the content of their conversation. Wen Zixi was cracking melon seeds, clicking his tongue in amazement, “This kid Wu Jiang has a good heart, and Yuan Huang is even more…”

Zheng Dafeng said while picking his feet, “Birds of a feather flock together. Our mountain master likes people who know how to talk. Didn’t Gan Yiban’s power surge after chatting with Old Immortal Jia? He used to have the cultivation of an Ascended Being, but the rhetoric of the Lower Five Realms. Now, at least he has the chatting level of a Earth Immortal. In the end, it’s the atmosphere of our mountain.”

Wen Zixi deeply agreed, “It’s still our Mountain Master Chen who set a good example. Those who enter the mountain always walk the path of the pioneers.”

Zheng Dafeng said, “You can say these two good things to Chen Ping’an in person.”

Wen Zixi tentatively said, “Is it really suitable to say it in person? I’m afraid our mountain master will misunderstand it as flattery.”

Zheng Dafeng patted Wen Zixi’s shoulder, “Have a midnight snack, and then have some wine. What’s there to be afraid of? When the wine is hearty, your chest and courage open up. I guarantee Chen Ping’an will understand and nod and smile at you.”

Wen Zixi patted his shoulder, half-believingly, “Brother Dafeng, you can’t trick your own brother. After all, I joined the mountain late and don’t have a solid foundation here now. My words and actions lack confidence. Don’t harm me.”

Wen Zixi had already decided to entrust all his time to this Jumping Fish Mountain before entering the Upper Five Realms. It’s best not to be chased away, but even if he is, he won’t leave.

Zheng Dafeng took a handful of melon seeds from Wen Zixi’s hand. Just as he was about to complain, he saw the figure of the little girl in black. He immediately returned the melon seeds to Wen Zixi, wiped his hands on him, and ran over to chat with Little Mi Li. The fastidious Wen Zixi had to pat his clothes again, looked down at the handful of melon seeds in his palm, hesitated repeatedly, and finally started cracking the melon seeds. It was about brotherhood, wasn’t it?

Those who joined the mountain later were relatively easier to trick. Therefore, Zheng Dafeng claimed his courtesy name was Yushu and his sobriquet was Linfeng. He also specifically emphasized that he should be addressed by his courtesy name. So you should call me Zheng Yushu.

This kind of unreliable phrasing, throughout Fallen Dust Mountain, probably only Little Mi Li would take it seriously and abide by it.

The little girl with a cotton bag slung across her shoulder ran over and suddenly stopped, tilting her head slightly. She cupped her hands and slowly rocked them a few times, “Zheng Yushu, there’s something important to discuss, it’s not small.”

Zheng Dafeng, feeling warm inside, put on a serious expression and cupped his hands in return, “Protector Zhou, please feel free to speak. We are one family, no need for formalities. If the matter is difficult, this Zheng will absolutely not agree.”

Wen Zixi put his hands behind his head, stretched out his legs, and leaned back in the chair. This lazy posture, he had long forgotten who he learned it from. He watched as the big and small figures huddled together and whispered.

Cen Yuanyi, who was teaching boxing in the martial arts field, had a dark face and shouted at the few curious young boys and girls, “Focus on your stances, no distractions!”

Little Mi Li immediately stopped talking and scratched her face.

Cen Yuanyi turned and smiled at the little girl, her expression softening. She waved her hand gently, indicating that she should continue chatting, it wouldn’t be a problem.

After Little Mi Li finished talking about business with Zheng Dafeng, she took a handful of mountain fruits from her sleeve and gave them to Zheng Dafeng, mumbling a few words. Then she stood on tiptoe, waved to Master Cen, turned around, and scurried down the mountain.

It was Wen Zixi’s turn to spar. Cen Yuanyi walked towards the bamboo chair under the eaves that was exclusively hers. Zheng Dafeng handed her a few mountain fruits. Cen Yuanyi smiled and asked, “Do I get some too?” Zheng Dafeng chuckled and cursed, “What nonsense are you talking about? The number of mountain fruits is fixed. You get the same amount as me, and one more than Master Wen.” Cen Yuanyi sat properly on the bamboo chair, lowered her head, and gently bit into the sweet mountain fruit. It made her feel incredibly guilty.

Wen Zixi, who was sparring with a young boy, turned his head and smiled, “Do I get some too?”

Cen Yuanyi said angrily, “Focus on teaching!”

Wen Zixi said “Oh,” and kicked the boy away. The boy rolled on the ground in the martial arts field, quickly getting up with a somewhat fluid posture. The boy grimaced, holding his waist, and cursed angrily, “Damn you, Old Third Wen, don’t hit my kidneys! This young master still wants to marry several wives…” Wen Zixi grinned and walked over to the boy who was always the most resilient, covered the little rascal’s stinky mouth with his hand, threw him towards the martial arts field wall, clapped his hands, and said to switch to another person. As for the boy, feeling suffocated, he sat slumped in the corner by the wall, watching Old Third Wen spar with a girl with particular restraint. Damn it, preferring girls over boys!

The boy gritted his teeth, stood up shakily, his liver hurting. He remembered the seemingly strange “little girl in black” from earlier. This group of martial arts practitioners of his age would speculate privately and conclude that she must be a powerful demon with deep Daoist power who had reverted to childhood. Otherwise, how could Mountain Master Chen have personally invited her up the mountain to be the protective enshrined of Fallen Dust Mountain?!

The boy sighed. It was truly frustrating. This group of them who practiced martial arts on Oriole Peak, plus that bunch of so-called immortal cultivators on Flower Shadow Peak, had not even been to Fallen Dust Mountain yet.

Old Third Wen was of questionable character, always leering, but one thing he said struck a chord with them.

When we practice martial arts, we are also stubborn with our words. If our fists are weak, we are just stubborn like a dead duck. If our fists are strong, then our words are heroic.

Wen Zixi actually had something he hadn’t said yet, waiting for those young boys and girls.

If you want to go to the true Fallen Dust Mountain, you are not just separated by a Wen Zixi, but also a Zheng Dafeng, and then a Pei Qian, before you can probably see the true Chen Ping’an.