Chen Ping’an gently loosened his fingers, and a single leaf fluttered away from the high platform, drifting in the wind for a long time.

Yin Ji smiled, “Vast blue waves, lingering village tunes. The bitter sea has no bounds, a small boat carries one through.”

Chen Ping’an picked up the wine gourd and shook it. There was still some wine left.

Yin Ji asked curiously, “When did Mountain Lord Chen realize this was a dead end?”

Chen Ping’an said, “When I left the city wall and entered Old Oriole Lake.”

Yin Ji clapped his hands and laughed, “No wonder even Li Ba, an immortal, couldn’t use telepathic messages to warn you of the Clam’s true Dao roots. At that time, had you already locked down your Dao heart?”

“The arched bridge the Clam deliberately built, trying to take me back to the Great Ribbon Dynasty, was all fake. She had long since decided to destroy King True Dragon Zhu’s ‘place of rising prosperity’ in this life.”

“However, I was still worried that Mountain Lord Chen might change his mind at the last minute, deliberately releasing the Clam back to the Central Plains Divine Continent, ruining my thirty years of painstaking planning and making it all for naught.”

Hearing this, Chen Ping’an smiled, “Just call me by my name. There’s no need to keep emphasizing ‘Luopo Mountain’ and ‘Half-One’. It makes me seem not smart enough and you too foolish. Since things have come to this, wouldn’t it be better to be open and honest with yourself and with each other, for everyone’s sake?”

Yin Ji nodded, “It’s time to open the skylight and speak some bright words.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “You are not even as good as the prime culprit of Tuoyue Mountain in the Barbarian Desolation.”

Yin Ji sat cross-legged, lightly tapped his knee with his fist, and smiled, “Of course we are not as upright and magnanimous as him, but his head was cut off by you, while we succeeded.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “That’s true. The price for the entire human world might be negligible, but for you, it is everything. On this matter, you are not a coward.”

It turned out that Yin Ji’s spirit was already swaying, showing signs of flesh and blood dissolving. The hand that tapped his knee was already bone. The ashes of tribulation fell from his hand with a rustle, scattering with the wind.

Yin Ji paid no mind to this and said, “The moment you ‘temporarily lent’ the two narrow blades, Zhan Kan and Xing Xing, to Zhou Haijing, I finally knew that the dust had settled.”

“When you retracted your hand, I was extremely nervous. Thankfully, Zhou Haijing took them, and you did not regret it.”

“After I was relieved, I wondered why you didn’t add a sentence, ‘borrow for a few days, then transfer them to Pei Qian.’ But I quickly understood. You didn’t want Pei Qian to live too tiring a life, and you didn’t want her to be entangled in these karmic ties that have lasted for ten thousand years. Perhaps the accumulated heavenly retribution finally dissipated today, but new heavenly retribution is also beginning to generate today.”

Yin Ji was silent for a moment and said, “How are you sure that Wuzhou of the Azure Netherworld won’t bully a Zhou Haijing in the near future, but won’t her Dao heart stir in the future, and she will still choose to target the Earthly Branches lineage? For example, crossing worlds, fighting quickly and deciding quickly, seizing the two divine weapons?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I personally heard her speak and saw her actions by the riverside of time before. I know what kind of person Wuzhou is. It is enough to ensure that Wuzhou ‘currently’ won’t seize the blades by force.”

“In Wuzhou’s eyes, the last Hidden Official of Sword Qi Great Wall, or the master of the sword-wielder, is strong, while Zhou Haijing and the Earthly Branches cultivators are weak. She can be ruthless towards the former, but Wuzhou wouldn’t go so far as to kill the latter. Wuzhou’s spirit allows them to seek revenge on her in the future.”

Yin Ji nodded, “Indeed.”

The grudges and loves of cultivators in the human world are like streams flowing out of mountains. Some streams might merge into rivers, becoming calm and silent tributaries.

Some might cause flash floods, destroying bridges, and even leading to dikes breaking, changing the course of rivers and flooding thousands of miles. The human world is in turmoil, and the common people suffer immensely, mistaking man-made disasters for natural ones.

Yin Ji smiled, “Mountain Lord Chen, you are mistaken. I am not Pang Ding of Lingbao City. I am neither his talisman puppet nor a clone produced by severing three corpses, nor is it a method of ‘Yin God leaving the body for a distant journey’ evolved from a mustard-seed of spiritual sense peeled off by Pang Ding. As you said, no evidence will be left behind. Let alone a Lingbao City, even the current Jade Pure Realm cannot bear this karma.”

Yin Ji turned around, both hands skeletal, and still performed a Daoist salute, “My original name is Shi Zhouren, and I was indeed indebted to Lingbao City. By taking advantage of the upheaval caused by Qi Jingchun’s defiance of heavenly tribulation back then, I quietly infiltrated Baoping Continent in Haoran World, lying low for thirty years. While you were traveling to Sword Qi Great Wall, I began to journey through the Central Plains Divine Continent and found the ‘Clam’. Yin Miao’s dream journey to the divine capital was me casting a dream on him. As for Emperor Yin Ji’s desire for immortality, that wasn’t me doing any minor tricks; it was completely unnecessary and would have been redundant.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Shi Zhouren, you overestimate yourself and underestimate Pang Ding.”

Chen Ping’an once had a strange dream. But there was no need to say more about this to Shi Zhouren.

Shi Zhouren said calmly, “Perhaps.”

He didn’t feel that Chen Ping’an was trying to smear Pang Ding and the Jade Pure Realm; that would be underestimating the decisive Mountain Lord Chen too much.

To be honest, Shi Zhouren wanted the thirty years of meticulous planning to succeed, but deep down in the Daoist’s heart, there was also a peculiar feeling: Chen Ping’an, you didn’t have to do this.

Shi Zhouren dispelled this ripple in his Dao heart, “Since Chen Ping’an could endure for many years before challenging Zheng Yang Mountain with his sword, he should also allow others to have equally good patience, accumulating bit by bit to deal with Luopo Mountain and Chen Ping’an. Isn’t that right?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, “Leaving aside good and evil, right and wrong, that is indeed the logic.”

Shi Zhouren asked, “How did you feel being entangled by Zouzi?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Didn’t your Azure Netherworld also suffer greatly from that troublemaker?”

Shi Zhouren burst into laughter, “It’s our own fault; we can’t blame Zouzi’s schemes. Zouzi doesn’t target anyone specifically; he targets all sword cultivators who have hope of reaching the fifteenth realm. Whoever reaches this rank, he makes them uncomfortable. Our truly invincible one is, the co-lord of the Barbarian Desolation, Feiran is, you, Chen Ping’an of Luopo Mountain, are, and Ning Yao of the Five-Colored World still is. Fortunately, I am not one; I am just a student of the Dao.”

The list of the Ten in the World and the candidates list was not a ranking of who was stronger or weaker; it was a decree clearly stating, “The world has suffered from Yu Dou for a long time.”

It was still acceptable for Daoist Sun of Xuandu Temple to challenge the Jade Pure Realm alone, but for Wu Shuangjiang to join forces with Gao Gu and the others to question the Jade Pure Realm was truly ripping off the fig leaf.

Facing this extremely dangerous “answer sheet,” where answering any small question incorrectly could lead to eternal damnation, Feiran of the Barbarian Desolation was extremely clever. He decided not to play anymore and chose to retreat proactively, becoming Dao companions with Gui Ke, similar to the custom of a man marrying into the woman’s family in the mundane world. In this way, he was bound to the Barbarian Desolation. Furthermore, when Haoran attacks the Barbarian Desolation, Bai Ze is the true backbone of the Barbarian Desolation. At least in the short term, Feiran will not be persistently harassed by Zouzi.

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly, “I actually understand Zouzi’s painstaking efforts, but that doesn’t prevent me from killing him the moment I have a chance.”

After a moment of silence, Chen Ping’an said, “Before beating him to death, I’ll let him eat candy gourds until his belly bursts.”

Shi Zhouren seemed to be seeing Mountain Lord Chen for the first time. Hearing this, he found it especially satisfying and laughed so hard that tears almost streamed from his eyes. He lowered his head to wipe his eyes, “What a pity, what a pity.”

Seeing that his arms had completely turned into ashes of tribulation, Shi Zhouren slightly quickened his speech and said, “Have you anticipated problems with the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, or that some fresh face at Luopo Mountain might have ulterior motives? Being in charge of the household, always guarding against thieves, is indeed quite hard work.”

Chen Ping’an said, “I have made some assumptions. For example, within the Lotus Root Blessed Land, the ‘Heavenly Father’ who was born from the manifestation of the Great Dao, our paths are different.”

Shi Zhouren asked curiously, “For example?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “For example, Emperor Song He of Da Li suddenly disappears today or tomorrow.”

Shi Zhouren was astonished and wanted to clap his hands in praise, but he realized that both his wrists had already turned into ashes of tribulation. He still exclaimed, “Indeed, it is troublesome. Song Changjing, who is on the Barbarian Desolation battlefield, will surely be enraged, and you, the new National Teacher, should you support Song Geng to ascend the throne, or help the old neighbor? What will be the attitude of the civil and military officials in the court and the public? Perhaps they will even begin to suspect the Hidden Embroiderer’s intentions. If you have no choice but to use some immortal means to let the fake emperor ‘Song He’ continue to sit on the dragon throne, it will eventually be impossible to keep it a secret. At that time, it will only confirm the truth of your usurpation.”

Chen Ping’an said, “First, I found Xiao Xing’s whereabouts in the Lotus Root Blessed Land, then through her, I found those few demon races and resolved the hidden danger. The excavation of the Great River in Tongye Continent was able to proceed smoothly. This was a hidden thread, and looking back now, it is a relatively clear脈絡 (脉络, network of veins/threads). Was this you secretly assisting?”

Shi Zhouren nodded and smiled, “For thirty years, sometimes real, sometimes fake, I have been secretly helping you and Luopo Mountain, adding fortune with great discretion. Earlier, I said that my relationship with you is more than just allies; that was absolutely true. Thinking back, apart from Zhou Mi, who occupied the ancient heavenly court and cast a piece on Luopo Mountain from outside the heavens, my fragile arms and legs truly could not block this genuine ‘natural disaster,’ so I had no choice but to stand by and watch. For so many years, have you or Luopo Mountain encountered any major disasters or misfortunes? No, right? I dare not claim all the credit and say it was all due to my care; it is true that even if there was no credit, there was hard work. As for the well-informed intelligence of Zheng Yang Mountain, the smooth relocation of the Fox Kingdom, and other matters, I merely added a small finishing touch, very small, just right, and then retreated. Finally, Chen Ping’an became the National Teacher of Da Li, and finally, as I expected, the body and the state are integrated, and there is a connection between heaven and man. He has finally actively aligned himself with the Daoist school.”

The Earthly Branches lineage might just be a little strange, wondering why after successfully killing the ghost, National Teacher Chen still hasn’t removed the means that isolated heaven and earth and returned to the capital of Da Li. It seems there is still a mess at Old Oriole Lake waiting for the National Teacher to personally resolve.

Shi Zhouren, however, knew very well that the biggest mess in the world was waiting for Mountain Lord Chen to personally clean up. How could a small Old Oriole Lake, no bigger than a sesame seed, compare?

In fact, Shi Zhouren didn’t care anymore. As Chen Ping’an said, for all living beings in the entire world, Daoist Shi Zhouren is more than one in a billion insignificant beings, but for him, Shi Zhouren, it is everything, just like losing everything in his previous life and reincarnation.

Shi Zhouren’s expression was greatly pleased, and he laughed heartily, “Those who usually oppose you are afraid of you becoming more and more powerful. Every time you advance a realm, they become more anxious. I, on the other hand, did the opposite. I wanted you to improve more and have better luck. I was only afraid that your realm advancement was slow, that Luopo Mountain’s fortune was small, that the excavation of the Great River in Tongye Continent would be delayed, that the time you become the Master of the Two Continents would be late, and so on. How could I not worry…”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “The movement of the Dao is in the opposite direction. When water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes. Taking water is annoying and hated, while helping to add water is liked by everyone.”

Shi Zhouren smiled, “You have been very careful and cautious your whole life, which made me even more careful. People who grew up eating at every household must know how to read people’s expressions and perceive subtle emotions. This is not some skill; this is a necessity for survival. People who grew up eating at every household, when they become immortals and practice immortal arts, are always more sensitive and perceptive to the traces and signs of the circulation of the Great Dao in the unseen realm than ordinary prodigies. If it were someone else, why would I need to worry so much?”

Chen Ping’an raised his hand, spread his palm, and said, “For an orphan, making the neighbors feel that they are ‘young and sensible and a good person’ is a bowl used to hold meals from every household.”

Shi Zhouren sighed with emotion, “Killing Ma Kuxuan. You are still careful and did not accept any gifts from the Great Dao, right?”

To be able to endure even this, Ma Kuxuan had no calculations or malicious intentions. He was like an extremely proud and extremely affected… “street youth.” It seemed he was awkward and unwilling to express thanks verbally, but his inner gratitude and recognition were certainly not lacking. Among the younger generation in Lizhu Cave Heaven, the only one Ma Kuxuan looked up to was Chen Ping’an.

Shi Zhouren smiled slightly, “But some things you cannot refuse, like…like the rouge box the potter Su Han buried at the entrance of his home in Mud Bottle Alley.”

“Furthermore, there are some things you have been praying for your whole life.”

“This is Chen Ping’an’s only soft spot, his only flaw in the Great Dao!”

“The unattainable person for a poor boy, the unobtainable object in an orphan’s childhood, these are the things Chen Ping’an will always yearn for in the future.”

Speaking of this, Shi Zhouren sighed with great emotion, “Pitiful, truly pitiful. The outside world always thinks you are glamorous and limitless, but I find you extremely pitiful.”

“There’s no need. You don’t understand what ‘freedom’ is, nor do you understand the difference between hardship and suffering.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “For example, ‘Emperor Yin Ji’ sees artisans cutting stone and sees knowledge. But it is difficult for him to experience the hardship of a stonemason’s lifelong silent labor and the glory and happiness of the emperor standing beside them watching them cut stone at that moment, especially when they return to their own lives, the joy of being toasted at the table, how happy they are when they see the pride in their children’s eyes. You cultivators who occasionally dabble in the mundane world, you think you know human suffering, understand their joys and sorrows, but it is not enough, far from enough. You, you see the mundane world as turning a page, seeing the vast mortal realm as a daunting path. We, we, have walked out of this book, so unless we are completely despairing, we will eventually place our hope in someone, in some tomorrow.”

Shi Zhouren was silent for a long time, likely not knowing how to refute Chen Ping’an’s conclusion, so he could only return to the main topic.

Shi Zhouren turned his head and asked with a smile, “Having received most of the gifts from a fourteenth-realm cultivator, have you finally had your fill this time?”

When the fourteenth-realm ghost “Clam” was slain, she finally no longer suffered the torment of the three thousand years of heavenly retribution.

Forcibly dispersing her Dao, the surging tide flooded Baoping Continent, implicating Wang Zhu, who had regained his true dragon identity, was a straightforward act of repaying grievance with grievance.

Repaying kindness with kindness was the Clam’s gratitude to the young sword immortal for assisting her in dissolving her body, helping her escape the sea of suffering.

Especially since the other party deliberately took out two narrow blades that ancient deities used to intimidate flood dragons, it was a silent promise and a generous agreement between gentlemen. “Yesterday” was over, and “tomorrow,” at least Baoping Continent would still have these narrow blades. If flood dragons dared to cause trouble in the future, they would see this blade light. If it aligned with the actions of the Great Dao, it would be protecting the Dao.

Therefore, the Clam was grateful, and the accumulated power of heavenly retribution over seven thousand years softened a bit, which allowed Chen Ping’an to seal it with his own strength alone.

However, in this way, Chen Ping’an had to fill the hole in his “humanity” with “greater,” though not “more,” pure divinity.

Shi Zhouren asked a crucial question, “Why didn’t you seek help from the Temple of Culture and get an advance on a large amount of merit to disperse this heavenly retribution and let the Haoran world share this burden? According to reason and logic, public and private, there should be no mental knot. It would probably only mean a few copper coins less for some common people, and a few more accidental drowning victims by the water. It’s better than Da Li Dynasty having a new National Teacher but no National Teacher. With you presiding over the court, the lifespan of Da Li Dynasty could be longer, and the border army of Da Li and even the soldiers of Haoran would die much less in the Barbarian Desolation. Since you have chosen Cui Chan’s studies of achievements, this account should be calculated clearly. If it were Cui Chan, would there be any hesitation? If I had targeted the Hidden Embroiderer like this, Cui Chan would probably have laughed out loud. Why didn’t you do it? Chen Ping’an, I beg you to enlighten me.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and offered no explanation.

Different paths, no mutual planning? Shi Zhouren shook his head and said to himself, “Heavenly secrets are in chaos, so I couldn’t calculate you. In the end, you were trapped in your own cocoon, ending up with no one being able to save you.”

“A thousand or ten thousand wrongs, you shouldn’t have begged everyone for a stick of incense of their heart to help you compensate for the disadvantages of Tongye Continent. You also shouldn’t have acted willfully and decided on your own to excavate the Great River there. You especially shouldn’t have said you didn’t want the merit accumulated by those few senior brothers. If you weren’t so generous, I would probably have stayed in Baoping Continent for a long time before finding such a rare opportunity. This physical body wrapped around a Dao heart would have had to drift for a long time.”

“Accidents might be killed by accidents, making us never see that they have ever been in this world. They are like the wilting and flourishing of flowers and plants in the mountains and fields.”

“It is also possible that accident ties a knot with accident, day after day, year after year, creating a certain necessity, large or small, that appears in the guise of accident to shock us or surprise us. They are like a wild flower on a field ridge, which we pass by and see, or they might be a weed in the paddy field, annoying us, and we casually pull it out and discard it, allowing it to decay and dissolve somewhere in the earth.”

At Luopo Mountain, the young Daoist at the mountain gate turned and looked at Ning Yao at the top of the divine path, asking with a smile, “Mountain Lord’s wife, do you really not hesitate to drag the entire Five-Colored World into this?”

On the adjacent Tiandu Peak, Lu Shen was worried. The words of the doorkeeper Daoist of Luopo Mountain… were they adding fuel to the fire? It didn’t sound or intend to be a warning at all.

On the outer city wall of the capital of Da Li, Xiao Mo kept staring at the girl with the貂帽 (貂帽, sable hat) inside the National Teacher’s mansion.

Xiao Mo didn’t ask a single question, and Xie Gou didn’t seem to have any intention of explaining a single word to him.

Liu Xiang’s residence was in that village where chickens crowed and dogs barked. His neighbor was a bookworm who had read too many books, a poor village scholar. Let alone a recommendee or a gifted scholar, he wasn’t even a child student. After finally passing the exam, the emperor changed the next year. The meager fame he had earned by consuming who knows how much lamp oil was not recognized by the new court and was voided. He was no longer young and often went to the Temple of Culture in the county town, facing the statue of the Most Holy Ancient Teacher, prostrating himself and weeping bitterly, his face covered in snot and tears. His old companion, who had long since accepted her fate like a chicken marrying a chicken or a dog marrying a dog, was too lazy to scold him anymore. His sharp-tongued daughter-in-law called him a good-for-nothing and cursed him with “Zhi Hu Zhe Ye” (an old literary phrase)… His son would just squat there, laughing and watching the show. He truly felt that he had been dragged down by his father and gained nothing good. The old scholar dared not talk back and only dared to curse the world in broad daylight. He absolutely dared not do so at night or when it rained.

The elderly bookworm particularly liked to chat with his neighbor next door, who claimed not to have read any books, simply because the neighbor’s advice, although the views were quite preposterous, at least sounded somewhat like a scholar. For example, he would advise him that no matter how much knowledge he had in his belly, no matter how talented he was, he couldn’t cook a few pounds of rice in a pot. He still had to find something to do.

The village scholar cursed his neighbor for not being a scholar while his heart pounded. He found it demeaning to set up a stall in the county town to help people write family letters and the like, considering it an insult to his scholarly integrity. Becoming a litigator who helped people write legal documents was even more unacceptable. As for working the land, he truly didn’t have the strength. If it were planting mulberries and raising silkworms, or picking tea leaves to supplement the household income, the village scholar also lacked the patience and leg strength.

Today, the two met again by the mud wall to chat. Liu Xiang reached out and took a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds, thanking his neighbor. The old scholar liked his pedantic manner.

Liu Xiang smiled and asked, “Old Brother Han, why haven’t you been cursing the Da Li court and the local officials for doing nothing all year round lately?”

The old scholar immediately looked up, scanned the surroundings, and said nervously, “Old Brother Liu, you shouldn’t talk nonsense like that! You’ll get in trouble with the officials. If I, a scholar, were to have my pants pulled down and be beaten on my bare buttocks in the county yamen hall, it would be worse than death.”

Liu Xiang, holding the pumpkin seeds and cracking them, smiled, “It seems the county yamen doesn’t bother with such gossip. That young man you always said had an official air about him earlier, you were puzzled at the time because of his calloused hands. You said the attendant next to the young man clearly looked like someone who worked for the government and was a martial arts expert, but how could an official have calloused hands? So you thought and thought, discussing it with me for a long time, and still felt you were mistaken? Do you remember when he entered the courtyard and said he wanted to borrow water, and you went to get a bowl, but he went straight to the water vat and drank with the gourd dipper?”

The village scholar chuckled, “I wish the young man really was a county magistrate, even if he was just a clerk in one of the six departments, that would be a small official!”

Liu Xiang smiled and asked, “They all say the prefect is the one who wipes out families and the county magistrate is the one who ruins families. If he were truly a county magistrate, regardless of whether he came specifically or in passing, and looked at your house a few times, wouldn’t you be afraid he came because he heard something?”

The village scholar sighed and waved his hand repeatedly, “Even if Da Li is no good and ruined my chances for fame, the officials would never do such illegal things.”

Liu Xiang smiled and asked, “What makes you say that?”

The village scholar smiled slightly, “Although I am not a public servant, I am not one of those gossipy old women with little knowledge. Just in the nearby villages, those guys who have been local bullies and gentry for generations have become honest in recent years. That’s how I know there are officials. Before, they were indulged and colluded, but to put it plainly, they were just everyone working together to create names and extort money from the common people. Now, they are being managed. I don’t trust the government, but I do trust my own judgment. Heh, Old Brother Liu, it’s not me bragging, but with these eyes, having read so many sage books in my life, I am quite discerning when it comes to people and matters.”

Liu Xiang smiled and nodded.

The old man patted his chest, “Why did I want to get a reputation my whole life, why did I have to be an official in the yamen? Didn’t I just want to be an official who wouldn’t indulge them, only manage them?! That’s what it means to be a scholar, speaking for the people.”

Liu Xiang smiled, “Being a good official with a good conscience, and incidentally pocketing some benefits?”

The old man chuckled, “To be an official, one must be a good official, but one also cannot make oneself and one’s family suffer too much.”

Liu Xiang asked, “If you truly became an official in the yamen, could you maintain your integrity for a few days, a few months, a few years? In the officialdom, could you maintain it for a lifetime?”

The old man said sadly, “How would I know? I’ve never been an official.”

Liu Xiang smiled. The village scholar looked at the light of day, came back to his senses, stomped his foot, and said in a hurry, “Old Brother Liu, I won’t chat with you any longer. I have to go to the village school to pick up my grandson.”

His young grandson, who had just started his initial studies, was truly a seed for reading. He was much better than himself back then, who just read and guessed blindly.

In recent years, it is said that the Da Li Ministry of Rites directly allocated funds, and then the county and district yamens paid the salaries of the teachers in various schools, which have been increasing. They rise every few years. Some still complain about the low salary, but when they think of “next year,” they continue teaching. Moreover, the more remote the village schools, the more subsidies the county yamen provides. Especially, it is said that in the future, all the newly compiled local county annals in this province will dedicate a separate chapter to these unsung teachers. In this way, even he, a village scholar, was a bit tempted. If this were true, it would truly be the glory of our generation of scholars without fame. However, having cursed the Da Li court for so many years, the old man was ultimately thin-skinned and couldn’t immediately go back on his word. He thought about it again “next year.”

The old man ran far away, then suddenly turned around, pointed to his eyes, then pointed to Liu Xiang, and smiled, “Old Brother Liu, I know, you are actually a failed scholar who feels you were born at the wrong time, right? Don’t be depressed! Let’s go together and be teachers in the village school. In the future, in that local history chapter, we brothers will be neighbors, tsk. When we have free time, we’ll stir-fry a few dishes, drink some local spirits. That life, it’s like an immortal’s!”

Liu Xiang smiled, “Old Brother Han is too embarrassed to teach for Da Li himself, so he’s dragging me along, is that it?”

The old man burst into laughter, “As expected of a scholar, Old Brother Liu’s eyes are also sharp.”

After laughing, Liu Xiang finished cracking the pumpkin seeds given by his neighbor, clapped his hands, and said with a sentimental expression, “So many long-term plans, are you really not going to care about them anymore? Giving up halfway is truly a pity.”

In the capital area of Da Li, at the Azure Profound Cave in Yuanrou Plank Road, Gu Can looked up, chuckled, and said, “鄭居中 (Zheng Juzhong), that son of a bitch, I, Gu Can, have made up my mind.”

Zheng Juzhong said calmly, “What do you mean?”

Gu Can stretched lazily and walked to the cliff edge, looking into the distance at the capital of Da Li where the night was gradually deepening and the lights were starting to glow. Shifting his gaze slightly, he saw his hometown.

A faint crack appeared on Gu Can’s face, starting from the space between his eyebrows, and then slowly spread across his entire face.

The current Sect Master of Fuyao Sect, the snot-nosed kid from Mud Bottle Alley back then, someone’s burden, he sniffed.

“Zheng Juzhong, tell Chen Ping’an that right and wrong are all my own choices.”

Gu Can grinned and said, “Then finally, I wish this human world, everyone is in Shujian Lake.”

A handsome young face shattered with a bang.

“I, Gu Can, wish that everyone in the world only encounters people like Liu Laocheng, Liu Zhimao, and Lord Tianhu, and never, in life and death, in every lifetime, encounters a Chen Ping’an.”

A physical body along with all the souls shattered like a piece of porcelain, splashing across the heavens and earth.

Zheng Juzhong, who had long since isolated heaven and earth, remained silent, allowing Gu Can to choose this path.

The heavens and earth and the human world might give a long-term response to your choice and… “vow,” Gu Can. But Chen Ping’an will absolutely not hear these words from Gu Can.

Zheng Juzhong looked up at this complex human world, where there is nothing new under the sun.

Ah, humans.

Chen Ping’an finished the wine in the pot, set it aside, and asked, “Trying everything, what are you seeking?”

Shi Zhouren was speechless. Since the truth is so clear, Chen Ping’an, with all your wisdom, why are you still asking?

The Daoist’s hands and feet had scattered as ashes of tribulation, leaving only his chest and head. He said calmly, “Of course, it is to force you to ascend to heaven and become a god against your will.”

“To ‘combine Dao’ with that Zhou Mi, using your mutual tug-of-war with divinity as an opportunity, and with the cooperation of the Three Founders and that senior who first ascended to heaven, to completely destroy the ruins of the ancient heavenly court.”

“Chen Ping’an, Zhou Mi, the Three Founders, and that senior who once opened a path to heaven, all die. The human world will finally be truly peaceful. The human world will be the human world of humanity.”

Shi Zhouren was radiant, “Since Cui Chan could ask the Three Founders to disperse their Dao, why can’t I win peace for the human world?”

“If it weren’t for you and Zhou Mi perfectly sharing ‘that One,’ if you weren’t the master of the sword-wielder, who else in the human world could unexpectedly stab Zhou Mi with a sword?”

“Chen Ping’an, how will you thank me for helping you ascend to heaven? Haha, forcing you to become a god and ascend to heaven is more appropriate.”

For some reason, Chen Ping’an still asked, “Shi Zhouren, what are you seeking?”

Shi Zhouren was puzzled.

Chen Ping’an asked one last question, “Daoist, what are you seeking?”

Shi Zhouren reviewed his life of learning the Dao, and many scenes flashed through his mind like a fleeting glimpse. Suddenly, he understood, muttering, “My task is accomplished. My heart is biased.”

Chen Ping’an stood up and smiled, “It seems that whether for public or private, being a good person or a bad person, learning the Dao or not learning the Dao, we who have desires are all very hard.”

Shi Zhouren restrained his smile. His remaining head slowly rose. With a complex expression, he said softly, “Who says it isn’t? Chen Ping’an, let me also take one last look as you ascend to heaven.”

How many infatuated men in the human world pull their hair, wanting to reach the heavens.

Chen Ping’an held the sword hilts at his waist with both hands and said, “Shi Zhouren, a good name.”

Shi Zhouren smiled, “Worthy of the name. As long as this matter is accomplished, what does it matter whether I am Pang Ding or not? What does it matter whether the human world knows my name and deeds or not?”

Chen Ping’an, being Half-One, the “human-god” struggle in his heart had a result.

Shi Zhouren stopped speaking, just waiting and watching. The Ancestral Shrine had to rely on rooting itself in the hundred thousand mountains of the Barbarian Desolation to forcibly drag down a rising figure.

Chen Ping’an, what can you rely on?

Chen Ping’an said, “I finally understand Mr. Qi’s state of mind at that time.”

Shi Zhouren asked curiously, “What kind of state of mind?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Great freedom.”

Shi Zhouren shook his head, not understanding.

It’s right that you don’t understand. Chen Ping’an took a deep breath, turned his head, and smiled, “Watch closely.”

Shi Zhouren smiled slightly, “It is my honor.”

Chen Ping’an turned and walked to the center of the high platform, gripping the hilts of the two long swords, Night Roaming and Duckweed, with both hands, looking up at the sky.

Next, he… jumped a few times, which left Shi Zhouren dumbfounded, and then he burst into laughter. For some reason, the Daoist’s tears flowed freely as he laughed.

Chen Ping’an chuckled, scratched his face, and was going to say some heroic words, but decided against it.

Only.

Only hoping that the “Gu Cans” of the world, all of us, do not walk towards a Shujian Lake.

Hoping that even if they are forced, they still encounter their respective Shujian Lakes on the path of life, they can, they can surely strive for self-improvement like a gentleman with the movement of heaven! Or, or encounter a “Chen Ping’an” who can do better.

Chen Ping’an drew his swords. Ah, life, how can it be like a duckweed drifting in the night, sinking into darkness in this life?

We must all become strong. We must all do something for this world.

Liu Xiang went into the house to bring out a bowl of glutinous rice wine brewed by his neighbors and walked back to the courtyard.

This being, born from the manifestation of the Great Dao in Haoran World, straightened his clothes, held the wine, and knelt on the ground, “God protects and is offered. Respectfully enjoy the offering.”

In the Five-Colored World, Feng Yuanxiao, who was protected by Ning Yao and even received the Dao from her, propped her cheek with one hand and was reading a book. She read a sentence, “‘Offer the world abundance and profit, and I shall share the harm with it.’” The little girl frowned, feeling a bit puzzled, and wanted to ask Sister Ning when she returned home. However, Feng Yuanxiao suddenly smiled. Sister Ning might not understand either. It would surely be that same phrasing. Everything can be asked about except for sword techniques and Daoist methods. For matters of reading and scholarship, you can ask him yourself in the future. He knows the most and likes to teach others…

In the Barbarian Desolation, Gui Ke, who had the appearance of a young girl, felt a shock in her heart. Feiran was greatly surprised and asked softly what was wrong and why she was crying. Gui Ke shook her head, her voice hoarse, saying that she heard a telepathic message, and he said that the Barbarian Desolation is also the human world. Feiran was confused, gently wiping the tears from his Dao companion’s face. However, Gui Ke’s tears flowed incessantly, and even she didn’t know why.

Runyue Peak Ku Xin, who had just returned to the Azure Netherworld with Zhang Fenghai, stood on the mountain peak. He inexplicably recalled a very desolate elegy, “丰肌飨蝼蚁，妍骸永夷泯 (Rich flesh feeds the ants, beautiful bones are forever obliterated).”

At the ruins of the ancient heavenly court, the high-ranking deities of the new heavenly court, Li Zhen, who had become one of the new Five Supremes, looked down at the human world. He said angrily, “It shouldn’t be like this. The river of time I see has never had this scene. You don’t have to…”

Zhou Mi’s face was extremely grim. He actually devoured all of Li Zhen and the others, making them his own and merging with his own divinity.

Only the Fire God Ruan Xiu, he couldn’t devour temporarily. Forget it, it’s fine not to devour her. Perhaps devouring her would be more troublesome.

Zhou Mi had thought that by deliberately taking a sword strike, there would be at least one or two hundred years for both sides to continue entangled. He didn’t expect Chen Ping’an, that bastard…

On the high platform, the divinity that had been desperately suppressed had never been so expansive.

The half-light, half-dark face of the man in the green robe instantly became completely bright and clear.

I have wrestled with myself for a long time. Better to be me!

At this moment, Chen Ping’an dared not look at the people he had long cherished. He was afraid he would regret it, feel fear, and retreat.

He only dared to glance at Pu Shan Fu Dechong, who was far away in his Dao field. He looked at the Daoist book in the mountain god’s sleeve. Lu Chen, farewell here.

In the Barbarian Desolation, “Lu Chen” shook his head. Don’t learn from me, Lu Chen, absolutely do not act like this!

Chen Ping’an, you are still young. You can make many mistakes without fear. You can do many things. Interesting, or meaningful, or both interesting and meaningful.

There was once a Daoist who descended from the bright moon to the human world.

There was also a sword immortal who left the human world to ascend to heaven.

Between heaven and earth, in a trance, with Baoping Continent as the high platform Dao field, a figure in a green robe, his Dharma body rising high, emitting infinite golden light.

Human? God?

Is it the orphan and boy from Mud Bottle Alley who felt since childhood, “It’s all my fault, I’m not good enough”?

The man who had been a burden for many years, like accumulating possessions little by little, finally built a “sword shop.”

He now possessed four Natal Flying Swords: Cage Sparrow, Well Moon, Green Duckweed, and Big Dipper. He also had two swords on his person, Night Roaming and Duckweed.

Heaven and earth are one.

The ascended one, Zhou Mi.

The one on the ground, Chen Ping’an.

Each getting half.

An ancient poem says.

Fluttering for thirty years, neither book nor sword is accomplished.

Heh. It’s really not right to see such beautiful words in a book.

Moreover, he hasn’t even married his wife.

How could he bear not to cherish such a good girl? Why must they part again?

Chen Ping’an quickly glanced at Luopo Mountain and shook his head gently at her.

Using Cage Sparrow to shroud his Dao body, Well Moon transformed into countless flying swords to pave a path of ascension. Big Dipper opened the way, and Green Duckweed connected the human world with the outside of the heavens.

A line opening the heavens.

Chen Ping’an thus ascended to heaven, closing his eyes, and silently reciting, “When benevolence calls, who else but me?”

Finally, he repeatedly recited a Buddhist phrase, “My heart does not retreat.”

Suddenly, opening his eyes, Chen Ping’an said with a fierce smile, “Zhou Mi, come down here and die!”

In the entire new heavenly court, Zhou Mi, standing on that golden arched bridge, sensed the stirring of the entire human world. In an instant, what Zhou Mi saw seemed like a superposition of scenes from a moment ten thousand years ago and ten thousand years from now.

It wasn’t until this moment that Zhou Mi finally felt a long-lost fear. Zhou Mi’s face contorted, and he gritted his teeth. Finally, he couldn’t help but curse Chen Ping’an, calling him a baseborn…

Zhou Mi, possessing almost infinite divinity and an indestructible body of heaven and earth, began to fall uncontrollably towards the human world, towards the Haoran World, that Baoping Continent.

It was both the divine pull between the “Half-Ones” and a collapse of the heavenly Dao that would result in mutual destruction…

The entire human world, the five worlds, all sentient beings with spirits, saw that magnificent and breathtaking scene.

It was like a brilliant golden thread from the human world ascending to heaven, and a pure golden thread from the heavenly court reaching down to connect with the earth.

Heaven and earth connected!