This prison, specially designed by the Great Li Dynasty to confine the wild demon race, was a secret realm of mountains and waters utterly devoid of any defilement. Stepping within was like becoming a character in a painting.

The young Hidden Official and the Needlewoman with her ruthless methods appeared more like a young master accompanied by his maid, out for a leisurely sightseeing tour.

Nian Xin explained, “The prison is divided into three layers. Yan Jiaoran and I are responsible for interrogations together, each with our own tasks. He gathers information on the geography of the wild and the secret records of various sects, while I organize the Daoist incantations and record them. Yan Jiaoran is an old hand here. They say this restricted area was built by the Zi Zhao Yan clan themselves, out of their own pockets.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. Yan Jiaoran, a member of the Zi Zhao Yan clan yet without a public official position, was a confidant of Senior Brother. Han Zhoujin, the formation master of the Great Li’s Earthly Branches, was brought to Great Li by Yan Jiaoran from the Qing Tan Blessed Land of the Divine Edict Sect. In fact, each Earthly Branch cultivator was a protective talisman for their former family or immortal manor, a disposable free pass. For example, the small actions of the Ma Fen Yu clan disciples in the Imperial Preceptor’s mansion, the reason Chen Ping’an and Zhao You didn’t eradicate them and publicize it in the official gazette, but instead gave the Yu clan an entire generation to withdraw from the court, wasn’t because the Ma Fen Yu clan had an Empress Yu Mian, but because this was an unwritten rule Cui Chan had in place from the very beginning of the Great Li’s Earthly Branches.

Nian Xin continued, “Every time Yan Jiaoran comes here, he brings two carefully trained personal disciples. That young man and woman are both young Golden Cores who have been seasoned here for many years. They are not novices, ruthless, but their methods are slightly lacking.”

“There are two passages to the prison. One is through your Imperial Preceptor’s mansion, and the other leads to a secondary peak of Mount Tai. Both are guarded by dedicated personnel. The middle layer of the prison is guarded by only one old man named Su Kan, who occasionally comes here to watch the spectacle.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Su Kan is a pseudonym. He once held the position of Censor in the Jade Pivot Court of the ancient Heavenly Court.”

Nian Xin suddenly understood why Great Li felt at ease leaving Su Kan to guard the pass alone.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Have there been any prison breaks in history?”

Nian Xin nodded, “There was one, which was thwarted by Su Kan. So that disturbance didn’t affect the secondary peak of Mount Tai. The mastermind behind that secret plot was in the Immortal Realm, and there were over a hundred demons who rushed out with him. They have all been dealt with by Yan Jiaoran. Afterwards, Yan Jiaoran, along with Su Kan and the Mount Tai Mountain Lord, thoroughly investigated and examined everything, confirming that there were no escaped demons.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Was this conclusion personally approved by my Senior Brother?”

Nian Xin shook her head, “I arrived late, I only heard it as a historical anecdote, so I’m not entirely clear on the details.”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment. “Later, have Yan Jiaoran make a copy of the archives and send it to the Imperial Preceptor’s mansion.”

This was a vast, suspended platform. The jade-like ground resembled frozen water, inscribed with countless golden threads. In the center stood a stone monument, clearly mimicking the suppression techniques of the Three Mountains and Nine Marquises.

The deeply incised inscription on the monument totaled over a thousand characters, and it seemed as if a craftsman had filled in over eight hundred characters intermittently using gold inlay techniques.

The cages confining various demons were located on the outermost edge of the platform. They appeared to have no magical restrictions, yet not a single demon could cross the invisible threshold. They appeared either in human form or in their massive true bodies, using magical powers to conjure various illusory dojos, enduring the years here, uncertain when they would see the light of day again.

The arrival of the young Hidden Official today was a truly fresh event. So it quickly became lively. There was no help for it, they came to Haoran, and back then they had to pass through the “gate” where the Sword Qi Great Wall was severed in two. And that neither-human-nor-ghost red-robed Hidden Official was simply too conspicuous, visible with a raised gaze. No wonder in the post-war wild heartland, some smaller sects, who might not fully recognize the Throne Great Demons, would, when mentioning the last Hidden Official who “welcomed and sent off for the wild,” have a few words to say. Back and forth, his reputation grew.

Soon, a female cultivator with a jade hairpin in her hair and wearing a loose magic robe awoke from her bed. She propped herself up on the edge of the bed and used her toes to pick up an embroidered shoe, gently swinging it.

She was full of energy, staring intently at the doorkeeper who finally looked like a person. In pure Great Li official language, her voice was soft and sweet, “Oh, isn’t this Lord Hidden Official? What brings you here for a leisurely stroll? A rare guest. Has the demon race launched a large-scale counterattack on Haoran, and the Hidden Official is rushing to silence us? Or has Zhou Mi succeeded, and the entire world will be ruled by our demon race?”

The wild demon race had one good quality: they respected strength the most.

How deep was Bai Ze’s betrayal of the wild demon race? When Bai Ze returned to the wild, even unruly ancient Great Demons like ‘A’ and ‘B’, when they truly met Bai Ze, didn’t they respectfully address him as Old Master Bai?

Previously, during the confrontation between Chen Qingliu and Bai Ze where a sword was delivered, Zheng Juzhong’s evaluation of Bai Ze was undeniably low, but one had to consider how many people Zheng Juzhong had cursed since achieving success in his cultivation.

Nian Xin, this Needlewoman, was like a fish in water here. Years ago in the Sword Qi Great Wall, she hid in Old Deafy’s prison. After twists and turns, she ended up in the Great Li Dynasty, still dealing with demons. What a coincidence. On the other hand, when she was the second in command of the刑官脉 (Xíngguān Mài, Punishment Official Line) in Ascension City, she was never quite used to it during those years. There were too many rules, too many restrictions. She still preferred places like this.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Your wild now has a batch of new Thrones. Not many old faces are left. It seems only Zhu Yan and Fei Fei. Among them, Fei Fei has already entered the Fourteenth Realm.”

She tugged at her collar and batted her eyes, “Oh, forget it, what’s the point of bothering with things far away? Hidden Official, do you need this servant girl to attend you?”

Seeing the young Hidden Official remain silent, she tilted her chin towards her neighbor to the right, “This servant girl can invite Sister Yu Shu along too. She’s one of the most beautiful women in our wild. Don’t mind how she looks now, skinny as a rake, bloody and ghastly. Back then, even I would drool over her body. It’s just that she’s foolish. Back then, she refused to be a concubine to Throne Huang Luan, and later rejected Fei Fei’s invitation. Otherwise, how could she end up in such a miserable state? She would have long returned to the wild to lord over others. Even if you are not interested in women, Hidden Official, trust this servant girl just this once. Just give her one or two bottles of elixirs. When she recovers her true appearance, you will be shaken to your core and unable to tear your eyes away. Then, this servant girl will personally set up a romantic curtain, and the three of us will indulge in the pleasures of the flesh. Wouldn’t that be joyous?”

That female cultivator, whose Daoist name was “Yu Shu”, sat cross-legged. Her cheeks were sunken, and her body was emaciated. For some reason, she was covered in blood, with many holes in her arms and legs.

She merely glanced coldly at the slowly walking man in the green robe, her hands tucked into her sleeves, a book tucked under her armpit.

Nian Xin briefly introduced the identities and histories of these two female demons. The one with the Daoist name Yu Shu had a pseudonym Gao Zhu. She was extremely stubborn and never said a word during torture, as if some obsession was supporting her to live on. As for the foxy-looking woman, her name was Fu Xian, without a Daoist name. She was a Sword Cultivator, her natal flying sword already destroyed on the battlefield. Every time Nian Xin approached, even before starting the torture, she would be tearful, gasping for breath.

Most here were Jade Purity and Earth Immortal cultivators, and there were a few pure Martial Artists with strong physiques, one at the Mountain Peak Realm and two at the Far Roaming Realm. However, they had been tormented for many years and their martial arts foundation was already damaged. It was only because their physical bodies were resilient enough that they hadn’t dropped in realm.

Some were skilled in military formations on the battlefield, and had been highly valued generals in various military tents. There were also a few beasts with strong killing power, who had run rampant in Tong Ye Continent, employing various methods to kill for pleasure. And there were some young cultivation geniuses, who either failed to escape Bao Ping Continent in time or were captured on the battlefield of the auxiliary capital, ending up here to endure various tortures as if they were food.

Chen Ping’an said calmly, “Zhou Mi is already dead. You can choose not to believe it.”

As soon as the young Hidden Official uttered these words, the prison instantly fell silent, without a single sound of commotion.

The emaciated Yu Shu sneered, “Chen Ping’an, even if you die, and are at this moment a ghost deliberately concealing your roots with Yang energy, Wen Hai Zhou Mi will not die.”

Nian Xin’s eyes instantly blazed with heat. This woman actually had the nerve to provoke him. It was her fault.

She hadn’t served him well enough.

Chen Ping’an flipped through the booklet under his armpit, dipped his finger in, and quickly turned the pages. Like searching for something based on a map, his gaze wandered, reading some demon secret records.

He casually tossed the booklet into his sleeve and pulled at the corner of his mouth, “Nian Xin, release them all. Every single one. Then you stay by the stone monument and watch the show.”

Nian Xin didn’t bother to ask why. Her figure flashed to the giant monument carried by the Great Turtle. She took out two jade pendants and embedded them in two slightly indented turtle shells. Instantly, white mist shrouded the stone monument, and the golden threads on the jade ground also dimmed. The layers of strict restrictions used to suppress the demons were thus removed, and a rich scent of blood and various animal odors also simultaneously emanated.

They weren’t fools. They knew what this place was. Exchanging a few words with the Hidden Official, this doorkeeper of their wild, was a bonus.

But there were still some who were not afraid of death. They stepped out of the invisible cages that were no longer restricted, tentatively moving forward, choosing to face this last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Nian Xin was a little surprised. It wasn’t the stubborn one with the Daoist name Yu Shu, but the saucy one, Fu Xian, who was most susceptible to torture.

With a smile on her face, she murmured, “I just don’t know if Master’s ten-thousand-year birthday celebration back home was lively. Can I still buy the immortal brew of Wine Spring Sect at the lowest price…”

It was the only elite force of the wild, actually managing to bypass the heavy surveillance of the Great Li’s border defenses, landing on the northwest of Bao Ping Continent from the sea, attempting to quickly penetrate the heartland and head straight for the Great Li capital to behead Emperor Song He.

Without a doubt, this was a suicide mission. Whether they succeeded or failed, they could not escape this fate.

Fu Xian’s natal flying sword was personally severed by the North Ju Lu Continent Sword Cultivator, Bai Chang.

There was also a demonic Martial Artist with a youthful appearance, in the Mountain Peak Realm. He strode forward towards the figure in the green robe, gnashing his teeth, “Chen Ping’an, I want to exchange blows with you. Even if I lose, it will be a death in the right place, better than being tormented to death by this nameless madwoman. Damn Hidden Official surnamed Chen, remember, my name is Murong Shuzhi. In your Haoran, I’m also from a top-tier noble family, one of the few.”

Nian Xin smiled sweetly, “Thank you for the compliment.”

Chen Ping’an rolled up his sleeves and smiled, “I have a terrible memory. Even if Master Murong reports his name, I might not remember it for more than a few days.”

Murong Shuzhi, the emphasis was on the surname.

In the wild world, for a sect or a noble family to possess a long-lasting “surname” was both a matter of extravagance and a difficult task.

A surname in the wild was much more valuable than a casually given Daoist name. This was why the Jia Shen Tent Sword Cultivators were so concerned about being bestowed a surname by Tuo Yue Mountain or Zhou Mi back then.

Nian Xin was surprised to find that when Chen Ping’an had not yet delivered a punch, he possessed a unique aura, like a cultivator ascending to Dao, when heaven and earth briefly resonated with them.

That was the vision of the Great Dao that cultivators had painstakingly and diligently pursued for ten thousand years: Heaven Five, Human Five!

With Chen Ping’an as the center, with the rhythm of his pulse driven by the flow of blood in his body, it seemed that even martial arts could manifest the Great Dao. Visible ripples of fist intent appeared on the high platform, spreading outwards along with a series of muffled pulse sounds… The rhythm of the fist aura was like mountains pressing in. The breaths of the more than two hundred demons standing at the very edge of the high platform became heavy, and the circulation of spiritual energy within their bodies became increasingly stagnant. The few demons who had originally intended to fight to the death and take the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the Hidden Official were horrified to discover that even their greatly refined natal objects could not be used. It was as if they were all suppressed by the Great Dao!

In this scene where stepping forward meant certain death, only Fu Xian, with her naturally foxy face, chose to go her own way, moving forward with difficulty, her two magic robe sleeves fluttering and flapping loudly.

Chen Ping’an neither looked down on her nor up at the rest of the demons. He merely gently shook his neck.

On his face and in his eyes at this moment, there was an inexplicable, contradictory meaning, both ruthless and passionate.

Almost divine, like a supreme deity overlooking the human world. And almost like a wild beast roaming the wilderness freely in ancient times, possessing infinite freedom.

Since your bones are so hard.

Might as well slaughter you all.

Next time I visit the wild, I’ll string your heads together and hang them high above the battlefield. I’ll tell the forgetful wild world that visiting Haoran comes at a price.

I will place your heads together with the heads of all the new Thrones, and finally build a high Jing Guan (京观 – a mound of severed heads), which will be a brand new Tuo Yue Mountain in the wild world.

Clearly feeling Chen Ping’an’s martial arts level, Murong Shuzhi, as one of the only two demons who stepped forward, obviously had fear and regret. Once a pure Martial Artist harbors the intention to retreat, the tide of fist intent seems to ebb. He silently stopped in his tracks.

This guy Chen Ping’an, wasn’t he at most in the Mountain Peak Realm back then? Why does he possess the legendary aura of the first layer of Divinity?! As soon as he returned to his hometown, Haoran, he successively broke through the two major barriers of the Stop Realm?

He had thought that everyone was a Mountain Peak Realm Martial Artist. If they were on a life-and-death arena and set a rule that they couldn’t use sword techniques or immortal spells with Chen Ping’an, perhaps with his killer move, he might succeed? He didn’t dare hope for a life for a life, but to exchange death for injury, hindering the Hidden Official’s path to the Great Dao, for example, causing more heart demons during his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, or unexpected flaws in his Dao heart when advancing from Jade Purity to Immortal Realm… It would be a worthwhile trade, definitely not a losing business. At least, in his final moments, he would feel a sense of satisfaction.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, this demon Far Roaming Realm Martial Artist immediately changed his tune, “Hidden Official, the name I just gave was a pseudonym. As for my real name, I can tell you later.”

Chen Ping’an withdrew his gaze from Fu Xian, turned to look at the Mountain Peak Realm cultivator, and nodded, “Okay, you can tell me your real name later.”

The next moment, Murong Shuzhi’s vision blurred. The moment after that, he felt the scene on the high platform tilting, and eventually all vision returned to complete darkness.

In the eyes of Yu Shu and the others, Chen Ping’an had closed in, raised his arm high, and swatted off Murong Shuzhi’s head with a single slap. The head instantly separated from the neck and quickly shattered on the ground.

They began to worry about Fu Xian’s fate.

In fact, having been imprisoned for so many years, they had developed some feelings for each other, more or less. Since the Great Li Dynasty, for some unknown reason, had never deliberately restricted their thoughts and speech, many cultivators communicated with each other. Anyway, they were all going to die, so why not take this opportunity to discard sectarian prejudices and cultivate diligently? To see the scenery of a higher realm of the Great Dao, a higher level of the world, and to be congratulated by fellow Daoists, bystanders, and cellmates was, to some extent, a bitter amusement.

Chen Ping’an approached the struggling, swaying Fu Xian. With another raised hand, the female cultivator subconsciously closed her eyes, completely unaware that her face was already covered in tears.

After waiting for a moment, she opened her eyes again. Fu Xian looked blankly at the young Hidden Official. She seemed puzzled. At the brink of life and death, why did you show mercy?

Chen Ping’an asked, “The booklet doesn’t record your connection with Jade Talisman Palace. Are you an unregistered disciple of the founding ancestor, Master Yan?”

Fu Xian’s eyes suddenly burned with intensity. But the next moment, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Why couldn’t she use that important item of her sect?

Nian Xin, standing by the stone monument, had to speak up to remind her, “Fu Xian, look down. Your chest has already been pierced. Since your greatly refined object is not on you, how can you control it to perish with Lord Hidden Official?”

Nian Xin had already understood. Had Fu Xian been feigning a ‘better to live on miserably than to die’ attitude all these years, just to wait for Cui Chan to appear, or to face Chen Ping’an today?

Chen Ping’an raised his hand. It was actually a golden heart. It looked like a talisman bag. He asked curiously, “Is this Zhou Mi’s insidious method, or your own brilliant idea?”

Fu Xian looked down and indeed saw a bloody hole in her chest, but for some reason, she felt no pain.

Chen Ping’an explained, “Firstly, my punch was too fast. Secondly, I just learned your true identity, so I used a little unorthodox method. Wait a moment, you’ll feel the pain.”

Fu Xian must have been crazy. She actually had the leisure to extend a finger and poke into the hole in her chest, wiggling it. There was nothing unusual. She couldn’t determine what kind of unorthodox method the Hidden Official used. She was a famous “bookcase” in her sect in the wild. She had read all the books in the Jade Talisman Palace. It was just that her master cherished her talent and insisted that she conceal her abilities, repeatedly reminding her of the great principle that divine objects conceal themselves, otherwise it is self-humiliation.

Chen Ping’an handed the golden heart back to her and asked with a smile, “How many talismans are hidden inside? Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands? Can it truly kill immortals and injure ascendants face-to-face?”

Fu Xian put the heart back in its place. Just as she was about to boast about her methods, she suddenly clutched her chest and fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

Nian Xin said, “Same old story. Don’t believe her, Hidden Official.”

Fu Xian’s soul trembled violently. She curled up, listening to Nian Xin’s cold sarcasm. She groaned in pain, wanting to curse that executioner woman, but it was futile.

“I’m asking you, what’s your relationship with the Jade Talisman Palace? Cherishing talent from the wild is your master’s or Zhou Mi’s responsibility. It’s certainly not mine as a Hidden Official.”

Chen Ping’an first stepped on Fu Xian’s head, then lifted and dropped his foot, instantly “severing” Fu Xian’s entire arm from her shoulder.

Fu Xian trembled and said, “I am a personal disciple of the Jade Talisman Palace, one of the Heavenly Stems of the wild, Senior Sister of the talisman cultivator Qiu Yun. But neither of us have been in the Jade Talisman Palace for even a hundred years.”

Chen Ping’an went around and stepped on Fu Xian’s other arm, his gaze shifting slightly, as if he was starting to stare at her ankle… Fu Xian immediately scrambled to speak, “Refining the heart into a ‘library’ full of talismans was my own idea. My master thought it was feasible back then and gave me some suggestions to prevent accidents. He also gave me four ‘Door God Talismans’ written in his own hand. After that, I spent a full sixty years drawing a hundred and twenty thousand talismans. Different realms, different strokes, with varying quality. In addition, I also refined over a dozen large talismans given by the Jade Talisman Palace as the core of the library’s grand formation. Before I came down the mountain, my master was quite happy, saying that this move could injure ascendants and was sufficient for self-preservation.”

Chen Ping’an first broke one of her ankles, then said, “Put it back yourself.”

At the same time, Chen Ping’an called out the names of a dozen demon cultivators and asked with a puzzled expression, “What are you all standing around for? You are all famous disciples of major sects. Hurry up and copy down the Daoist incantations taught in your ancestral halls. When you’re done, I’ll determine if there’s any concealment or deliberate errors, and then I’ll send you on your way.”

Between Fu Xian’s shoulders and calves, and her broken hands and feet, countless golden threads appeared, and her blood also showed a peculiar light golden color.

As expected, the guess was validated. Chen Ping’an asked, “Fu Xian, is your blood a natural talisman spring?”

Fu Xian nodded and said, “However, Master never allowed me to bleed to refine ‘talisman ink’. He only told me to cultivate well and strive to surpass his talisman realm in the future, and reclaim the words ‘talisman’ from Haoran. If I had the chance in the future, maybe I could go to Qing Ming again and show off to an old friend of Master’s, but Master didn’t tell me the other person’s Daoist name.”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his eyebrows. He could see that Fu Xian’s master was not only the undisputed number one talisman artist in the wild, but also a true scholar of the Dao.

This founding ancestor of the Jade Talisman Palace, whose Daoist name was “Yun Shen” (Cloud Deep), had the true name Yan Shi (言师, Master Yan).

The last time Chen Ping’an made a deal with Old Monastery Master, there was an “extra” that was added to the agreed-upon deal: to have Chen Ping’an visit the wild in the future and help go to the Jade Talisman Palace, saying it was to “cut down Yan Shi with a sword and help him undergo transformation.”

Old Monastery Master’s tone at the time was casual, as if asking a child to run out to the street to buy a bottle of soy sauce and vinegar to bring home, light and simple.

The only good thing was that there was no deadline.

Chen Ping’an was just curious about one thing: why didn’t Zhou Mi simply devour Yan Shi as well and concentrate the luck of the wild talisman path on himself?

As if guessing the Hidden Official’s thoughts, Fu Xian cautiously said, “Zhou Mi greatly admired our master’s erudition. He often secretly visited the Jade Talisman Palace and never discussed the world situation, only gathered to discuss… what I considered useless knowledge.”

Even though she knew that saying this was a form of provocation to the Hidden Official and could very likely cause her more suffering, Fu Xian, lying in a pool of blood, still couldn’t help but say a few good words about her master… good words about her homeland that were completely unknown to the world.

Chen Ping’an remained noncommittal and came to a “desk.” The Jade Purity realm demon who was writing furiously didn’t dare to look up, only asked, “Lord Hidden Official, you’re not deliberately deceiving us, are you? Is Zhou Mi really killed by you? What about Shou Chen? He actually has the nerve to be on par with you. Didn’t the Hidden Official just casually get rid of him?”

Chen Ping’an had his hands tucked into his sleeves and looked down at the elegant handwriting, which was quite decent. He said, “After the old Thrones like Yang Zhi, the great Sword Immortal Shou Chen is already considered an old hand among the new Thrones. Do you think he’s some kind of vegetable that can be casually snapped?”

The demon nodded vigorously, “Shou Chen of the South, Hidden Official of the North. Shou Chen is truly not unworthy of his reputation. That’s right, if he were weak, it wouldn’t show the Hidden Official’s power.”

Chen Ping’an looked at the Daoist scripture and asked, “Are you going to kill Shou Chen with your mouth? Did you secretly learn the ability to speak and have it become law by diligently studying the books of the sages in our Haoran world? Teach me?”

The demon immediately smiled awkwardly, his brush flying, even more inspired. He didn’t forget to add, “Lord Hidden Official is joking. I did read some Haoran books. I’m confident I can pass the imperial examination and become a zhuangyuan. As for the saint’s divine ability of containing heaven in one’s mouth, I dare not hope for it in this life.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “If I go to the wild and take over Fei Ran’s position as co-ruler, will I be able to command respect?”

The young Jade Purity realm demon who had served as a deputy commander in a military tent immediately put down his brush, looked up, and said, “You will definitely command respect. I’ll be the first to agree and am willing to serve Lord Hidden Official to the death, leading a team to kill our way to Tuo Yue Mountain… By the way, Hidden Official, who is that wild co-ruler, what’s his name?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Sword Cultivator Fei Ran, Junior Brother of the old Throne Qie Yun.”

The Jade Purity realm demon sighed, heartbroken, “In times without heroes, ordinary people become famous. Is our wild so incompetent that we let such a nobody become the co-ruler of the world?”

Chen Ping’an said, “This bastard picked up loopholes on the battlefield of the Sword Qi Great Wall and almost killed me.”

The demon immediately changed his tone, “If that’s the case, he deserves to be the co-ruler!”

Chen Ping’an said, “Besides this Daoist book, write more about the shortcomings of Great Li’s troop deployment in Bao Ping Continent back then.”

The demon nodded and said, “No problem, Lord Hidden Official. How is my cursive handwriting?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I estimate Fei Ran could write better with a piece of charcoal held between his toes than you can.”

For some reason, the demon said, “Hidden Official, I’ll tell you something heartfelt that’s completely off-topic. The peach tree at the entrance of my cave dwelling back home, when it blooms, is even more beautiful than the plum blossoms all over the mountains in Qing Mei Temple of South Pond Lake.”

Chen Ping’an said casually, “I’ll find a chance to take a look and see if you’re exaggerating.”

Their conversation, this idle chatter, was all in the elegant language of the wild, and no one, including Nian Xin and the wild onlookers, found it strange.

Sensing the movement in the innermost prison cell, the old coachman came here. In the void outside the high platform, he opened a door and watched the high platform from a distance.

During this time, Chen Ping’an kept flipping through the small booklet, connecting it with some secrets from Tong Ye Continent. He casually killed a few demons. For each one that died, a gold-filled character would appear on the stone monument.

Suddenly remembering something, Chen Ping’an called Yuan Huajing and threw the booklet to him, asking if he had any demon cultivators or martial artists he liked. Sword Immortal Yuan, who possessed the natal flying sword “Yelang”, his eyes sparkling, carefully flipped through the booklet which was practically a register of life and death. Yuan Huajing quickly weighed the pros and cons and said three names. He then found the atmosphere strange. Not only was the Needlewoman Nian Xin smiling faintly, but even those wild beasts had strange looks in their eyes. It turned out that the ones Yuan Huajing had chosen were the Mountain Peak Realm martial artist whose head had already blossomed, Fu Xian, and a Jade Purity Realm demon who was currently writing about the strengths and weaknesses of Great Li’s troop deployment.

Chen Ping’an said, “Then you can go back.”

Yuan Huajing laughed in annoyance, “You’re messing with me.”

Chen Ping’an said, “You can choose another batch.”

Yuan Huajing searched his memory for a bit and regretfully shook his head, “The rest are useless. Their usefulness is limited. I haven’t reached the Jade Purity realm yet. They would only waste the quota for now.”

Of the remaining more than two hundred demons, half were cursing the unknown Sword Cultivator with eyes on his buttocks and his ancestors for eighteen generations, either in the wild elegant language or their hometown dialects.

Yuan Huajing was expressionless. He reread the booklet, singled out the few demons who were cursing the loudest, and said calmly, “Imperial Preceptor, I’ve made my choice. It’s just these few.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “We’ll talk about it when you reach the Jade Purity realm.”

Sword Immortal Yuan came and went in a hurry.

Chen Ping’an said to the four demons named by Yuan Huajing, “If you don’t want to end up in a fate worse than death and become puppets, consider this carefully before this Nascent Soul Realm bottleneck Sword Cultivator goes into seclusion.”

Chen Ping’an turned to look at the old coachman. “Whether it’s you or Yan Jiaoran, if you see something you like, you can directly ask the Great Li Dynasty for it. If you’re really capable, you can even steal it openly, but you absolutely cannot be clever and steal secretly.”

“Take it a step further, even if you steal it, you should hide it well and not let me find out.”

“Otherwise, like now, we are both awkward.”

Su Kan took the new Imperial Preceptor’s words as preaching, and sneered, “One who wants to accuse can always find a pretext. Of course, now that you are in the new human world without Zhou Mi, your position is soaring. Let alone the Great Li Dynasty, even outside Bao Ping Continent, the right and wrong, life and death of cultivators on the mountain are all decided by you.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “No wonder you’re an old customer of Chang Yuan pickle shop in the capital. After eating too much, everything you say tastes the same.”

Su Kan stared straight at him, pondered for a moment, and sighed, “I’ll give it back to you. As for Yan Jiaoran, you can handle it yourself. It has nothing to do with me.”

The old coachman reached out and grabbed a demon whom he had taken as an unregistered disciple from its dojo and threw it onto the high platform. It was a graceful, youthful-looking female demon.

Chen Ping’an looked at her and clicked his tongue in wonder, “At least she’s a candidate for ‘託孤’ (tuōgū – entrusting the orphan), whom over a hundred Earth Immortal cultivators were willing to risk their lives to pave the way for and send out to see the light of day again. Tell me, how good must her cultivation potential be?”

She looked indifferent, “Do as you please, whether to kill or flay.”

Chen Ping’an said, “You’re just one of the hundred Sword Immortals of Tuo Yue Mountain. If I remember correctly, your ranking is quite low, a world apart from Zhu Xie and the others. Reasonably speaking, you shouldn’t be able to catch the eye of you, Su Kan, this half-baked master. Tell me, what other hidden Dao lineage do you have that can’t see the light of day?”

Su Kan sighed and said, “Both she and Yu Shu are unregistered disciples of Zhou Mi. They served as maids and scribes for many years before being sent by Zhou Mi to Tuo Yue Mountain and Jade Talisman Palace. Yu Shu was chosen by Yan Jiaoran. This disciple of mine, her physical body is destroyed, and keeping records is simple, making it easy to deceive. Even as a ghost, she can reach the peak of cultivation. Don’t worry, I’ve confirmed her Dao foundation. Zhou Mi didn’t do anything. Yan Jiaoran was overly cautious and still chose to let Yu Shu suffer here. As for the escape route he arranged for her, you can ask Yan Jiaoran yourself.”

Chen Ping’an turned to look at Fu Xian and smiled, “No wonder you wanted to bring Yu Shu along to serve me. The camaraderie between fellow disciples is truly commendable.”

Fu Xian’s face was pale. Her deliberate “difficulties” towards Yu Shu earlier were, of course, intentional, but she didn’t expect to still be found out by the Hidden Official.

Nian Xin asked, “Isn’t Yan Jiaoran Cui Chan’s confidant?”

Chen Ping’an said, “He is also the spokesperson for the Zi Zhao Yan clan. He always has to prepare for a rainy day, for where he and his family should go if Great Li really has no Imperial Preceptor one day.”

Su Kan sighed emotionally, “Cleverness overreaches itself. Yan Jiaoran’s actions are also understandable in human nature.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Whether the pickled garlic sauce shop raises its prices or changes its master, is that up to you?”

Su Kan was speechless for a moment.

Chen Ping’an said, “I deliberately delayed coming here to settle accounts. I gave you an opportunity, but you couldn’t seize it.”

Yan Jiaoran didn’t bring his two personal disciples but came here alone, bowed and said, “Your subordinate knows his crime and confesses.”

Chen Ping’an waited for a moment, then lifted his head, hands in sleeves, and smiled, “I thought you would say it was my Senior Brother Cui Chan’s secret instruction, wanting all the imprisoned demons to see a little glimmer of hope, like a lamp in a dark room in the wind, a flickering light that refuses to go out.”

Yan Jiaoran said, “Although I thought of it, I didn’t dare to say it.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, “You can take Yu Shu with you. Su Kan can also take her with him. From now on, you two will no longer be in charge of affairs here. The prerequisite is that the Zi Zhao Yan clan learn from the Ma Fen Yu clan, but you, Yan Jiaoran, still have the right to suggest candidates to take over the matters of the Great Li’s accompanying cultivators. Su Kan is to take on another unregistered disciple, Zhao Duanming, and must teach him everything about thunder techniques.”

Yan Jiaoran was relieved, “Acknowledged.”

Alright, so be it. Just treat it as one era, one courtier. To live the life of a hermit in the mountains for twenty or thirty years, build a separate residence, grow flowers and birds, as the old saying goes, “Arbor, fish tank, pomegranate flower, plump gentleman, fat dog, chubby servant girl.” Wasn’t that once the leisurely life he had dreamed of?

Su Kan asked in confusion, “There are such good things? Is there really no scheme or trap in this?”

Chen Ping’an glanced at him sidelong.

Not only Nian Xin, but even the demons watching the show knew the simple meaning of the young Hidden Official’s gaze. It was just one sentence: Are you worthy?

Su Kan, however, didn’t seem to mind and said, “Lord Imperial Preceptor, when you have free time one day, you can come to my residence and sit down for a chat, reminisce, and look through old almanacs. It should be an excellent accompaniment to drinks.”

Previously, the old Heavenly Court had been replaced by the new Heavenly Court, and the new Heavenly Court had also dissipated like wind with Zhou Mi’s demise in the human world.

Whether it was Su Kan or Aunt Feng, these old deities, having been immersed in the mundane world for ten thousand years, were more like humans.

As long as you live long enough and see enough of the human world, you will find that the new things that can best deceive experts are always made to look old.

Chen Ping’an nodded.

The human world sways, and another ten thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. I am with all of you, together in dreams.