After several rounds of drinks, faces flushed and ears burning, the green-clad boy and Old Immortal Jing sat at the table with the dragon kiln masters and potters, helping to host the guests. Chen Lingjun was now completely at ease with these “elders,” and had started shouting drinking games, using the local dialect of the small town, accompanied by gestures. Sixes and full houses rose and fell in a chorus. Initially, the guests at this table were extremely reserved, but after the green-clad boy stirred things up, and Liu Xianyang and others came to offer toasts, telling them to drink freely, they completely let loose.

Earlier, Jing Hao saw that Chen Ping’an wasn’t sitting at the head table, so he tactfully didn’t approach the two Wenxuan Pavilion Sect Masters and Jiang Taigong of the Military Pavilion. Besides, he didn’t need to ingratiate himself with the Central Divine Continent’s Wenxuan Pavilion on such matters. At Jing Hao’s Dao age and realm, being overly attentive was no longer appropriate.

The old cook took off his apron and sleeves and was dragged to the banquet table by Zhong Qian. Zhu Lian couldn’t refuse the leader of the night snack faction. He dusted his sleeves and asked with a smile, “Is the saltiness just right?”

Zhong Qian, chewing on a toothpick, said, “When we return to Falling Peak Mountain later, the night snacks must be of this standard.”

Zhu Lian lifted his foot, and Zhong Qian sighed, “I don’t know why, but as soon as I descend the mountain, I miss the mountain. It wasn’t like this at Lotus Root Blessed Land.”

Zhu Lian didn’t kick him, and said with a smile, “It’s both good and not good. It’s a hero’s true nature; they always have to return to their roots. No matter how glorious they are outside, at home, they’re just a bumpkin, carrying a satchel filled with either poems or stories.”

Zhong Qian nodded. Perhaps he had read some books on Falling Peak Mountain, and his speech was now more refined. “To be honest, the beautiful woman’s eyes, the melodious folk songs, the taste of home-cooked food, homesickness is all in the gut, and the old cook’s craftsmanship is the most able to retain people’s hearts.”

Zhu Lian directly kicked him, “Then why don’t you return the sixteen books you stole from the satchel? You’re spouting pretentious words here, trying to provoke me, pretending not to understand human language, huh?”

Gu Can had already gone to vomit, leaning on the railing and retching, looking miserable. Gu Lingyan followed him belatedly, gently patting his back, complaining that he drank too fast and should take it easy. Gu Can told her to go back first. Gu Lingyan gave him a glare, but still left. Hearing Gu Can retching again, she raised an arm and said, “Bring me a bowl of clear water.” She was both annoyed and amused, and when she looked back with a smile, a hundred charms bloomed.

Ning Yao, who had put on a little makeup, was slightly tipsy, but Chen Ping’an’s eyes became brighter and brighter. His drinking capacity was excellent, possessing an invincible aura that could sweep away thousands of troops.

Liu Xianyang and She Yue, due to their exceptionally good wine-blocking skills as best man and bridesmaid, and their even more refined toasting abilities, hadn’t quite had their fill of drinking. So while She Yue went to the bridal chamber to change her makeup and rest, Nuannuan quickly ran to the kitchen and brought a red lacquer food box that had been prepared in advance. Inside were some appetizers for drinking, with layers of different flavors: ham, duck gizzards, tripe slices, and seafood slices as thin as cicada wings, accompanied by a few simple dipping sauces, such as fermented bean curd and spicy sauce. It seemed that before even picking up chopsticks, their eyes were already full.

While feasting, they also counted the “gift money,” red envelopes and various congratulatory gifts, which filled a table and piled up into a small mountain. She Yue had never been concerned with money, and had never lacked heavenly materials and earthly treasures on her path of cultivation, but who wouldn’t like a bountiful harvest?

The dressing mirror refined from the Green Ox Back Stone Cliff was Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao’s wedding gift. Xie Gou and Xiao Mo, of course, also had their own gift money: a relic of an ancient Broad Cold Palace in the bright moon. Xiao Mo brought it back to Falling Peak Mountain. Of course, he didn’t forget to ask Daoist Bi Xiao to perform a spatial ability to contain the universe in a mustard seed, which shows that Xiao Mo and Daoist Bi Xiao were really not shy.

Liu Xianyang suddenly slammed the table, “Let’s not make trouble in the bridal chamber today, everyone go do their own thing. Chen Ping’an has already missed the morning court. After drinking a little more, he should hurry to the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion in the capital. Gu Can and Lingyan can also return to Yaoyao Continent. Little Mi Li continues her journey. When she reaches Southern Bodhisattva Continent in the future, she can announce Liu Keshui’s name…”

Gu Can laughed and said, “Do your own thing? What are you busy with?”

She Yue glared angrily and said, “Little snot, how can you be so rogue?”

Fortunately, Huailu was here, otherwise She Yue’s makeup would have looked like a rouge shop had opened on her face. At this moment, it looked like a combination of heavy and light makeup. Xie Gou said he wanted to help touch up her makeup, and said he had seen a certain dynasty’s high bun in a book, paired with a few gold hairpins that added to the beauty. She Yue, having eaten and drunk her fill, wiped her mouth and allowed the貂帽少女 to practice on her.

Gu Can glanced at Chen Ping’an. Wasn’t he the most enthusiastic about making trouble in the bridal chamber?

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping’an nodded with a straight face, “I also advised Gu Can, but he didn’t listen and insisted on making trouble.”

Gu Lingyan exclaimed, and with her slender fingers painted with bright red nail polish, she complained a few times for her young master.

Little Mi Li leaned against the back of the chair, stuffed, swinging her legs, and hiccuping. For the time being, she couldn’t say anything fair for the good mountain master.

Li Shenyuan timidly knocked on the door. Gu Lingyan got up to open the door. The young man said softly, “Imperial Advisor Chen, Master said that Master Dong and the others have gone to the mountain pavilion to enjoy the scenery. Please help entertain them.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded in greeting, “You also help lead the way.”

Li Shenyuan reluctantly agreed.

There was a mountain pavilion located among deep forests and tall trees, with a wide view, allowing a distant view of the winding river like a belt.

Jiang Taigong of the Military Pavilion was fine, but Master Dong and Master Han of the Wenxuan Pavilion must not have had such a drink for a long time.

The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of orchids. Looking at the world through drunken eyes, mountains and rivers one after another, a life of discontent.

If one’s eyesight was good enough, one could see famous courtesans and singers riding in painted carriages, or beautiful women and ladies from officials’ families, elegantly riding horses and touring along the water. Their graceful figures were like reflections in a mirror.

“Cover up in spring, freeze in autumn, winter goes and spring comes, another year.”

Chen Chunhua sighed, “I am pessimistic. I was already prepared. If Zhou Mi succeeded, the monster race would definitely grow stronger. So I have been hurriedly writing a history book for Confucianism for the past twenty years, so that people in the next hundred or thousand years can vaguely see the magnificent history that once was. Even if only a few people see it, even if they only open a few pages, this hastily written history book is still meaningful.”

Master Han smiled and said, “I just didn’t expect that the last sentence of the last old history book would be the first sentence of the new history book of the new human world.”

Chen Chunhua said with joy, “Even if it’s a discarded draft, it’s definitely not written in vain. To be honest, looking back at this book, there are more mistakes than correct parts. Fortunately, it wasn’t published, otherwise it would have been a disaster.”

Chen Ping’an came to the mountain pavilion, bowed, and said with a smile, “In my personal opinion, the meaning of ‘pre-stream’ learning is to open up a feasible path for future generations, which is of course very significant. However, scholarly paths that have been clearly proven wrong by history are also extremely meaningful. How can it be a discarded draft? This junior would like to make a handwritten copy.”

Master Dong nodded in approval, “Indeed.”

The chief sacrifice of the Military Pavilion, known as Jiang Taigong, the old man didn’t beat around the bush and asked, “Mr. Chen, may I ask how Jiang She views the current Military Pavilion?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Jiang She has decided not to meddle in military affairs anymore. Before descending the mountain, he said something from his heart, that he would just consider it a beautiful dream of eternal peace.”

Jiang Taigong sighed, “It seems I still underestimated Jiang She’s breadth of vision. Indeed, no matter how highly one regards Jiang She, it is not excessive.”

Master Dong asked, “What about Bai Ze?”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment and said, “It is almost certain that Bai Ze will be the first cultivator to reach the fifteenth realm.”

Master Dong asked, “Is Zheng Juzhong doing this intentionally?”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

The young man named Li Shenyuan stood outside the pavilion, staring blankly at the “historical” figures from “hanging portraits” and books inside the pavilion.

On the way here, Imperial Advisor Chen asked him if he dared to walk into the mountain pavilion together and talk face to face for a few words. The young man’s face instantly flushed red, and he shook his head vigorously, saying he didn’t dare, truly didn’t dare.

Master Dong and the others returned to the banquet. The young man followed them, and they talked about scholarship along the way. Although there was a great disparity in seniority and age, the knowledge inside and outside of books was interconnected.

Chen Ping’an remained in the mountain pavilion. Yue Ding also withdrew to this place to hide. It was really the green-clothed boy with the Daoist name Jingqing leading half a table of people to toast around. Yue Ding was after all a person in the mountain and water officialdom and was afraid of losing his composure after getting drunk. It just so happened that Mountain Master Chen was also taking a break in the pavilion, so the two discussed the follow-up details of the alliance between True Martial Mountain and Falling Peak Mountain.

If he continued to drink, Chen Ping’an could definitely eat the last hot dish, but Liu Xianyang said that they couldn’t really get Master Dong and the others drunk.

Chen Ping’an felt groggy and lay alone on the long bench, planning to take a nap. When he woke up, he found himself resting his head on Ning Yao’s lap. Ning Yao was gently rubbing his forehead. Chen Ping’an asked what time it was. Ning Yao said it was almost the beginning of the Shen hour. Chen Ping’an sat up, stretched, and said in a low voice, “You are more beautiful than the bride.”

Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen returned to Gongliu Island, saying that someone from Yu Gui Sect would soon come to Zhenjing Sect to check the accounts. Xiao Mo continued to retreat in that snail shell Daoist temple. Xie Gou also went to Yaoyao Peak, serving as both a protector of the Dao and a spectator of the Dao. Little Mi Li and the others also officially started their long journey, but Zhong Qian needed to carry the green-clothed boy on his back. The latter was speaking drunk nonsense and still shouting “good brothers.”

Zhu Lian and Old Immortal Jia would stay in the mountain.

May lovers find their true love, may flowers bloom and the moon be full, may people live long, may they study books, swordplay, and Dao, and earn money, fame, and merit. It is believed that a hundred flowers will bloom in the human world.

Chen Ping’an first sent Ning Yao to the Sky Screen of the Treasure Bottle Continent and watched her return to the Five-Colored World. After that, he took a few students and disciples to the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion.

Cao Qinglang still discussed scholarship with Lin Shouyi. Guo Zhujiu and Pei Qian continued to stroll through the capital’s temple fair.

Chen Ping’an sat by the desk, rubbing his forehead, and asked Rongyu to bring a cup of hot tea. He then summoned the newly appointed Literary Secretary Xun Qu and inquired about the progress of the cooperation with Hundred Flowers Blessed Land to create the Hundred Flowers Waterway.

Cao Gengxin came to the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion to complain, holding a large stack of letters. He said that he had been bothered to death in the past two days by people pleading with him, reasoning with him, talking about their merits, and putting on airs. Vice Minister Cao slumped in a chair, shaking the purple-skinned wine gourd, and shamelessly asked if there was wine at the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion. Rongyu had no choice but to bring a jar of Evergreen Brew. Cao Gengxin broke the mud seal and filled the gourd.

Chen Ping’an said, “The Minister of Personnel at the secondary capital has resigned. Why don’t you go to Luoyang to hide? This kind of lateral transfer is not a problem for the court discussion. Zhou Haijing and Gaiyan wanted to establish a second immortal inn, didn’t they? They can just serve as your secret escorts. If it’s still not enough, I can assign you an additional public guard.”

Cao Gengxin asked, “What about Wei Liang? He has been the Left Vice Minister of Personnel for many years.”

Chen Ping’an said, “He, along with Wei Li of the Ministry of Rites, Liu Xunmei of the Ministry of War, and about twenty other people, will be transferred from the secondary capital to the capital city in the near future.”

Cao Gengxin thought for a moment, “Then let’s do that. Even if the rank is the same, being called Minister is always more glorious than being called Vice Minister. By the way, Imperial Advisor, who is this so-called public guard? Can he fight?”

It is no exaggeration to say that the officialdom in the secondary capital of Da Li is full of talented people. The key is that in Luoyang, officials from Da Li’s own territory are a minority.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “He’s alright. A demonic warrior who was just released from prison, named Zhaoluan, is at the bottleneck of the Far Travel Realm. After a few days of recovery, maybe before you even reach Luoyang, he will be in the Peak Realm. He’s not of much use at the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion, it would be a waste. However, you need to be careful. Zhaoluan is calculating and intelligent, not easy to fool.”

Cao Gengxin said, “Will this guy go crazy and kill people?”

Chen Ping’an said, “It’s hard to say, so I’ll let you consider for yourself whether to take him to Luoyang or not.”

Cao Gengxin hesitated repeatedly, then chuckled and made up his mind, “Let’s take him. Taking one or two arrogant and evil slaves to the streets, loafing around, and harassing innocent women has always been the profligate life I dreamed of. When I arrive in Luoyang, I’ll leave the yamen and go on a discreet visit. In a restaurant or on a major street, I’ll get into a dispute with someone who doesn’t know any better, and we’ll compete in family background. I won’t rush to reveal my identity. When they ask me if I know who their father is, I’ll ask them if they know who this official is?! Tsk tsk, just thinking about it makes me happy.”

Chen Ping’an gave him a word, “Scram.”

Cao Gengxin picked up the Evergreen Brew on the flower stand, tilted his head back and drank a few drops, and staggered along the winding corridor to the kitchen of the Imperial Advisor’s Mansion. Besides thanking a cook who was sitting by the table in a daze during her leisure time, he said he was going to Luoyang. The cook, Yu Qing, who had given up her identity as Cherry Blossom Green Robe, was confused by the Vice Minister’s face full of reluctance, “You don’t need to tell me this, do you?”

Rongyu stood not far away, with Zhaoluan and Tiezao standing beside her. She smiled and reminded, “Vice Minister Cao, Zhou Haijing and the others are already at the Daoist academy in Gelou Mountain, waiting for you to discuss the trip to Luoyang.”

Cao Gengxin’s expression was as usual, but he was actually having a headache. His uncle Cao Ping’s words had left him with lingering fear.

Looking at the thin and long-bearded old man, Cao Gengxin asked doubtfully, “Who is this old gentleman?”

Rongyu smiled and said, “His assumed name is Tiezao, a Nascent Soul realm ghost. The Imperial Advisor said it’s a buy one get one free, Vice Minister Cao has made a fortune.”

Cao Gengxin smiled bitterly, “Easy for you to say.”

In the county town in the Qiyun Mountain area, there was actually a woman who was supposed to go to Youyi Peak to offer congratulations but changed her mind at the last minute. She was here feeling sorry for herself, ordering a few local specialty dishes at a restaurant. She was only a few steps away from the ancestral mountain of Dragon Spring Sword Sect, but she ultimately didn’t have the courage to see Master Ruan, to see the current Sect Master Liu Xianyang, especially Senior Sister Xu.

She was Liu Yu, the direct disciple of Leng Qi of Qiongzhi Peak. She was now in the Dragon Gate Realm, and her natal flying sword was “Di Hua.”

In fact, this trip was both Liu Yu’s own wish and the suggestion of Yu Lin of Yujiao Peak. At that time, Yu Lin said it very nicely, no matter what, they had both entered the path of swordsmanship in the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. Although it was ultimately regrettable that they didn’t have a master-disciple relationship with Master Ruan, they should always be grateful. Moreover, Liu Xianyang’s challenge to Zheng Yang Mountain was a personal grievance. When they accepted the challenge, they were just doing their duty. Even to put it at the very least, wasn’t it also the principle that it’s better to resolve enemies than to create them?

Perhaps this is also the reason why Yu Lin was able to become a Golden Core Sword Immortal at the age of thirty and the peak master of a peak of Zheng Yang Mountain?

It should also be noted that such clever people are often in places of wealth and fame, making a name for themselves and gaining all the advantages.

The gains and losses here, in the final analysis, are always self-inflicted.

Liu Yu looked melancholic. Her mind was simple, unlike Yu Lin, who was so smooth and flexible. She just felt that she owed the Dragon Spring Sword Sect a huge debt of gratitude. Occasionally, she would regret whether it was wrong to insist on descending the mountain and leaving the Dragon Spring Sword Sect’s genealogy back then?

People like Lu Xiting and Lu Langhuan were practicing swordplay with Liu Yu and Yu Lin back then. Dong Gu, Xu Xiaoqiao, and Xie Ling had all taught them on behalf of their master back then. Regarding Yu Lin, who had the best aptitude, and chose to seek better prospects, Dong Gu and the others didn’t feel much regret. Xie Ling even privately scoffed a few times, saying that this long-browed fellow looked down upon such so-called clever people like Yu Lin, calling them utterly stupid.

But regarding Liu Yu’s descent from the mountain, Xie Ling felt it was inappropriate. Going to a place like Zheng Yang Mountain, which was like a den of thieves, where there were clearly many little demons and few great kings, what could Liu Yu learn? However, Xie Ling just mentioned it and didn’t bother to persuade her.

Alas, when a woman is in love, there is no reasoning.

Liu Yu was just a young girl experiencing her first love back then, not a woman who understood the ways of the world. She only felt that the word “love” was the only truth in the world. The young girl’s eyes saw only her beloved. How could even Xu Xiaoqiao persuade her to change her mind?

Descending the mountain and then ascending it again, still cultivating Dao and practicing swordplay, Liu Yu had always felt a sense of loss over the years.

The seasonal dishes on the table, although full of color, aroma, and flavor, tasted like chewing wax to Liu Yu. After drinking a few cups of inferior wine, she put down a silver ingot and left the restaurant without asking for change from the waiter.

Liu Yu was dispirited. She definitely wouldn’t go to Youyi Peak, after all, she was afraid of that person down to her bones.

When that person became the Imperial Advisor of Da Li, the peaks of Zheng Yang Mountain were simply… in trouble.

The last ancestor hall meeting was so heavy that it was suffocating.

Of course, there were some who were not afraid at all. They were just young boys and girls who didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth.

Liu Yu sighed and walked into a secluded alley. She cast a spell to conceal her figure and rode her sword to an official road around the county town, blocking five or six junior disciples from various peaks. Seeing Liu Yu, their faces were somewhat awkward, except for a slender girl with cold and beautiful eyes, who looked relatively calm.

Although Liu Yu felt sorry for them and envied that they had no trace of decay, she couldn’t let them act recklessly. She pretended to be angry and said, “Sneaking down the mountain and following all the way, do you really think I don’t know your whereabouts? What, do you still want to challenge Youyi Peak?”

The girl said in a serious manner, “Senior Aunt Liu, we just want to take a look at Youyi Peak and Falling Peak Mountain from a distance, and then quietly return to our sect.”

Now, the Peak Master of Qiongzhi Peak, Leng Qi, was in “closed-door cultivation,” and Liu Yu was managing the affairs of the peak. She was allowed to attend the ancestor hall meeting exceptionally. So in the eyes of these children, Liu Yu was still a very authoritative presence.

Liu Yu asked with a frosty face, “After seeing it from a distance, what will you do?!”

The girl said calmly, “We’ll leave after seeing it. If someone asks who we are, we’ll say we’re wild cultivators from the mountains and lakes. They can believe it or not, we haven’t done anything anyway.”

Liu Yu was amused, but still kept a straight face and scolded, “Nonsense!”

It was said that this strange girl had decent potential in sword practice, but not outstanding. She often went to that boundary monument alone.

A leisurely sword light arrived gracefully. Xu Xiaoqiao landed, put her sword back in its sheath, and said with a smile, “Just taking a few glances is not a problem. Come with me to the mountain gate archway and stop there to get a closer look. Let’s be clear first, Dragon Spring Sword Sect can do this, but it doesn’t mean you can do the same at Falling Peak Mountain.”

Liu Yu’s eyes instantly turned red. Among this group of children, she was an elder, but in front of Senior Sister Xu, Liu Yu was still like the girl she was back then.

Xu Xiaoqiao smiled and said, “There’s no need to be so distant. You are welcome to come back and visit often. Senior Brother Dong and Junior Brother Xie all welcome you.”

Liu Yu, however, had a bitter smile.

The young boys and girls were all overjoyed. As they traveled north this time, their courage dwindled more and more, but no one was embarrassed enough to be the first to say “Let’s go back.”

Only the girl who had just spoken to Liu Yu suddenly asked a question that no one expected, “Peak Master Xu, is that Gu Can on the mountain?”

If Gu Can was on the mountain, she wouldn’t go closer to see. A person’s reputation precedes them. Who wasn’t afraid of Gu Can, who had gone from Shujian Lake to White Emperor City?

Upon her mentioning it, all the peers gasped in cold air, feeling lingering fear, and everyone felt guilty. How could they forget this?!

Just at this moment, before Xu Xiaoqiao could say anything, a slightly smiling and gentle voice sounded from behind the young boys and girls, “Gu Can is not on the mountain.”

The girl’s face froze. She turned around and saw a graceful young man in a Confucian robe. Beside him stood a beautiful woman like a flower.

In the northwest region of Tongye Continent, a giant seaside city presented a scene of prosperity and blooming flowers. The streets were bustling. Who could imagine a densely populated city where the city walls, roads, and residential buildings were new, and the signboards of various shops, the banners of restaurants, etc., were all new? In less than twenty years, a city seemed to have sprung up out of nowhere, gathering no less than three hundred thousand people.

A handsome young Daoist with the appearance of a boy wore a blue Daoist robe, a逍遥巾 on his head, and十方履 on his feet, presenting a very dignified demeanor.

He came to a high platform specially used for viewing the sea. The young man didn’t ascend to look into the distance, but only lingered around the nearby stalls for a moment before returning to the temporary Daoist temple in the city where he was staying.

Although the Daoist temple was small, it had two former dynasty relics. One was the Thunder Investigation Division built by imperial decree, which enshrined a Fire Department Divine General Lingguan. There was also a deep well recorded in the local gazette that was said to lead to the Dragon Palace under the sea. The people on the mountain all said that there was a divine creature lurking in it, guarding the waterway channel.

However, the young Daoist was blocked by a middle-aged man carrying a sword.

Perhaps seeing that the other party was tall and strong, and knowing he would be at a disadvantage in a fight, the young Daoist had to take a detour. The man then moved sideways a few steps and continued to block the way, clearly showing the behavior of a ruffian from the market.

The young man stopped and frowned, asking, “Why is Daoist friend so aggressive? The Great Dao is wide, and each side goes its own way, what’s wrong with that?”

The man sneered, “Why is Master Du asking the obvious?”

Du Hanling remained silent.

The swordsman said, “Someone said that as long as you try to escape into the sea, they will take you to the Forest of Merit of the Central Divine Continent’s Wenxuan Pavilion. If you stay in Golden Summit View, you can just focus on cultivating your spirit and pursuing the Immortal realm.”

The man smiled, “If you are patient enough, I will have a headache. It is quite hard to keep an eye on a slippery mudfish in the Jade Pure realm every day.”

Du Hanling of Golden Summit View had been in closed-door cultivation for a long time and had not appeared in the world for many years. When the great war ended, the wild demon race that remained in Tongye Continent was wiped out, and a Peach Leaf Alliance was held in the capital area of Daquan, including the Yao clan of Daquan, sixteen larger immortal Daoist temples, and thirty-four mountain vassal sects. The scale was grand and inspiring. In name, it was to preserve the vitality of their home continent and resist the infiltration of cultivators from other continents. In fact, everyone knew clearly that they were guarding against the Da Li Dynasty from the north of Treasure Bottle Continent.

The Peach Leaf Alliance was once immensely powerful in Tongye Continent, and its momentum implicitly surpassed that of Yu Gui Sect in the south.

Du Hanling, as the盟主, was even hailed as the king of the mountain and the prime minister in the mountains.

However, when the newly established Azure Plain Sword Sect later joined forces with Yu Gui Sect and the Daquan Dynasty, they decided to dig a brand new great waterway, and soon built a temporary ancestor hall in Yunyan Kingdom. Besides immortal masters, there were also emperors from various countries or ministers of revenue. They discussed matters every day, almost never talking about morality or the general trend. What they discussed back and forth was the most practical word, money!

This made the Peach Leaf Alliance a piece of interesting news and a laughingstock that gradually lost its follow-up. They also understood why Du Hanling had been in closed-door cultivation for many years. What would he do if he came out? Should he actively go to Yunyan Kingdom and say, “This humble Daoist is also willing to contribute a little and work together to achieve this great undertaking”? Or should he go to蜃景城 and argue with the female emperor of the Yao clan, asking why she betrayed the alliance, and whether the rumors in the market were true, that you and that surname Chen?

Du Hanling sighed with emotion, “What a good Sword Immortal Xu Jun.”

Xu Xie, a sword cultivator from Golden Armor Continent, to put it nicely, was a loose immortal. To put it bluntly, he was a wild cultivator from the mountains and lakes and had always been without a genealogy identity.

Xu Xie smiled, “It’s a false name given by the mountain.”

Before, he attended the celebration of the Azure Plain Sword Sect and was entrusted by someone to help keep an eye on Du Hanling.

Since Xu Xie had agreed to this matter, he naturally couldn’t make any mistakes. After all, what Xu Xie hated most was colluding with wild people.

However, besides this reason, there were also some inside stories why Xu Xie was willing to take on this matter, which had some connections with Liu Xia Continent’s Xie Feng Palace and the ruins of Mang Mountain. To be precise, Xu Xie’s true guide on the path of cultivation was the female ghost senior with the Daoist name Qing Miao and the name Zhou Song. In addition, Xu Xie was also one of the twenty-two, and his half-master Zhou Song had secretly instigated him to do so.

Du Hanling asked in confusion, “How could a dignified Mr. Xu be persuaded by outsiders to waste time and keep an eye on a stranger with no grudges or enmity for a long time?”

Xu Xie was even more confused and asked, “You’re about to die, and you’re still concerned about these trivial matters?”

Du Hanling frowned and asked, “What?!”

Xu Xie smiled and said, “Chen Ping’an said he would take you to the Wenxuan Pavilion’s Forest of Merit, that’s his saying. I have my own opinion.”

Xu Xie patiently explained, as if talking to a dead person, “My view is that it is better to kill a hundred innocent people than to let one guilty person go.”

Du Hanling no longer wasted a single word, unleashing his signature divine ability, and fled away from the city.

However, no matter how fancy Du Hanling’s Daoist techniques were and how hard he tried, Xu Xie followed like a shadow, not even bothering to draw his sword. He even deliberately hinted with his eyes at Du Hanling, “Why don’t you threaten me, Xu, with the lives of ordinary people?”

Du Hanling finally couldn’t help but curse loudly. At the same time, he tried to secretly activate a mountain and water formation.

Xu Xie heard this, but his expression remained unchanged, and he even smiled, “I am known for my bad temper, but I don’t like to be angry with dead people.”

He allowed Du Hanling to activate the mountain and water formation with Golden Summit View as the center. The mountain and water luck and spiritual energy of nearly half of Tongye Continent were stirred up, causing wind and clouds to churn and unusual phenomena to occur. This was Du Hanling’s trump card for self-preservation.

If you anger this Daoist, I will make the millions of mortals in Tongye Continent be buried with me!

Xu Xie simply cut off Du Hanling’s Dao connection with the great formation with one sword, as easily as cutting tofu.

Then he casually chopped off Du Hanling’s head with another sword.

A head that soared high, Du Hanling’s face was ashen and his expression was sorrowful, “Xu Xie, when did you reach the Ascension realm?!”

Xu Xie, who hadn’t even used his natal flying sword, twisted his wrist, flourished his sword, and smiled, “We sword cultivators look up at the heavenly connection and always have some insights and experiences.”

In the depths of the Wild, the southeast region.

On a towering cliff that reached into the clouds, a Daoist book with characters as large as dippers was inscribed. The characters were Zhou Mi’s self-created Yunshui script, and the content of the Daoist book was extremely shallow, and the writing was not at all obscure.

Not only here, but in the mountains and fields of the Wild World, there were tens of thousands of similar cliff carvings, inscribed with three Daoist books, corresponding to the basics of Qi refining and breathing, how to establish a residence, and what is forming a core. These were all methods of ascending the mountain and paths to advancement personally compiled by Zhou Mi.

For thousands of years, those mountain and field demons and old spirits who had slightly awakened and whose physical forms had not yet completely transformed would gather under a cliff Daoist book. Some lucky ones would learn Qi refining just by reading, ecstatic and dancing with joy, and go to other cliff carvings to read the “next book.” More spirits remained ignorant, coming and going, going and returning, always unwilling to give up in a daze.

In the Wild World, if a great demon descended the mountain to travel and flew like a bird to overlook, they could often see along a path, abandoned Daoist temples whose mountain tops were mostly fragmented, and prosperous capitals of certain countries whose buildings were very new but had become ghost cities, split in half by a sword, or struck by offensive treasures that left the cities with ravines and gullies… But who dared to touch these cliffs, who dared to kill those “ants” gathered at the foot of the mountain to observe the cliff carvings? Zhou Mi’s direct disciples from this Daoist lineage, such as his chief disciple Shou Chen and others, would definitely come to their doors in person, carrying a head or a pile of heads back, and hang their heads on those cliffs.

Gradually, towns were formed around these great mountain cliff carvings, with markets, and even an immortal ferry not far away, where smoke was dense and tourists were numerous, mostly in human form.

However, whether it was cities, Daoist temples, or ferries, they would intentionally keep a certain distance from that high mountain.

On a bumpy dirt road, there was a hastily set up wine stall by the roadside. The tall flag was limply hanging. The owner was a plump and beautiful woman with a high and firm chest and fruitful breasts on her willow-like slender waist.

She always brought along a boy with dull eyes and a pale face.

Guests who sat at the wine stall always said he was her idiotic younger brother.

In the Wild World, generally speaking, the more a demon race resembles a human, the more difficult they are to provoke.

The woman wore thin clothes and a pair of satin embroidered shoes.

She deliberately exposed a large area of her fair and smooth chest. How else could she attract customers? Rely on watered-down fake wine?

The woman’s face was full of resentment, and she muttered to herself, “I can’t water it down anymore, I won’t be able to sell water at a good price.”

There were five tables, and only two were occupied by guests. The scoundrels at one of the tables were even throwing dice, only gambling and not buying wine.

She forcefully shook an old round fan painted with spring scenes, making a rustling sound. The guests and gamblers at the two tables stared straight at her.

She was completely unaware, just complaining that this miserable life was unbearable.

Back when they went to the Sword Qi Great Wall to fight, many who had made achievements in cultivating the Dao ran south, so the wine stall business was still good.

In recent years, they heard that those softies from Hao Ran were acting strangely and actually wanted to attack the Wild. This caused a large group of demon cultivators to continue to flee south.

The wine shop’s business was good for a few years, but unfortunately, there were fewer and fewer drinkers now. They had all become smarter and knew how precious every Divine Immortal Coin was.

A group of strangers walked slowly towards the wine shop on the road. The woman stretched her neck, squinted her eyes, and suddenly threw the round fan on the table, crying out in panic, “Closing up shop, hurry up and scram.”

Those guys who didn’t know how to cherish their lives were still making stale jokes to tease her, without any novelty.

She was so angry that she stepped on the long bench and said fiercely, “If you don’t scram, you’ll have company on the road to Yellow Springs later. I won’t burn paper money for you, hurry up and scram!”

In the hot season, on the dusty yellow road, one could vaguely see a group of Daoists approaching the wine shop. Their figures were tall and short, and their outlines were blurred, but they were all in human form. Although the guests at the shop who were drinking and enjoying the coolness and watching the fair chest for free didn’t understand what was happening, they still sensed something unusual. Without further hesitation, they either cast Daoist spells or used escape techniques, scattering like birds and beasts in an instant.

On the road, a short figure with pigtails seemed to be rushing forward, but she was caught by her pigtails. However, her momentum was too strong, and she was almost lying horizontally in the air, which was a very funny scene.

When they got closer, indeed, it was her!

And one of the new Kings, Shou Chen, one of the Southern Shou Chen and Northern Hidden Official! How did they get together?

The most terrifying thing was the man in the middle of the group, beside the little girl in a black robe with pigtails.

Her smile was stiff, and she pretended to be foolish, trembling and saying, “Are you here for a drink, honored guests? It’s just rough wine, I’m afraid you’re not used to it.”

The middle-aged man at the front sat down, with a gentle expression, and smiled, “We just happened to find you on the way. We’re waiting for a few more people, and we’ll drink too.”

The beautiful woman and the “idiotic younger brother” exchanged glances, both utterly helpless.

Xiao Xu stepped on the long bench and said angrily, “What are you standing there for, hurry up and pour the wine.”

Liu Bai knew that Mr. Zheng wanted to “incidentally” gather the heavenly stem cultivators of the Wild, and no one could escape.

Shou Chen smiled, “If we reach an agreement, my master won’t pay for the wine. If not, I will pay.”

Huaixing County Town.

Senior Sister Su Dian had already gone on a long journey and hadn’t said when she would return home, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps next year, it was uncertain.

So the shop was left with only Shi Lingshan guarding this increasingly deserted shop. The land deed belonged to the Yang family, a large family in the small town. Although his master also had the surname Yang and was called Old Man Yang, he had nothing to do with the Yang family, just like an employer and a long-term worker. Previously, the shop had a clerk surnamed Yang who was said to have become rich in the state city and looked down on working as a clerk here, earning a few taels of silver a month. Just as well, Shi Lingshan also didn’t want to see that truly unpleasant face.

Just as the shop was about to close, an unexpected but reasonable guest arrived.

Shi Lingshan casually said, “Why did you come?”

Logically speaking, as a mountain master and an imperial advisor, he had a lot of important matters. Even if he went for a walk, he would walk to the Cloud-Piercing Mountain God Manor, not to such a small shop. He remembered that when they first met, the young man spoke quite bluntly and asked the other party, “Are you sick?”

Now Shi Lingshan no longer dared to be so straightforward.

Chen Ping’an said, “I just came here to take a look, not to buy medicine or see a doctor.”

Shi Lingshan was disheartened.

They entered the shop together. Chen Ping’an lifted the curtain with his tobacco pipe and went directly to the backyard of the pharmacy. The long bench had already been moved to Falling Peak Mountain by Immortal Wei and Zheng Dafeng.

Shi Lingshan followed this Da Li Imperial Advisor into the backyard. It wasn’t like guarding against a thief, but it was a courtesy of hospitality.

This young warrior who had also traveled in the outside world felt somewhat sad, “I heard from Master that every cultivator and every human heart is a饕餮.”

It was originally just a metaphor. Zhou Mi almost made it come true and “actualized” this sentence.

Shi Lingshan squatted on the corridor and rubbed his cheek, “Senior Sister and I don’t really understand. We can’t keep up with anything Master says.”

“Zheng Dafeng said we are just silly children who only know how to practice boxing and suffered from not reading much. If it were him, he could talk a lot with Master.”

“Maybe he was right.”

After patiently listening to Shi Lingshan’s chatter, Chen Ping’an sat on the steps, tapped his tobacco pipe, pinched out some tobacco leaves, and didn’t expose Zheng Dafeng’s lie. He just asked with a smile, “Haven’t you ever thought about leaving the small town and venturing out on your own?”

Shi Lingshan shook his head, “Learn literary and martial arts and sell them to the imperial family? I can’t do such a thing. It’s not about being aloof or anything, it’s just laziness and not liking to be managed. It’s okay if Master says a few words to me, but if it’s someone else, I don’t like to listen. It’s already tiring to listen to people talk, and it’s even harder to guess people’s thoughts. It’s better to stay here, find some peace and quiet, and it doesn’t delay my boxing practice.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Everyone has their own ambitions. It’s not easy to find joy in one’s own way.”

Shi Lingshan said, “Chen Ping’an, you are an old hand and most familiar with women’s thoughts. Do you think the reason why Senior Sister Su doesn’t like me is because she thinks I’m not successful enough?”

Chen Ping’an said seriously, “First of all, being an old hand and being familiar with women are two different things. Secondly, whether Su Dian likes you or not, I can’t be sure without having seen how you two interact. But the old saying that a woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea always has some truth to it. Childhood sweethearts who spend time together every day may not necessarily be attracted to each other and fall in love. Even if they have made vows of love, it may not necessarily be reliable. A woman is not a bird in a cage raised by someone. A man’s family background, talent, power, and status cannot be a bird cage either. Marriage is predestined, not a lie.”

Shi Lingshan looked at Chen Ping’an and said, “My appearance is not bad either.”

It’s not self-praise, but compared to you and Zheng Dafeng, it’s more than enough.

Even you can find Ning Yao. It’s not too much for me and Senior Sister Su Dian to grow old together, right?

Chen Ping’an smiled. It’s your turn to be a bachelor.

The two were not really close, and there was indeed nothing to talk about. Although Shi Lingshan liked martial arts, he had his own path to follow and had no intention of seeking advice from him, let alone asking for a spar. However, in the past few years, he still had the ambition to spar with the young mountain master of Falling Peak Mountain whenever he had the chance. Later, after hearing some news from Zheng Dafeng or the mountain and water bulletin, Shi Lingshan had no such thoughts.

At most, he would occasionally complain, “So, my boxing skills are not as good as Chen Ping’an’s.”

Shi Lingshan looked at the green-robed man who was intentionally or unintentionally sitting at the bottom of the steps and asked a question out of the blue.

“It’s very hard, but is it worth it?”

Hearing this question, Chen Ping’an slowly exhaled smoke, was silent for a moment, nodded, and smiled, “It’s worth it.”