The impish Xiaomo and the cunning Xie Gou offered a word of warning.

For Rong Yu and Fu Qing, it seemed, had wandered into a trance, their minds utterly captivated and lost, a state those upon the mountains knew as “Astral Departure.”

The weasel-capped maiden, with a sly grace, circled behind them and unleashed a sudden, piercing shout. The women jolted as if struck by lightning, their very souls leaping from their bodies – a condition known as “Soul Separation.”

Xie Gou, with outstretched hands, reeled them back, deftly returning the spirits of the two martial maidens to their earthly vessels. He chuckled, “Careful, ladies! A proper cultivator would be stitching up their fractured souls right now. Fret not, though, for I possess certain archaic rites. I could conjure spirits with my dance within the National Preceptor’s abode, guiding your wandering souls back to the fold.”

Rong Yu and Fu Qing, swiftly gathering their scattered thoughts, offered their gratitude to the second-seat acolyte of Fallen Peak before bidding farewell and taking their leave.

For common folk, a beautiful dream eludes the dreamless, while a night without dreams is a torment to those haunted by visions. Rong Yu and Fu Qing embodied both extremes: the former knew not the solace of dreams, while the latter was beset by strange and vivid phantasms, each meticulously recorded in her journals.

As the mountain sages were wont to say: “Deep karmic connections signify destiny,” and “A heavy burden of karma denotes potential.” Both, in truth, were considered boons for the path of cultivation.

A sudden awakening, a revelation as if emerging from a deep dream, allows one to see the past and glimpse the future. Some, weary of the world, seek out hermits in the mountains, hoping to stumble upon a celestial being willing to guide them upwards. Others, mired in the mundane, succumb to despair, unable to shed the shackles of ignorance.

Then there were the blessed few, those who had settled their debts in past lives, destined for a peaceful and uneventful demise in this one, a tranquil passage through the mortal realm.

Xie Gou turned to watch them go, remarking, “Those two lasses carry tales untold.”

For just moments ago, they had stood mesmerized by the grand map, one gazing at the Great Gulch, the other lost in contemplation of a certain region to the south.

Xiaomo nodded, a hint of regret in his voice. “They possess the essence of true cultivators. Alas, they are already Golden-Body martial artists. They can only pursue martial mastery to the very end. Had they crossed our path sooner, they could have pursued the dual path of cultivation and martial arts favored by Pu Shan’s Cloud-Grass Hall. Xie Gou, can your discerning eyes divine if they are reincarnated deities of old, or the reborn spirits of mighty cultivators?”

If the former, their innate potential was immense. If the latter, fortune of the mountains awaited.

Xie Gou shook his head. “Neither, I suspect.”

Xiaomo pondered the enigmatic plans of Master Cui.

Xie Gou gazed upwards at the layered map. “Dual contemplation, imagining the Great Li Dynasty as one’s own body, and oneself as the Great Li Dynasty.”

Chen Pingan chuckled softly. “A formidable endeavor.”

Xie Gou nodded. “Beyond the reach of most. His Imperial Majesty could, of course, but he is no Qi cultivator. Song Xu, too, is capable, but alas, he will never sit upon the throne.”

Without sufficient Dao power and skill, one risks shattering upon contact, ending the game before it has even begun.

Xiaomo reiterated, “All is prepared. We await only the official proclamation of the Young Master as National Preceptor.”

Chen Pingan concurred. “Just authority grants legitimacy, and legitimacy ensures success. An enduring truth, passed down through the ages.”

Only with the possession of the newly forged National Preceptor’s Seal could one truly interact with this map of the “People’s Will” of the Great Li.

As in the Battle of the Night-Sailing Vessel, Wu Shuangjiang willingly relinquished the ancestral Dao-power of the military strategist Jiang She to Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, choosing instead to “usurp” his position. Wu Shuangjiang had correctly judged Chen Pingan, his ally, would merely “seize the title” of the Ancestor. Whether from Chen Pingan’s temperament, the Daoist tradition of the Literary Sage, or the schemes he hatched in his own heart, it was not his way to become a military cultivator; instead he always reached for the unbridled Dao.

Wu Shuangjiang’s usurpation and acquisition of the title resulted in the creation of a new Martial Temple, a monument of sheer power, the equal of a new mountain appearing on the plains.

A written compendium of unorthodox ascension methods in characters of pure gold, yet presently beyond Chen Pingan’s comprehension.

A monument of rest to a dragon.

A strange pennant of ancient design, whose function and origin are shrouded in mystery.

Twenty-seven sheets of azure paper, each priceless and exquisite. Useful in times of dire need, and a pleasure to behold even in times of peace.

Five hundred gold-infused copper coins, and twelve thousand valley-rain coins. This would get him over a hump.

Furthermore, Xiaomo, accompanied by the Lord of Azure Clouds Grotto, had visited the Sui Chu Palace and returned with a celestial weapon, declared to be destined for him by the Lord of the Fallen Peak himself.

Truly, Wu Shuangjiang and the Sui Chu Palace had offered Chen Pingan and Fallen Peak their utmost sincerity.

And then there were the shares in riches, which were to provide the gilded statue in Zhang Jiazhen’s ancestral temple.

Chen Pingan himself was to preside over these matters, saving the Imperial Court a great deal of expense.

Xie Gou asked, “When did you first conceive this notion, Mountain Lord?”

Chen Pingan replied, “The moment I entered the National Preceptor’s abode. It was later strengthened while strolling beneath the peach blossoms. The seed was planted much earlier, during my travels through the Northern Ju Lu Continent, when I advised my friend Liu Zhiqing to use a Golden Crow Palace as a Daoist training ground, to observe hearts and sharpen the sword heart. It has proved successful, and Liu Zhiqing has since advanced to the nascent-soul stage.”

A reason he had offered to another long ago was now upon him.

Of course, Liu Zhiqing had only to observe. Chen Pingan’s ascension map was the opposite, for it would demand his greatest influence.

Thinking of Liu Zhiqing and the Golden Crow Palace, Chen Pingan tentatively suggested, “Dog, perhaps you could venture to the Northern Ju Lu Continent and visit the Golden Crow Palace? See if there is some connection to your past.”

Xie Gou replied, “Do you not recall? The first continent I set foot upon was the Northern Ju Lu. As I traveled south, I learned of this sect and sought it out. I saw little connection, save for the moment the great sun crashed upon the earth, scattering fragments of Daoist intent. These fragments touched the ground, and it was picked up by the Golden Crow Palace, thus starting the sect.”

Chen Pingan said, “It seems your connection is there.”

The foundation of the Golden Crow Palace cultivator lay with the rare refinement of the sun.

This was of the Fire-Sun Palace, the reason why Xie Gou felt so much like the Pure Yang Lv Yan. Of course, Bai Jing’s Dao was varied.

These once dominant Daoist traditions were gone, and so the refinement of the sun was no longer seen.

Xie Gou rubbed her weasel-cap and sighed. “Very well, the next time I travel to the Northern Ju Lu Continent, I will write a Daoist lesson on the founder’s portrait, which the Golden Crow Palace will assume to be the founder himself.”

Chen Pingan massaged his brow. “Fine.”

Xie Gou covered his mouth. “Xiaomo, I write well. The two travelogues were deemed fit for sale by a scholar of the Imperial Palace! And my small handwriting is sublime. Rong Yu cannot take her eyes off it!”

Xiaomo pulled at his lip. “If that makes you happy.”

Xie Gou changed the subject. “No wonder you did not allow the destruction of Cui Chan’s seal.”

Chen Pingan nodded. “I must refine both seals into objects of power.”

This would allow one to see the difference between the old Great Li Dynasty and the new.

Chen Pingan did not fool his own heart, nor could he trick the ebb and flow of the Great Li Dynasty’s fate.

To enter the path, one must hold a ceremony where the name is recorded, thus linking the fate to the home. It was for this reason that the ancients would say their names were on the green list in the heavens.

If successful, this would be a map of ascension, the thing of which Chen Pingan had only dreamt.

But if he failed, he would be tethered to the Great Li Dynasty, no longer a bauble, but a burden. Only monsters and dragons tied themselves to dynasties, knowing that if the dynasty fell, they would suffer.

Xiaomo said, “It is a double-edged sword.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “How many clever immortals have exhausted all they have and have not been able to ascend?”

Xie Gou shook his head. “It is difficult.”

Xiaomo said, “Jiang She was wise and added martial power. If you wish for peace, I could have Azure Clouds travel the continent for a time.”

Chen Pingan tensed and patted Xiaomo’s shoulder. “Friends are few.”

Chen Pingan winked to Xie Gou, who said, “Xiaomo, it is right to not be too friendly, lest they be hurt. But it is wrong to be too cold.”

Chen Pingan nodded.

Xie Gou then asked, “Is this the right time to be making an object of power?”

Chen Pingan replied, “I must try. I will test the waters with a few trinkets.”

Xie Gou said, “It was true advice, said for your own good.”

Chen Pingan said, “There is nothing to hide.”

Xie Gou said, “The approval of Liu Xiang is important, is it not?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “Of great import.”

Chen Pingan perceived Liu Xiang through Zheng Juzhong’s domain.

Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang, plus the Chen Pingan in the cage, allowed Chen Pingan to perceive Liu Xiang’s Daoist power.

To refine, one must have the raw material.

Liu Xiang nodding was Chen Pingan knowing where to begin.

Xie Gou asked, “Why did you not agree to Zheng Juzhong’s idea? Are you afraid of being tricked? Does this fear come from Jiang She? I think it is a safe bet.”

Xiaomo was silent.

Chen Pingan said, “It is a matter of habit. Our minds are bound by our hearts.”

Zheng Juzhong had said he should hide and reap the benefits.

Within five hundred years, he would be the most successful man, or at least among them.

Whether the war against the wild lands, or the infighting of the Blue-Green lands, Chen Pingan could profit.

This would be the safest trade, bringing in money year after year.

Zheng Juzhong was telling him to rise to the fourteenth realm and then deal with the details later.

Chen Pingan wanted to, but held back.

Only a few had heard of what had happened with Jiang She.

All the great cultivators knew of the death of the three Patriarchs, but who would dare speak of it?

There was karma, and the higher you went, the more karma you carried.

How many failed from nothing more than heaven’s will?

And with Zheng Juzhong in the alliance, there would be less to worry about.

Xiaomo gazed at the map.

Rong Yu and Fu Qing, not cultivators, could not see the mysteries.

Xiaomo and Xie Gou saw something different.

The city of Huaihuang, the imperial court, Wei Bo’s Pi Yun Mountain, a school, the lake of books, Qiu.

The western Yue, the southern Yue, Zheng Yang Mountain, Old Dragon City, Yu Xuan, the Great Gulch.

The learning route starting in the town and ending in the Sui capital, Qi Dun Mountain, Red Candle, the Wild One, the Yellow Court.

Each place shone differently.

Some dimmed, some grew bright, some flashed.

Chen Pingan asked, “What makes a true power? What is the nature of power?”

Xie Gou grinned. “A true power can kill anyone they wish, and do so on a whim? Freedom, complete freedom, including the freedom to choose not to be free.”

Xiaomo did not care, as long as he could trade blows with a power and then drink with them after.

Chen Pingan said, “To be remembered? To be etched into history? To be spoken of in centuries?”

“Or is it to start a chain of events, a ripple felt throughout the ages?”

Xie Gou said, “You are asking the wrong people.”

Xiaomo nodded. “True.”

Chen Pingan laughed and said, “Let us speak of what you do know.”

With a flick of his sleeve, two objects appeared.

One was the broken demi-plane, which would house the dragon-resting platform. This would become Kong Hou’s place.

The other was a golden incense burner, like a courtesan’s plaything.

Wu Shuangjiang had removed the array, leaving Chen Pingan to create his own. If he could not, he could give it to Xie Gou to study.

Chen Pingan told Xie Gou this directly.

Xie Gou grinned. “Yes, Young Master. I have found the knack for it: I just make it up as I go! It is easy!”

Chen Pingan said, “The burner, I will give to Kong Hou.”

Xiaomo had brought back a green knife from the war.

It was clearly meant for Kong Hou.

The name of the sheath was Emerald, made by a True Man of old. The blade contained the origins of the sword.

The transformation of a demon was unseen.

If Liu Lao Cheng was unkind, what was Wu Shuangjiang?

Xiaomo then said, “What do you say of Lu Fang, who I brought back?”

Chen Pingan groaned. “Let him sit there.”

Xiaomo laughed. “As you wish. But Lu Fang is at his wit’s end.”

The old patriarch had brought Lu Fang back from the Blessed Land and into Fallen Peak.

Chen Pingan could presently reach Song Han Hong and Zhang Tiao Xia.

And then there was the tyrant clad in armor, the one who did his best during the siege of the land by the barbarians, gathering a force of five hundred thousand. He had then fled.

Then there was Lu Fang.

Chen Pingan could speak with Liu Xiang about Lu Fang.

He visited Fallen Peak, so it would not be rude.

But how to reach Liu Xiang?

Chen Pingan left the hall and called Rong Yu and Fu Qing, knowing they knew more of Cui Chan’s intentions.

Rong Yu and Fu Qing stood on the bricks.

Chen Pingan asked, “Do you wish to leave?”

Rong Yu shook her head.

Fu Qing hesitated.

Rong Yu’s father, Rong Yi, had been born in a messenger station. He had served the court well and made general, and had only his daughter. His friend had once mocked him that it was easy to make him happy: power, wealth and a dead wife. If he let them marry his daughter off, he would not be a bother, for he was a man of influence in the capital! Rong Yi had ignored him. Rong Yi died, but he would have become a grand surveyor had he lived a little longer.

Fu Qing was of the White Frost dynasty, which had fallen.

Chen Pingan said, “Fu Qing, there is no need to rush. I support you either way.”

Fu Qing nodded.

Rong Yu laughed.

Chen Pingan asked, “Have I said something wrong?”

Rong Yu shook her head and said, “You only said it out of order.”

She would be better suited to go.

Cui Chan would have a cup of wine and salted peanuts.

Chen Pingan said, “Take all the records of the court, from the Great Li, and say whether they are influential or not. I will speak to the censor-in-chief and we can make use of that.”

Rong Yu and Fu Qing left.

Chen Pingan closed his eyes.

Yu Shiwu, Xiao Xing, and the others had been knocked from the bag.

Chen Pingan was hesitant to task them in the national hall, as the construction of the world had stalled.

What to say to Lu Fang? To make them a crew?

Besides deciding on Jiang Shangzhen, there was still the matter of helping Lu Zhi merge.

The official, the battlefield, the cultivation ground, the market, the love.

Chen Pingan opened his eyes and crossed the door to a hidden vault.

Three mountains.

Mountains of money.

Gold, silver, copper.

Most of the copper had been seized from other lands, but the Great Li had hoarded it.

Chen Pingan could have all of it if he so wished.

Emperor Song He had come, as if waiting for Chen Pingan.

Song He said, “I wish for you to have what is in your sight. I trust you the more you take. I speak from the heart.”

Chen Pingan was silent.

Song He said, “You are my state master. The better it is in your hands, the more you will leave matters to me. You were once careful with Fallen Peak for thirty years. The people you have sent from the court, not so much. If you can be diligent with the Dynasty as with Fallen Peak, then the matter of ascension will be easier.”

Xie Gou said, “This emperor is up to something.”

Xiaomo replied, “But not much?”

Xie Gou shook her head and said, “The heart of a monarch, plus honesty, is formidable.”

Xiaomo nodded.

Xie Gou asked, “Xiaomo, what is the hardest thing to be?”

Xiaomo shook his head. “I do not know.”

Xie Gou said, “Restraint.”

Xiaomo was surprised. “That is wise.”

Xie Gou said, “We are lucky to cultivate, but our minds are still inferior.”

Xiaomo stared at Xie Gou, wondering if he was reading this in a book.

Xie Gou nodded. “This must be written down!”

Xiaomo could not help but smile.

Song He continued, “I have one request: to be your follower for a long time. Do not let a third line come. When you think you are no longer needed, you may return to the mountains, but keep an eye open.”

Chen Pingan bowed to him. Song He was surprised and returned the gesture.