From the earth rose Chen Pingan, a beacon of emerald light erupting in the azure sky, a spectacle of dazzling wonder. The immensity of his sword light, the profound depths of his sword intent, were enough to send shivers down the spines of cultivators dwelling on mountain slopes across the continent.

In the Imperial Preceptor’s study within the Da Li capital, two ancestral blades stirred restlessly on their rack, their sheathed forms humming with a long-dormant draconic resonance. Likewise, on the walls of the secluded sanctum of Fuyao, a pair of swords echoed the same song.

“Night Wanderer”, forged from the tip of the celestial Tai Bai sword and scabbarded in the scales of a Dragon Lord’s raiment; and “Floating Duckweed,” reborn from a shard of the fallen Sword Qi Great Wall – they were blades of legend.

Each, with a sentience of its own, yearned to join its master, Chen Pingan, to dance among the clouds in a symphony of steel and emerald.

Over Bao Ping Continent, the celestial ocean churned once more, birthing seven titanic vortices that drifted across the heavens. From beyond the veil of stars, Chen Pingan’s life-bound sword, “Great Dipper”, fragmented into seven streams of gilded light, their tips aimed at the mortal realm, poised to strike at their master’s command.

From the heart of Da Li’s Earthly Branches lineage, phantasmal figures coalesced and ascended, drawn to the youthful Preceptor, Chen Pingan, a sword saint newly risen to the ascendant Flight Realm. Following arcane paths woven with spellcraft, they spread to predetermined leylines across Bao Ping’s mountains and rivers.

Even the Five Peaks of the realm stirred with an ancient awareness, reacting to the storm of qi that roiled across the continent.

Previously, the imperial astrologers and ministers of Da Li believed a fully realized Earthly Branches formation could vanquish an immortal being, one unversed in the art of the sword.

Alas, the linchpin of their grand design, the position of the pure-hearted martial artist, remained vacant. Thus, the eleven alchemists of Da Li’s Earthly Branches, powerful as they were, were only a pale shadow of their potential.

Like a set of twelve wine goblets crafted for the blessed grotto of a hundred flowers, the absence of but one diminished the worth of the whole. The difference between the eleven members of the Da Li Earthly Branches and a complete formation led by a master of martial prowess was the difference between mud and starlight.

Across a continent, talented cultivators were readily found, but martial masters were as rare as dragon’s teeth. Before Zhou Haijing, the Da Li court had considered Peiqian of Fallen Phoenix Mountain and even that young woman from the bitter northern reaches, the seamstress Xiuniang.

The former was the most suitable. “Zheng Qian” had shown exceptional talent on the battlefield near the auxiliary capital and was well regarded among the soldiers in the region.

However, the Da Li Dynasty had no one appropriate to act as a go-between. The capital had hinted at something to the Duke of Luo, Song Mu, but the feudal lord had flown into a rage on the spot and the wandering knight, Xu Ruo, had no choice but to give up.

Song Jixin, that fellow’s life and death were still uncertain back on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Was the court really asking him to undermine his foundation here on Bao Ping? Even if he couldn’t strangle him, he wouldn’t be able to do something so conscienceless. They could cease talking about the great forces in play on Bao Ping and the impact on the battlefield. As a feudal lord, he’d been born a mud leg in Mud Jar Alley, defended the realm for the emperor, and been in command of the war since the battle of Old Dragon City, fighting and retreating to the Central Great River… The duke’s face had gone dark at the time and he had Xu Ruo convey a message to the capital suggesting that his Imperial Majesty come here to discuss the matter with him face to face.

Relatively speaking, it would be easier to discuss things with Xiuniang. However, those in the capital believed, firstly, that the female martial artist was not originally from Bao Ping and, secondly, her martial realm was not high enough at the time. After weighing all the pros and cons, they decided against it.

The difference between a “Earthly Branches” formation with its twelve members and without a linchpin to lead the group was like night and day.

If this leader only had a high realm and advanced age, it would still not be of use. The eleven cultivators and a female martial arts master would certainly be outwardly compliant but inwardly insubordinate. Furthermore, they may not even be outwardly compliant.

But there was someone who would be an exception. They would be not only outwardly compliant but inwardly compliant to this person, even afraid to the bone. They would both respect and fear, as it was someone who had twice manipulated all eleven of them between his fingers: “Chen Pingan,” the former mountain master of Fallen Phoenix and the current newly appointed Da Li Imperial Preceptor.

If Chen Pingan formed a new Earthly Branches at the Flight Realm, then this would be an earthshattering change.

Chen Pingan was able to control the twelve flying swords modeled on the White Jade Capital and his ability to strategize, orchestrate, and mediate would be like offering charcoal in the snow, the best aid at just the right time.

Especially since, besides Chen Pingan, Da Li Dynasty’s capital also had a golden-crowned Daoist whose presence was like adding flowers to brocade. This was Song Yunjian who was about to ascend to the Flight Realm and whose Daoist name was Yingning.

Since everything was ready, all that was lacking was a fulfilling and enjoyable battle and for someone to be sent to their death.

Before that day, those who had been responsible for secretly enacting martial law in Da Li’s capital during the celebrations had used the opportunity to gather and chat. But they always returned to the question they were most concerned about.

They all wanted to know the answer if Sir Chen was willing to show his face and personally command the Earthly Branches instead of letting the drunken Vice Minister Cao Gengxin give orders and take on odd jobs such as shadowing.

Would the twelve of them in the Earthly Branches be able to kill a Flight Realm cultivator who overstepped their boundaries and provoked Da Li?

Besides Song Xu and Yuan Huajing who had not opened their mouths and declared their positions, their respective answers were similar: They’d be easy to kill. They could be killed however they wanted. It would be like chopping melons and vegetables.

However, Song Xu threw out a question that caused the other eleven to fall silent.

Since you all believe it’s easy to kill a Flight Realm.

Can you kill one at the fourteenth realm?!

No one dared say whether or not they could. To say they could seemed a little arrogant and like they didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. But to say they couldn’t was something no one was willing to say.

Honestly speaking, below the Flight Realm, it was already more difficult than ascending to the heavens to see someone at the fourteenth realm.

Everyone recognized that, if one wanted to injure a cultivator at the fourteenth realm, only two types of people would be able to do so. Throughout all of humanity, besides the countable cultivators at the Flight Realm, only those at the fourteenth realm would be able to. They, too, had to be at the fourteenth realm.

If that were so, could they kill one at the fourteenth realm?

They were all truly curious but also dared not guarantee it. However, they incomparably looked forward to such an opportunity.

But, at the time, they had all felt that Song Xu’s question was interesting but meaningless as how could such a thing possibly happen in the near future?

Who would have expected that this once-in-a-millennium opportunity would come today!

Moreover, Sir Chen had said that he would take them within the territory of Bao Ping to “slay demons in broad daylight,” and this was the grand test for the Earthly Branches!

Even if they successfully slew a demon but missed the time, they would be a bunch of good-for-nothing drunks, all of them trash!

Was the pressure great? It was extremely great! Did they have confidence? It was absolutely even greater!

They weren’t fighting Sir Chen. What was there to fear?!

They would certainly kill them!

Above the city walls, Song Yunjian received a secret order, or, to be precise, a decree, from the Imperial Preceptor Chen. As if granted amnesty, his figure streaked to the imitation White Jade Capital above the Great River.

The concentrated and unfading Daoist intent stretched an extremely long rainbow into the heavens and earth, persisting for a long time. It was like a bridge, like a paved road, like a great flood dragon walking in the water, or a heavenly dragon ascending to the skies.

Xiao Mo still remained in place, looking towards the young maiden in the sable cap at the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.

Whether it was because he was the last hidden official or the mountain master or sect master, the more deeply involved one was with Chen Pingan, the more one could sense the extraordinary rise and fall of his Daoist heart and his soaring murderous intent.

Among all the surrounding mountain peaks of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, the sword altar’s territory had the clearest senses. Qi Tingji smiled and cursed, “Liu Tui is a damned bandit”. He sighed in his heart, “Liu Tui was right.”

Mi Yu asked, “Qi Tingji, you have to give us a straight answer. Is it really necessary for us to take action? Could we help out a little?”

Qi Tingji shook his head and said, “There’s no need for small help, big help would be of no use, and besides, this is the internal affair of Chen Pingan and the Da Li Dynasty. What business is it of you and I?”

Mi Yu asked, confused, “How are we outsiders? You, Qi Tingji, are, but I, Mi Yu, am not. Although I’ve never had the idea of ‘rising in rank’ in the Ancestral Hall of Pure Peaks, I don’t want to regret not taking action today. If not, Bai Xuansun and Chunwang will curse me the next time as well. How am I supposed to talk back?”

Qi Tingji said, “A stupid person who listens to a smart person isn’t really stupid.”

Mi Yu was at a loss for words and in extreme conflict. Finally, he still said, “I’ll believe you this one time.”

At Old Oriole Lake which had temporarily returned to calm, Song Jixin frowned slightly when he saw that Song Xu, who was also an Earthly Branches cultivator, had not left.

Song Xu floated off the wall and fell to the ground. He explained in his heart, “Duke of Luo, me staying here isn’t to protect anyone. Rather, it is my duty as the Da Li capital is one of the hubs of the first formation and I just so happen to be responsible for standing guard.”

Song Jixin nodded and his expression softened slightly. He smiled and asked, “You kid appeared so promptly. Did his Imperial Majesty calculate this?”

Li Ba had, of course, already used Daoist magic to isolate the heavens and earth to prevent eavesdropping. The jade Daoist Huang Man’s barrier had also been pulled up to add an extra layer of mountain and water enchantments. Ignoring how the palace maiden was smiling like a flower while holding a silk fan, she was actually extremely nervous. As for the Creek Barbarian who had come from the land flood dragon’s lineage, he was standing between the Duke of Luo and the martial artist Gao Shi. This guy truly had a good knife that could make him even more powerful and explain why even Li Ba had felt that the old Daoist priest was somewhat insufficient.

What a pity that the fellow was missing some of a grandmaster’s bearing and wasn’t stubborn enough in speech. Why didn’t he fight it out with the hidden official? If so, wouldn’t this treasured blade be ownerless?

Gao Shi who had a green-scabbarded longsword at his waist was already considered to have a burly figure. Who would have expected that he’d encounter someone even burlier and more difficult? Gao Shi was standing by the base of the wall and, when he sensed the malevolence in the eyes of the duke’s guard, Gao Shi’s heart tightened. He wasn’t afraid of fighting a one-on-one fight but he was afraid that this person was the same type as his master, the Duke of Luo. Song Mu was obviously not easy to deal with and no good bird at all. Once he uttered those two sentences and pinned the label of colluding with White Jade Capital to harm Da Li, even if Song Mu were to smear Emperor Yin Ji’s face with yellow mud, even if he hadn’t eaten the crap, he’d still get covered in it.

Damn it all, he’d only heard that the younger generation who had come from that Li Zhu Grotto Heaven were all skilled talkers and, today, he’d finally truly experienced it. They weren’t weak at all and their skill was deep!

The Creek Barbarian really coveted that saber so he used his eyes to indicate to the other party, “Brother, since you’re just killing time, why don’t we define some boundaries and find a vacant spot for us two to practice?”

Gao Shi immediately used his eyes to return the message, “Practice your mom, I’m one of Da Li’s frontier soldiers and have an official position. I’m busy with official business right now. Who has the time to spar with you over our fists and pull at private matters?”

Song Jixin was aware of this but didn’t respond. When he saw the second heir Song Xu’s mischievous smile but his unwillingness to open his mouth and speak, Song Jixin didn’t get angry but instead smiled. As expected, he truly was from the old Song family line. He was wicked.

Song Xu was relatively casual around this second uncle. Back when he had been a teenager, he had been an Earthly Branches swordsman who had had official contact with the Duke of Luo, Song Mu, in the auxiliary capital.

Song Xu sincerely respected his second uncle and Song Jixin liked this nephew as well, feeling quite close to the young man in his heart.

There had been a moment when Song Xu had come here and said “they could be killed”.

In truth, Song Jixin had flown into a rage. It was just “they could be killed”? Was the Da Li court, you, Emperor Song He, still giving the question of whether or not to kill them to Chen Pingan?

Good, you may be winning today.

But he, Song Jixin, hadn’t lost either.

When he returned to the frontier battlefield and, someday, finished fighting the war, he would return to Bao Ping to take residence in his Luojing feudal estate. That Great River would still bear the Song name, but it might not be yours anymore.

As he would revert to his true name of “Song He”. You either admit that you are Song Mu or fight him and see who the true eldest son of the late emperor was!

It was just that Song Jixin had not expected that the emperor could convince all the heavyweights of the Da Li court who had attended the small imperial audience to not only kill Yin Ji but also declare war on the Great Shu Dynasty at the same time!

It was not until this moment that Song Jixin completely abandoned the thought of “governing by dividing along the river before uniting the Da Li Dynasty and all of Bao Ping”.

Song Jixin asked, “Friend Cui Zhang, what’s the origin of that demon? How could it fail to die after taking that sword?”

Li Ba replied, “Duke of Luo, I’ve only heard a friend mention that there’s a Flight Realm demon of extremely high Daoist power in Central Earth Divine Continent with the one-word Daoist name of ‘Clam’. She is extremely secretive and only roams within Great Shu Dynasty. It’s very strange as the Confucian Temple doesn’t restrict her nor does she bother the underworld. But only a few peak cultivators know of her existence.”

Song Jixin smiled faintly and said, “How do you know it’s only a few and she’s not someone everyone is aware of? Are you a peak cultivator?”

Li Ba didn’t mind the Duke of Luo’s sarcasm. He continued to speak, “Back in the early years, my friend was traveling in Central Earth and happened to pass by Great Shu Dynasty. Only because he had a remote ancient treasure of merit on him was he able to sense the ghost’s subtle aura. He wanted to… amass the hidden merit of slaying a demon. After provoking her multiple times, the demon finally appeared. The two of them fought for a bit, but he was completely no match. My friend was miserably defeated and even the magic treasure of the Immortal Soldier rank was destroyed. All he could do was admit defeat. He had assumed that his body and soul would become the other party’s Daoist nourishment, but she actually let him go as she pleased. She even allowed him to take back the broken fragments of the treasure and warned him to not set foot in Great Shu’s territory for the rest of his life.”

Song Jixin smiled and said, “Friend Cui Zhang, is that friend of yours who kicked an iron board and broke his leg that old ascendant from your Golden Armor Continent, Wan Yan Laojing, Wan Yan Old Immortal?”

Li Ba nodded and said, “Duke of Luo, Wan Yan Laojing is, of course, a sinner of Golden Armor Continent, but he truly treated me well. Back then, I would neither help him and join the barbarians, nor can I now curse or hate him.”

Song Jixin said, “Li Ba, you’re an honest man.”

The Creek Barbarian said in secret, “Duke of Luo, this ‘Clam’ is definitely extremely dangerous. I feel like… it’s almost the same as when I first saw the Wang Fjun. I’m unreasonably scared.”

Song Jixin asked, “Jade Daoist, Palace Yan, do you feel this way when you see the ‘Clam’?”

The Jade Daoist shook his head. Even he, a long-established immortal, felt that today’s disturbance could be considered as treacherous and filled with dangers. Huang Man’s determination to not enter the muddy waters of the Da Li Dynasty grew even stronger.

Back then, he had just gone to fish on the sea and steal a fishing spot, but Zhang Tiaoxia had beaten him. This time, he’d only accompanied Fjun Wang Zhu to see the duke, Song Mu, and had personally witnessed the brutality of the young Imperial Preceptor. Not only had he killed several people but he had also wanted to wipe out the roots, making Yin Ji’s, who had basically already died once, soul and those of the demons remain in Bao Ping territory?

Huang Man was utterly confused. This Chen Pingan was truly a closed disciple of the Literary Saint’s line and truly a reader who had read the classics of the sages? Similar disturbances had occurred at Mandarin Duck Shoal in the Central Earth Confucian Temple. Back then, the cultivators on the Jade Tablet Platform and in the various dynasties had felt that they had a general understanding. Compared to the identity as part of the literary line, it seemed that the young mountain master of Fallen Phoenix valued the last hidden official identity even more? Right now, Huang Man wanted to tell them, “No, your understanding still isn’t sufficient.”

This Chen Pingan was truly ruthless. Right, the Jade Daoist had finally understood the most important thing… Chen Pingan absolutely greatly valued the Daoist traditions of the literary line, but it was because of that that, if you all felt you had an opportunity that was Chen Pingan’s weakness and dared to provoke him, Chen Pingan would definitely not be merciful. As those times multiplied, the Confucian Temple would become more and more embarrassed. They had probably wanted to recruit him for all these years using “some most appropriate means,” but each and every one of you had desperately pulled this young man out of the Confucian Temple?

Palace Yan said, “I don’t feel anything at all.”

Li Ba said, “Wan Yan Laojing once guessed that ‘Clam’ was both a demon and, in all likelihood, an ancient existence similar to a manifestation of the Great Dao.”

Song Jixin asked, “Is she a candidate at the fourteenth realm or is she already at the fourteenth realm?”

Li Ba shook his head and said, “I can’t be certain.”

Song Jixin fell into thought.

Palace Yan waved his silk fan, dispersing the pungent smell of blood.

The headless corpse of the serving maid, Cui Ji, was lying in a pool of blood. Her head seemed to have gone to Old Oriole Lake. Hadn’t Yin Miao thrown a snowflake coin into the lake? Her head had probably gone to find the coin.

The Great Shu scholar, Cai Yushan, had directly turned into a pile of shattered flesh and blood. Instead of having his soul completely destroyed, he had been tightly suppressed in Old Oriole Lake and it seemed that “Clam” had taken him away in an instant. As expected, she had an inconceivable divine ability, being able to repair the shattered souls and escape under the eyes of Preceptor Chen. If it were a fourteenth realm demon, how could Bao Ping keep her around?

Palace Yan felt lingering fear. The mountains were treacherous.

Song Xu said, “Duke of Luo, if the second formation opens, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave Old Oriole Lake.”

Song Jixin asked with a smile, “Was there a lot of arguing at the imperial audience?”

Song Xu nodded.

Before Song Xu had come here, a temporary and emergency imperial audience had convened at the imperial study. There were a lot of people, to the point that the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial removed all the chairs.

Even the old Minister of War Shen Chen who was in his twilight years did not have a chair to sit on. However, two important figures were absent from this meeting: Imperial Preceptor Chen Pingan and the Duke of Luo Song Mu.

Song Xu and the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial were standing by the doorside.

Song He’s first sentence was not the attitude that was normally taken when discussing things at the imperial study, “I have already decided to formally declare war on the Great Shu Dynasty. Emperor Yin Ji can be killed and must be killed!”

The shocking sentence out of nowhere caused all of Da Li’s high-ranking civil and military officials to look at each other. Afterwards, Song He roughly explained the course of events at Old Oriole Lake.

Song Jixin asked, “In the end, you were able to successfully overcome all opposition? Did his Imperial Majesty settle things?”

Song Xu still nodded.

Song Jixin looked at the Second Prince Song Xu.

Song Xu understood.

What were the arguments and who was the speaker? Whether it was due to some purpose or stance, Song Xu remembered all the reasons they had given.

“Setting the question was Cui Chan, the Embroidered Tiger, and reading the answers was the new Imperial Preceptor Chen Pingan.”

Song Jixin patted his nephew’s shoulder and asked, “No one can be an exception to answering this exam question, including you and I. Do you understand?”

Song Xu wanted to say something but stopped. He had wanted to say “Second uncle, actually, I’m an exception”, but the second prince was also a member of the Earthly Branches and he seemed to be unable to stay out of it, so Song Xu was silent.

As for those two waterside pavilions, since Sir said that her favorite student didn’t count as any great force, then she’d calculate the immediate events of Late Wish Lane and Reed Flute Lane.

The more the maiden Xu Mi calculated, the paler her face became.

Hong Chongben sighed and said, “Have you finally figured it out?”

Xu Mi said, trembling, “Sir, what am I supposed to do?”

Hong Chongben said, “What can you do? You can’t do anything. You’ve spent all these years reading and learning with me, this useless and rotten Confucian. That’s all.”

The old teacher said, “Da Li’s capital has three yamen that no one wants to deal with. Among them, the Capital Garrison handles all the daily business of the capital. Commander Hong Ji is neither greedy nor corrupt and has true battle merit. All these years, he’s only taken a clean stipend, the majority of which he sends to other people. Moreover, Hong Ji handles the garrison well. Not only does he come from Da Li Song’s place of origin, but he’s also a trusted confidant of the Emperor’s. What is he afraid of? As long as he has no private conflict with the new Imperial Preceptor, he’ll be able to manage anyone he dislikes in the capital besides His Imperial Majesty and the Imperial Preceptor. That’s because lacking a selfish heart allows one to act righteously. Acting righteously allows one to be courageous and courageousness allows one to do things without fear.”

“However, even if the garrison does things arbitrarily, for example, a young centurion daring to block the Ministry of Rites and Court of State Ceremonial,

in the end, they’re just treating minor ailments in places people can easily see.”

“The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the country’s criminal penalties and reviewing criminal names. In recent years, it has had to focus on the mountains, restraining those who cultivate. In the present Da Li, which mountain cultivator dares to blatantly kill commoners? Ignoring the three talismans issued by the Ministry of Justice will result in one being forced to retreat out of fear, not only within the Da Li but also south of the Great River and even in Tongye. Now that the Ministry of Justice has this confidence, what is there to fear?”

“However, the Ministry of Justice isn’t responsible for treating people and saving them. They’re more responsible for convicting, dismissing, and even killing people.”

“The Court of Judicature is very similar to the Ministry of Justice and is only responsible for reviewing, auditing, and handling major and important cases.”

“Like Minister of Justice Ma Yuan said himself, his yamen is more like telling certain people that they are beyond saving.”

Now that he had spoken of the Capital Garrison and Ministry of Justice, all that was left was the Da Li Capital Supervisory Council and the Supervisory Council that had been under the upper pillar of the state, the Yuan clan master Yuan Chong, for many years.

Xu Mi grew even more alarmed. A sense of fear slowly seeped out from the depths of her heart, causing the maiden’s hands and feet to instantly turn cold, like she had just chugged several bowls of ice plum juice.

Hong Chongben said, “There’s no need to calculate anything. The responsibility of the Supervisory Council is to oversee Da Li’s officials. In simpler terms, it is the reason that the Embroidered Tiger had said to your grandfather in the past.”

“The Supervisory Council treats the disease before it becomes one, and it must do so!”

Upon hearing that, Xu Mi instantly felt like she had fallen into an ice cave.

Her grandfather Yuan Chong’s study was a “forbidden ground”. Even today, many Yuan clan descendants had never had the qualifications to enter it. Yuan Chong almost never entertained important guests here. Rather, he spoke of things with his friends and colleagues in the hall. However, Xu Mi did not have any of those inhibitions and would often go there to flip through the books. The study was not big,

and there was a small piece of calligraphy hanging on the wall that was unsigned and didn’t have a colophon. When she had been little, Xu Mi had asked many times who had written it, but her grandfather had only smiled but not told her.

“There is both a living person’s sword and a hidden killing blade. It uses silence and speechlessness to intimidate the officials, saving them before they face certain death.”

Xu Mi’s eyes were misty with tears. What should she do? What about her grandfather who had managed the Supervisory Council for many years, and the family with the surname of the upper pillar of the state?

The Great Shu emperor Yin Ji, the prince Yin Miao, and those outsiders had already died. Next, how many who weren’t outsiders would die? Wei Jia in Late Wish Lane was doomed. It was hard to say whether or not Wang Yongjin of Eternal Peace County would die but his dismissal was certain. So could the Da Li Supervisory Council, which had failed to “save people before they faced certain death,” truly stay out of it and escape the calamity, like the Da Li foreigner, the martial artist Gao Shi?

Hong Chongben sighed. Perhaps, other than the common people who had to listen, follow, suffer, and cry, were any officials of the Da Li Dynasty able to shirk their part in this “event”?

For many years, the old man had been watching the evolution of Da Li’s court and fields from the mountains. Each time he left the mountains, it was to observe the results of the various court policies at the level of the various prefectures and states. He used this to carefully study and analyze the mutual transformation between the grand traditions in the books and the smaller traditions outside of them.

If those several books on frontier studies were a visible national border, what the old man who “named” himself as Master Foolish Hut had seen, thought, and recorded over the years was Da Li Dynasty’s false and invisible border. This was absolutely not a useless area of study researched by a rigid and unbending Confucian hunched over in old books. On the contrary, the deviation of these two “maps” of the border must be observed. One had to understand that this invisible “transformation between reality and falsehood” was both a result caused by the passage of many years and that the earthshattering change on a certain day that changed the dynasty’s surname and cut short its national fate would only occur in an instant. A seemingly small matter could cause heaven and earth to change color!

Han Wei felt that, if Cui Chan, the Embroidered Tiger, was still Da Li’s Imperial Preceptor, he would unhesitatingly rush up, because he would not have to worry about losing his official hat or implicating his family due to this matter.

The young centurion, Situ Dianwu, who was riding high on horseback and was blocking the officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Court of State Ceremonial from entering Old Oriole Lake, was full of worries. The young man cast a glance towards the direction of the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.

His fellow officer Qin Biao watched those civil officials following the rules and acting methodically without any slip-ups and had already made a decision a long time ago. How many years had it been? How would things be ten years later? How would things be twenty or thirty years later? If so, it would be better to return to his hometown, receive a high position, and possibly take care of his relatives.

Once the capital was full of officials like Wang Yongjin of Eternal Peace County and their official positions were bound to grow greater and greater, Qin Biao felt that, with the amount of brains he had, either he could join them or, someday, he wouldn’t even know how he’d be played to death. Back in his hometown, Qin Biao thought he at least understood the general methods of bad people like those border officials who didn’t behave like humans and those notorious treacherous officials who were responsible for the border regions and those who weren’t human. But the Da Li officials were different as each and every one of them was too smart. Cui Chan, the Imperial Preceptor, had taught them too much vision, skill, and method over the course of his hundred-year rule, especially before and after the war.

Several years ago, Qin Biao had felt that the other countries of Bao Ping Continent outside of the Da Li Dynasty ought to find Da Li’s iron cavalry terrifying.

As time passed, Qin Biao, who had actively chosen to remain in Da Li’s capital back then, had come to feel that what made Da Li Dynasty terrifying was something inexplicable.

Inside the waterside pavilion, “Magistrate Han is probably a good official”, what the maiden had been thinking had “probably” as its answer.

“Okay,” said the wife of Capital Garrison Centurion Qin Biao, who was a native of the capital, when she heard her husband’s suggestion. That, too, was an answer.

These, and the Da Li Dynasty, the officialdom and among the common people, and on the mountains, were the hearts, words, and actions of even more people.

These were all answers during the period between Cui Chan, the Embroidered Tiger, leaving Da Li and Chen Pingan coming to the capital to take over the position of Imperial Preceptor!

The old teacher stood up. Although his face was full of worry, his eyes still shone brightly. He didn’t fear thunderous fury but only that they would gloss over something or kill the chicken to scare the monkey, causing great noise but little rain. Right now was very good, more than good! But it still wasn’t enough, not nearly enough. Next was the test to see whether you, as Da Li’s Imperial Preceptor, were qualified.

Embroidered Tiger, it was I who was wrong. You were right!

Back then, you were intentionally giving me, the “Foolish Hut,” a study plaque, cursing me so well that you’ve cursed me all these years. You’re truly ruthless!

I only hope that you dare to use the knife on Da Li’s capital, the entire imperial court, the officialdom, and even the Da Li frontier army. I hope that you are able to make the entire imperial court not misunderstand what it means for “everyone to be on the same boat,” but rather, you must make them understand the solid truth that the “enemy is on board”!

————

Of the guards that Yin Miao had brought out of the courtyard, besides Gao Shi who was standing by the wall, there were also three living people. However, they had no right to speak and, at that moment, they were actually still able to stand and stay alive.

Right now, they were all jealous of Gao Shi who had been told to “go off to the side and cool off”.

Cao Lue hesitated and felt that it would be inappropriate for him, someone who was both a foreigner from the Great Shu Dynasty and Da Li Song, to stand here. After thinking about it, he went to accompany Gao Shi and avoid trouble.

Gao Shi used his eyes to stop this top honored guest from the Great Shu Dynasty, but it was to no avail. Cao Lue turned around and leaned against the wall and Gao Shi could do nothing.

Cao Lue asked with a smile, “Grandmaster Gao, are you truly clean?”

Gao Shi asked unhappily, “Young Master Cao, you better not say anything sarcastic to me. What identity did I have in that foul Great Shu Dynasty? The top honored guest of the Da Shu Yin! I was a peak Skysoarer Realm at the ninth level, and I wasn’t that old. What was the identity of the prince Yin Miao? If there were truly dirty jobs that couldn’t be seen, would it be my turn to personally do them? Wasn’t Cai Yushan specially arranging others to do such things?”

Cao Lue nodded and said, “These lessons aren’t written in books, but I’ve heard of some of the tricks.”

Gao Shi wiped the blood off the sheath of his blade with his hand as he asked, confused, “Young Master Cao, what are you doing, coming here to wade through muddy water?”

Cao Lue said, “I was just following them to sightsee. How could I have guessed beforehand that I’d be wading through muddy water.”

Gao Shi said, “I thought that the smart people with your identity, besides squatting on the toilet and sitting on the chamber pot, had an aim and were thinking things through even when they farted in other places.”

Cao Lue said with a smile, “I’m not a smart person like Yin Miao. I don’t even have the guts of someone like Huai Qian.”

Gao Shi had heard that Huai Qian had taken a fall in the Northern Entirely Reed Continent and was only able to live by lighting his ancestral hall’s natal lamp. After changing his body, he had managed to resume cultivation.

As for the Cao Lue beside him, Gao Shi had a decent impression of him. The young man was quite approving of Da Li Dynasty and that young hidden official. If speech could be faked, expressions were difficult to fake.

Gao Shi had that much skill to discern things.

He was “Cao Lue” from the Great End Dynasty. His fate was very good.

His real name was Cao Zhao. Zhao was a relatively uncommon character and it was said that his grandfather had spent several nights flipping through the dictionary before selecting it.

Since he was little, he had been brought by his grandfather who had taught him everything: how to conduct himself, how to do things, how to read, and how to fight with fists. The first three were what his grandfather was very insightful about, but as for martial arts… he was too weak.

Due to his grandfather’s extraordinary love for stories about wandering heroes, Cao Zhao yearned for the brilliant stories that only had the glint of knives and swords and none of the flying through the clouds and riding the mist.

Thus, the grandfather and grandson would often look at a scandalous travelogue together and each had his respective likes and dislikes. For example, his grandfather would always complain that the protagonist Chen Pingan was too timid. This woman was so beautiful and that woman was so bewitching, he should have taken them. Why only dip a few ladles in the water when there were three thousand streams? He was causing even more beautiful ladies to cry in heartbreak.

Cao Zhao had started to yearn for the world of roaming heroes and