As the hour of the Rat passed, a new day was born. It seemed that Chen Ping’an was keeping watch, not just for himself, but for all of humankind.

When Liu Rao, his face a mask of ice, uttered the phrase “The council is dismissed,” the high-ranking civil and military officials who had attended the “Night Court” ebbed away like a retreating tide. Bathed in the light of the palace’s lanterns and braziers, they resembled a school of silver carp, wriggling from the temple halls towards the mansions of the wealthy.

Not a single upright minister dared to dash their brains out against a pillar, seeking to prove their loyalty with death. Nor did any official utter fierce words or make grand pronouncements. They all seemed resigned to their fate.

But Liu Rao knew the Great Shou court better than anyone. He knew that even in this cesspool, there were still some gems of talent and integrity. This, however, was precisely the situation he desired – chaos.

Many of the younger officials, choosing silence for now, already regarded the “Suzerain State” of Great Li Song as their enemy. Their gaze towards Liu Rao held a deep, almost palpable hatred and resentment.

He, the most powerful Grand Preceptor since the founding of Great Shou, was destined to have his name dragged through the mud. Were it not for the regulations of the Middle Earth Confucian Temple, which forbade cultivators from holding the throne, rumors of Liu Rao’s intention to usurp the throne and declare himself emperor would surely spread throughout the court and countryside by dawn.

Yin Ni, who did not immediately depart for Jade Cloud Palace atop the mountain, sighed softly, “Why bother?”

Liu Rao chuckled, “What good is a cracked pot? Better to smash it, so a truly exquisite porcelain vessel can be forged.”

Yin Ni asked, “What will you do next?”

Liu Rao replied, “Force Yin Mi to depose the Empress and immediately appoint another.”

Yin Ni frowned, saying nothing. The current Empress was the daughter of a meritorious noble, foisted upon Crown Prince Yin Mi by the late Emperor Yin Ji. Their relationship was, in truth, one of polite indifference. Moreover, the woman was haughty and jealous. It was natural for Yin Mi to dislike her, but he certainly did not loathe her enough to depose her. Furthermore, to appoint a new Empress on the very day of his coronation… It was all too ‘interesting’.

Liu Rao spoke frankly, “The new Empress will be Jin Li, my personal disciple. Years ago, I deliberately arranged for them to meet at the Jade Cloud Palace temple fair. Jin Li’s origins are unusual. Surely, the Mountain Lord Yin has noticed some clues…”

Yin Ni shook her head, “I haven’t.”

Liu Rao was momentarily speechless.

Yin Ni asked curiously, “What is so miraculous about her?”

Liu Rao hesitated, at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, a white-clad youth, acting as a roof-beam gentlman, slid down a gilded pillar adorned with coiling dragons. Jiang Shangzhen emerged from behind the throne.

Cui Dongshan approached the resplendent lacquer dragon chair, smiling as he offered an explanation, “After the Dragon Slaying Campaign, there were some aftershocks. A golden carp from the East Sea led a rebellion, claiming to command a million soldiers, vowing to seek justice for all aquatic races. But as soon as they set foot on land, they were routed back by Headmaster Han. She was once a close sister to Lady Dan Dan of Lushui Pit, but the latter was too timid and didn’t join the rebellion. However, as time passed, the Land Immortals didn’t take this feat too seriously, unaware of the dangers involved.”

Yin Ni instinctively wanted to ask why Liu Rao had not revealed Jin Li’s Daoist roots earlier. But then she remembered how Yin Mi’s grandfather, the Emperor of Great Shou of that era, had burned incense at Jade Cloud Palace and asked for her opinion on whether Liu Rao should be kept “at an appropriate distance from the dragon throne.” Yin Ni’s response had been indifference.

After that, Liu Rao began to reduce his participation in court meetings, gradually becoming a mere figurehead Grand Preceptor of Great Shou.

Liu Rao looked at the empty hall and mocked himself, “Aren’t you all curious why such a wretched Great Shou dynasty could still rank fourth among the Hao Ran dynasties?”

The old man missed the spirited young man he once knew. Liu Rao had been a newly ascended, ambitious young immortal.

Disparate in age and immortal-mortal status, they had met during a snowy day at a dying city pub. The wind and snow rattled at the door. Inside, they spoke, hearts ablaze with hope, drinking and discussing matters of state, both feeling that Great Shou’s morrow would glow brilliantly, and that the capital’s winter would no longer freeze poor beggars.

Jiang Shangzhen nodded, “I would even like to take up the complaints of third and fifth place, one finds it disgusting, one is filled with shame.”

Cui Dongshan raised a hand and bent his fingers one by one, smiling, “First, their ancestors were indeed wealthy, accumulating a decent fortune. Even if one or two good-for-nothing sons appeared, they could withstand the squandering. Second, their ascension to power was unjust, so they feared being condemned by history. That’s easy to solve. Pass down a few ancestral precepts in secret to later generations. That’s why the Yin family has always been extremely generous to scholars, supporting them lavishly for centuries. This is very advantageous, making it easy to gain a good reputation and attract wandering scholars. Third, there is a Fourteenth Realm ghost ‘Xian’ wandering within their borders. Who dares to reach out casually? Fourth, the Great Shou dynasty’s ancestral graves emitted green smoke before, producing a pair of amazingly talented ‘Civil and Military Prodigies,’ similar to the Great Li Song dynasty’s Yuan and Cao, two ministers of restoration. ‘Civil’ refers to Grand Preceptor Liu Rao, who suddenly had a change of heart as a young prodigal, burning the midnight oil and studying diligently, achieving the Four Successes in examinations. The other, in life, had supreme martial power and a first-class talent for leading troops in battle, similar to our Great Li’s Liu Qingfeng. Such ‘officials’ cannot be sought; you can only rely on luck. Fifth, don’t think Yin Ji is a depraved villain. He was actually quite capable as an emperor, not a commoner. With someone like that on the dragon throne, powerful ministers and famous generals naturally have to step aside. Sixth, at the very least, there’s still Old Ancestor Yin Ni secretly watching over the Yin family’s descendants.”

Liu Rao nodded, “Young man, you have insight.”

Cui Dongshan clasped his hands and shook them exaggeratedly, grinning, “Old Immortal, you have a magnanimous heart.”

Chen Ping’an merely gazed upwards at the ornate caisson ceiling, with a dragon’s head descending and a pearl held in its mouth.

Jiang Shangzhen followed his Mountain Lord’s gaze, thinking that this object was difficult to dismantle or move.

Yin Ni, seeing the mad youth seemingly considering whether to sit on the dragon throne, said angrily, “Put it back!”

Cui Dongshan said, “Huh?” feigning ignorance.

Yin Ni said sternly, “Return the talisman to its original place!”

Cui Dongshan sighed and took out a small box from his sleeve, tossing it back to its original place.

Chen Ping’an said, “Return it untouched.”

Cui Dongshan then took out some treasures from his sleeve and used a secret technique to put them back into the treasure box.

Seeing this, Yin Ni, whose natural disposition was cold and aloof, was rarely so enraged that she laughed, repeating the word “good” several times “This is the behavior of a sect leader? This is State Preceptor Chen’s star student?!”

Cui Dongshan chuckled and plopped down on the dragon throne, shifting his weight and putting his feet on the armrests, “Annoying, isn’t it?”

Yin Ni was about to use a mountain-moving divine ability to suppress this thief when Chen Ping’an said calmly, “His name was originally Cui Chan.”

Yin Ni immediately retracted her divine ability, utterly shocked. The Embroidered Tiger?!

Liu Rao was even more conflicted. Truly the Embroidered Tiger? The patriarch of the art of government that he had studied diligently for over twenty years?!

Cui Dongshan made a face, scratched his cheek, and swung his feet, laughing, “A coward doesn’t mention his past failings. Besides, strictly speaking, I can only be considered Cui Chan’s Daoist dregs. He kept all the good parts for himself and gave me all the bad ones.”

Jiang Shangzhen smiled, thinking that, on this matter, the Mountain Lord and Brother Cui could finally speak openly with outsiders.

Even someone as refined as Yin Ni had to admit that, to put it bluntly, the Great Shou Yin family was not worthy of being deliberately humiliated by the Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan.

Liu Rao’s Daoist heart seemed to have shattered for some reason, as he mumbled, “How is that possible? How is that possible…”

About a century ago, Liu Rao had seen Cui Chan, the chief disciple of the Literary Saint, lecturing. His discourse was eloquent and his momentum surging, leaving no room for others to speak or question.

Liu Rao was a mountain-peak cultivator who had studied the art of governance for over twenty years. As State Preceptors, he could more deeply appreciate Cui Chan’s… insidiousness.

The Embroidered Tiger was like a shadow in broad daylight.

The former State Preceptor of the Shao Yuan Dynasty, who was also Lin Junbi’s mentor, had also tried to find loopholes and flaws in the Great Li’s art of governance, frequently corresponding with Liu Rao. The more they investigated, the more pessimistic they became, both believing that the Embroidered Tiger was invincible. They had even made a most terrifying assumption: if Cui Chan harbored resentment towards the Middle Earth Confucian Temple and the Confucian orthodoxy, what would he do?

Anyone lacking self-awareness could simply ask themselves, and they would know their own worth on the road of life, at every moment.

The strength of one’s power was determined by who the opponent was.

The height of one’s ambition was determined by who the imaginary enemy was.

With both Chen Yinguan and Cui Embroidered Tiger, the Great Shou Dynasty was destined to fail in any attempt to cross the river after dismantling the bridge. Yin Ni felt somewhat weary. She was not optimistic about Liu Rao’s desperate gamble.

Indeed, Liu Rao’s plan could not afford a single misstep. Liu Rao was not afraid of being recorded in history or becoming a traitor in the eyes of the people. But Yin Ni found it difficult to imagine how Liu Rao would cope if, one day, he discovered that he had ultimately failed and could only leave behind an even more chaotic mess for the younger people of Great Shou to clean up.

In Liu Rao’s eyes, the general who would later rise step by step to become the head of the Great Shou military and achieve unrewardable merit was but a young man.

In Yin Ni’s eyes, had not Liu Rao also been a youth? The child prodigy who had been led astray by a few books of strange tales and became an immortal?

Yin Ni took her leave and returned to her Mountain Lord’s mansion.

Liu Rao abruptly suggested, “How about I accompany State Preceptor Chen on a tour of the two secret treasuries of Great Shou? The former is just a smokescreen. The so-called treasures are of ordinary quality, but there is a semi-immortal weapon to give it a veneer of legitimacy, lest anyone becomes suspicious. The latter does have some good things. Only two possibilities exist to open the door: the Great Shou Emperor inspecting the treasures, or myself and Mountain Lord Yin jointly holding the Tiger Talisman and entering the treasury together. The nominal purpose is mutual supervision, but in reality, the late Emperor was afraid of me abusing my power… It turns out I underestimated Yin Ji back then.”

Heh, embezzlement? Now, he, Liu Rao, was almost stealing the country.

Previously, Liu Rao had only grumbled a little and wondered why Yin Ji, knowing his character, was so petty.

Now, he knew a terrifying truth: Yin Ji also had the ambition to ascend to immortality. Every treasure in the Great Shou secret treasury was Yin Ji’s future sustenance for attaining Dao.

The new Emperor Yin Miao, who had become a puppet upon his enthronement, belonged to the Yin clan of the Great Shou Taizong lineage. It was rumored that a jade axe was secretly enshrined in Jade Cloud Palace atop the mountain.

Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen exchanged glances, thinking Liu had taken the right path.

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly and shook his head.

He was not there to collect loot.

Liu Rao insisted, “We can’t let the visiting State Preceptor Chen and the Sword Immortals make a trip for nothing, leaving the impression of a lot of noise and little rain in the eyes of outsiders.”

Jiang Shangzhen laughed, “Great Li has already become the suzerain state, with a dynasty ranked fourth among the Hao Ran dynasties as a vassal state. How can that be considered a lot of noise and little rain?”

Cui Dongshan put his hand to his mouth, “After all, my master hasn’t held the position of State Preceptor in two dynasties. Liu Rao is nervous. If he doesn’t offer something, he won’t feel at ease when he goes to sleep.”

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly realized, “That makes sense.”

Chen Ping’an said, “We’ll talk about it next time.”

Liu Rao said, “Public and private are separate. Great Li Song gets a share, and Luopo Mountain gets a share.”

Jiang Shangzhen admired Liu Rao’s openness even more, understanding why he could be a State Preceptor.

Liu Rao even took the lead in leaving the hall, saying he was going to take a look at the old mansion of the State Preceptor’s residence, which had been abandoned for many years, casually leaving a few outsiders here. Then that ‘youth’ waved his hand and laughingly asked, “State Preceptor Liu is not afraid that the caisson and the dragon throne will be gone tomorrow’s assembly?” Liu Rao hurried away, without a word of reply.

Cui Dongshan jumped down from the dragon throne and whispered, “Sir?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, using sound transmission, “Zheng Dafeng warned me in code that something is indeed very wrong. But the situation is unclear right now. It’s better to remain calm and not force her to make a desperate move.”

Similar to hiding, complete and intact. Plus, there’s Liu Rao’s disciple, Jin Li, and the East Sea golden carp that Cui Dongshan mentioned.

Cui Dongshan said, “I suspect Yin Ni has set up an immortal birdcage throughout the entire capital, specifically to capture the heart sounds of cultivators and refine them into the essence of music and incense. Ingenious and somewhat intriguing.”

He planned to stay there for a few more days.

Jiang Shangzhen was confused. Cui Dongshan explained roughly, “Her origins are very complex. Even Liu Rao might have been deceived. I haven’t been able to figure out her exact background yet, but this city beneath the skirt and that great mountain exude a mysterious aura.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Reminds me of Mount Hehuan.”

This naturally made him think of Lu Chen.

No sooner had Liu Rao left than a group of scholars in the truest sense of the word came and strode across the threshold of the main hall.

Cui Dongshan urged Vice Mountain Master Jiang to leave through the side door and go see other sights.

Chen Ping’an was pleasantly surprised and quickly stepped forward, asking with a smile, “Brother Qunyu, did you come with Master Han?”

Gentleman Gu Kuang, styled Qunyu, was also a sword cultivator. He had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall and was close to Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, and the others.

Among the Great Li imitation White Jade Capital longswords that A Liang had tossed onto the Sword Qi Great Wall in the past, there was one called “Hao Ran Qi,” which Gu Kuang had “borrowed temporarily.”

Besides that, Gu Kuang was also the man Die Zhang admired.

Gu Kuang bowed silently to the end, performing a scholar’s great salute.

Chen Ping’an felt somewhat helpless, knowing that a return salute was expected.

Unexpectedly, Gu Kuang quickly stood up, not giving Chen Ping’an a chance to return the salute, and said with a smile, “Let me introduce you.”

Beside Gu Kuang were Qin Zhengxiu, who had also been to the Sword Qi Great Wall with Liu Xianyang, and Chen Shi.

There were also two women, both ladies from the most prestigious scholarly families in the Hao Ran world.

Chen Dui, Chen Shi’s older sister. Wen Shujun, was a renowned female teacher in the South Po Suo Continent. Her husband was a handsome immortal from the Da Rang River, obsessed with fishing.

Gu Kuang from Heshan Academy, Qin Zhengxiu from Shanlu Academy of South Po Suo Continent, and Chen Shi, a descendant of the Chen clan of Pure Scholars.

The three Confucian gentlemen had all been to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Qin Zhengxiu said regretfully, “Why is it that Mr. Chen refuses to accept the invitation from the Grand Ritualist to serve as the Confucian Temple Supervisor of the Barren Battlefield? Wang Zai and I all think that if you were willing, we would all ‘take leave’ from the academy for a few years and accompany Mr. Chen to the Barren Battlefield. Last time, we fought too dejectedly.”

Gu Kuang coughed softly a few times, reminding his friend not to harp on the one sore point. Mr. Chen was now the State Preceptor of Great Li, and he had just knocked Zhou Mi down from the New Heavenly Court… Even a donkey pulling a millstone needs to catch his breath.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping’an said, “I will go.”

Qin Zhengxiu pressed, “When will you go?”

Remembering the debt he owed to the Fuyue Continent Academy, Chen Ping’an joked, “Are you upright gentlemen all cut from the same mold when you speak?”

Among the younger generation of Confucian gentlemen in the Confucian Temple, Chen Ping’an was very popular.

Besides Gu Kuang and Qin Zhengxiu from Shanlu Academy of South Po Suo Continent, there were also Wang Zai from Wuxi Academy and Wen Yu from Tianmu Academy.

First, they studied in academies, then they achieved merit on the battlefield. Most of them had already taken on positions as vice presidents of the academies.

Qin Zhengxiu also felt that he had been too impatient and said with a smile, “Notify us before Mr. Chen sets off.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “Brother Qunyu, can I ask about something personal?”

The last time they had met, Gu Kuang had wanted to return the sword, whether to the Ascension City or the Great Li Song clan. But Chen Ping’an hadn’t agreed, brushing it off with vague words.

Ascension City, which had already firmly established itself as the number one Daoist site in the Multi-Colored World, was not short of a good sword. As for the Great Li Dynasty, the score had not been settled yet, and Chen Ping’an wouldn’t be so proactive in showing goodwill. If he did, it would only make Empress Dowager Nan Zan even more unaware of her place.

Furthermore, deep down, Chen Ping’an still hoped that Ascension City and the Confucian Temple could have more cordiality.

Gu Kuang guessed what Chen Ping’an wanted to ask and said with a smile, “Naturally, I like Lady Die Zhang. It’s just that the situation was complicated back then, and I couldn’t indulge in love. If I didn’t like her, why would I take the initiative to follow Mr. Chen to the newly opened Multi-Colored World to serve as a recorder? It was because I thought she would settle down with Ascension City in the new world. Then I could go to the tavern and drink, pretending to be drunk, and my courage would be bolstered, and I would express my feelings to Lady Die Zhang. After that, there was the reconstruction of the academy, the inspection of the countries of Middle Earth, the preparation for the Barren Battlefield, and so on. Indeed, the affairs were heavy, and I couldn’t get away… Forget it, these are all excuses. In reality, I was still too timid, afraid that the person Die Zhang truly liked wasn’t you, the second manager, but Chen Sanqiu, who traveled with her.”

Back then, in the Multi-Colored World, when heaven and earth had just opened, there were two Confucian saints sitting in the sky above the center of the world. These two Confucian Temple enshrined sages came from the Book of Rites Palace of the Ritual Saint lineage and the Heshan Academy of the Sub-Saint lineage. Gu Kuang was one of the recorders with the title of gentleman.

Chen Ping’an was relieved, “I was afraid that the two of you were not fated to be together.”

Chen Ping’an clasped his hands separately to Chen Dui, “Long time no see.”

Chen Dui smiled and clasped her hands in return, “Chen Ping’an, long time no see.”

The other party had too many identities and too many honorifics. Chen Dui had always been simple-minded, and rather than trying to figure out which form of address was more appropriate, she would just call him by his name.

One must know that when they first met, the man in green robes, who was now successful and famous, was just a dark-skinned and thin straw-sandaled boy who had helped lead the way into the mountains together.

Accompanying him were Ning Yao, Liu Baqiao, and a scholarly student from the Chen clan of Longwei Creek.

Chen Ping’an was at Old Oriole Lake, walking with Song Jixin along the willow-lined path by the lake when he happened to hear Song Jixin mention an old story, saying that back in the small town, this woman Chen Dui had been very arrogant. She had foolishly taken a punch from Song Changjing. She was tough, pulling herself out of the wall without a sound. Afterwards, Song Changjing privately gave her a high evaluation.

Wen Shujun was naturally very curious about Chen Ping’an.

He was young, but he already seemed like the kind of character who lived in books and was painted in portraits.

If the other party was just the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall, or the new State Preceptor of Great Li, she might have been a little nervous facing him, afraid of her words and demeanor being improper.

Since “yesterday”, she felt that there was nothing to fear or be nervous about. What magnificent scenery had he not seen? What kind of mythical characters had he not met?

In fact, after Gu Kuang had introduced Wen Shujun’s name and identity, Chen Ping’an knew who her husband was. They had crossed paths before, from Fuyue Continent sword flight across the sea.

Gu Kuang asked with a smile, “Qin Zhengxiu is about to move up the ranks. Chen Hidden Officer, guess where he’ll go?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Could it be the vice president of Guanhai Academy?”

Gu Kuang said with a smile, “Actually, Qin Zhengxiu wanted to go to Chunshan Academy, which hasn’t yet made it into the seventy-two, but the Confucian Temple rejected it, saying he didn’t understand the teachings of the Literary Saint lineage enough.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Is that Senior Brother Mao’s opinion?”

Gu Kuang laughed loudly.

Qin Zhengxiu said helplessly, “Secretary Mao even scolded me for having superficial scholarship and being a sycophant. I’ve been too embarrassed to mention this to Qunyu and the others. Secretary Mao is too harsh.”

Chen Ping’an held back his laughter, “I’ll say a few honest words for you to Senior Brother Mao later, such as I’m not sure whether his scholarship is profound, but he is definitely not a sycophant.”

Chen Shi said softly with a smile, “Chen Sword Immortal, I was too embarrassed to chat with you much at the Sword Qi Great Wall last time. When I was studying in the early years, Liu Xianyang and I were classmates and good friends. He secretly boasted to me that you would definitely be the best ceramic kiln master in the world in the future.”

Back then, Chen Ping’an joined hands with Lu Zhi and Chen Chun’an, jointly setting up an ambush at sea to encircle and annihilate a great demon of the Ascension Realm that had been hiding in Hao Ran for many years.

So Chen Chun’an and his friend had once said that they had fulfilled a wish.

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Liu Xianyang has always been one to brag without a draft.”

The Chen family of Pure Scholars was known as the ultimate gatherer of arches in the world. The face-loving Liu Xianyang, arriving at an academy in another continent that he didn’t know well, the appearance of Chen Shi and their friendship would make it easier and faster for Liu Xianyang to adapt to local customs.

Chen Ping’an hesitated.

Chen Shi said, “Liu Xianyang sent me an invitation to his wedding a long time ago, but he only asked me to send the gift money over. That bastard repeatedly implied in the letter that I shouldn’t come in person, saying that everything would be kept simple for the wedding banquet, and that his family was poor and couldn’t borrow tables and tableware.”

Chen Ping’an said with a smile, “He’s really not treating you like an outsider.”

Chen Shi said sourly, “Liu Xianyang is a good friend of mine, but you are his good brother. He’s clearly distinguishing between closeness and distance.”

Chen Ping’an said with a smile, “Whether we’re close or not depends on the number of times we borrow money.”

Chen Shi immediately became happy, “In the early stages of studying at the academy, I hid my family identity and pretended to be poor. Liu Xianyang was the one who helped me out.”

Wen Shujun finally found an opportunity to speak, “Chen Shi, people depend on clothes and horses depend on saddles. A wealthy aura may be faked to some extent, but poverty cannot be faked, and it can never be imitated. Sect Master Liu must have seen through it a long time ago.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in agreement.

Chen Shi said, “No wonder I’ve always been confused about why Liu Xianyang was always troubled by one thing back then, wondering if you would feel that you have nothing to talk about with him when he returns home in the future.”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment, recalling something, and asked, “Where is Vice Headmaster Han?”

Gu Kuang said, “At Jade Cloud Palace on the mountain top, saying he wants to catch up with an old friend.”

At the bottom of the Danbi steps outside the main hall of what ordinary people and operas call the Emperor’s Golden Palace, sat an old man and a young boy, whom he had only met today, and who were about to become master and disciple.

Earlier, the old deaf man had wandered everywhere in the bustling streets of the capital, and he had actually found a good Daoist cultivation seedling, a young man from a wealthy family dressed in silk and brocade, surrounded by bootlickers.

The young man had just walked out of a brothel, with traces of rouge that had not been wiped clean on his face, when he was stopped in the street by an old man with a hunched back wearing cloth shoes.

After the old deaf man’s earnest persuasion, the other party finally didn’t report him to the authorities.

The so-called good aptitude was actually just the hope of forming a Dan. The old deaf man already thought that it was quite good. Before the two heavy rains, how many Immortals of the Ascension Realm did there were on the same continent? A continent was like a gateway, accumulating centuries and millennia of wealth. Besides the Ascension Realm, the Upper Five Realms could be counted. Even if mountain peak cultivators with profound Daoist power went out on a tour, it would take them several years to travel through the nine continents. How many people could they lead up the mountain?

The old deaf man believed that he had only wandered around the capital and was able to find a young man who had the chance to form a Golden Dan, which was truly not easy.

Of course, the old deaf man only said that he was a Land Immortal who had opened up a cave mansion and Daoist site in Baoping Continent. The young man directly asked, “Have you participated in the Night Tour Banquet of Piyun Mountain?”

The old deaf man didn’t know how to answer for a moment.

The young man from a wealthy family dressed in silk and brocade, named Zhang Ying, was not so easily fooled.

The old deaf man didn’t waste words with him, saying that he could take him on a tour of the imperial palace and participate in the lively assembly. Then he would know that he, the Baoping Continent Land Immortal, wasn’t a scam.

They stood next to a eunuch who cracked the whip, but all the officials participating in the assembly seemed to be blind to them. The young man was greatly shocked. If he learned this immortal technique, wouldn’t he be able to enter anywhere as if he was in an unpopulated land? The boudoirs of some favorite sisters and the beds of graceful women, wouldn’t he be able to sneak over and admire them putting on makeup in front of the mirror and bathing up close? More than that, the young man didn’t dare to have unreasonable thoughts. He was a refined man who had read the books of sages. A gentleman only used his eyes, not his hands.

The young man whispered, “Xu Rao is crazy.”

Carrying a sword to court, being granted the Nine Bestowments, the emperor believing that he was not worthy of his virtue and performing a Chan concession for the sake of the common people… But does Xu Rao have descendants?

The old deaf man said with a smile, “You’re quite bold, calling him by name.”

Zhang Ying turned his head to look at the high white jade steps. There was the legendary dragon throne in the main hall. This central axis of the capital extended all the way to the ancestral mountain of Great Shou’s Middle Peak, Jade Cloud Palace atop the mountain.

That female Mountain Lord was like a woman who had been listening to the government behind a screen throughout the dynasties.

Zhang Ying sighed and rubbed his face hard, “What’s so good about being an immortal?”

The old deaf man said, “It can give you the confidence to say ‘no’ to many people and many things.”

Zhang Ying was about to speak when he felt a blur before his eyes, and a white, ethereal… goddess appeared?

The woman said with a smile, “Fellow Daoist is suitable to be a Daoist priest who is in charge of daily studies and imparting skills.”

The old deaf man waved his hand, “You’re too kind.”

What he hated the most and was least good at was being polite and hypocritical with anyone, saying empty words. That would be heartless and the atmosphere would be wrong.

We Daoists, whether practicing swords or cultivating the Dao, cannot follow the crowd and not have any opinions. We must have focus in our conduct.

This female sword immortal was a ghost, Zheng Dan, the gatekeeper of White Emperor City, of the Yue Maiden swordsmanship lineage.

She looked around and said, “Mr. Zheng has ordered that Yin Ni has many identities and skillful methods. Don’t move her casually. Be careful that Great Shou’s capital will instantly turn into a dead city.”

The old deaf man frowned, “Is that the residual aftermath of Zhou Mi targeting our Mountain Lord?”

Zheng Dan shook her head, “It’s just an old debt that the Hao Ran world has to pay. State Preceptor Chen is just passing by, so it’s best to mind his own business and not get involved.”

The old deaf man asked, “Did you come here just to give a reminder?”

Zheng Dan said with a smile, “That’s one of the reasons. Also, Mr. Zheng asked me to be a lobbyist and persuade ‘Yin Ni’ to secretly go to the southeastern region of the Barren Battlefield to meet with Mr. Zheng.”

The State Preceptor’s residence, which no one had visited for a long time, the court only sent palace maids to sweep it regularly.

Liu Rao sat alone on the steps, heavy-hearted. All he had done could be summed up in one sentence, “The country is about to fall, wake up, gentlemen! Are you still sleepy?”

Suddenly, smoke billowed, but there was no evil energy. It rose from the haunted house in the capital and instantly swept over to the State Preceptor’s residence. A burly, armored, and sword-wielding spirit, resembling a doorman, appeared from the black smoke. He looked at Liu Rao, who had returned to the State Preceptor’s residence, with a complex expression, and said the same words as Yin Ni, “Why bother?”

Back then, it was a riotous scene. The Daoist priest who set up an altar to perform a ritual to exorcise demons, but the Daoist priest’s skills were lacking, and he was instead teased by the “fierce ghost” with high magic power, making a sorry figure of himself. He was thrown outside the house. The Daoist braced himself and returned to the house, telling the family that he was going back to the mountains to invite a few senior brothers. In fact, the old Daoist’s subtext was, “Don’t take the deposit back.”

However, the one who was teasing the Daoist priest was not this ghost, but a mischievous fox spirit that he had subdued a few years ago.

Liu Rao said with a smile, “General Chai, are you finally willing to show your face?”

The ghost said unhappily, “Old Liu, is your tongue not tied when you see Mrs. Yin now?”

Liu Rao nodded, “Don’t say that my speech is smooth. Now, when I look at her directly, I am so calm and my eyes are so sharp that she feels embarrassed instead.”

The ghost was skeptical, “Did you secretly drink two pounds of horse urine after the assembly?”

Liu Rao sneered, “If you don’t believe me, go ask Hidden Officer Chen. He can help testify.”

He was honest all his life, established a world-shaking merit, and after he resigned from his official position, his door could be left open, and after death he had no guests, no concubines in the room, and no savings, being clean and honest.

The ghost sneered, “A man who is afraid of his wife will always favor like-minded people. If I believe him, wouldn’t that be the same as believing your nonsense?”

Liu Rao said, “It’s better to be afraid of your wife than for you and me to have been bachelors for a lifetime.”

On the mountain peak, at Jade Cloud Palace.

Master Han stood with his hands behind his back in the hall with heavy curtains, looking at the painted statue, and said, “It really is you.”

A golden body walked out of the statue. Yin Ni frowned and asked, “Vice Headmaster Han, what do you mean by that?”

Master Han said calmly, “Come out and talk.”

Yin Ni was annoyed. One by one, the vice headmaster of the Confucian Temple, the State Preceptor of Great Li, the sword immortal of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the upright gentlemen of the academy, and that Zheng surnamed one, especially the white-clothed youth with a sick mind… Are you done yet?!

At this moment, Yin Ni reached out and covered her forehead. In the next moment, as if something were driving her hands, it tore open from the skin of her forehead, forcibly tearing off a layer of gilded Dharma body, and a skinless woman with bloody flesh “walked out.” She reshaped her facial features and grew fair skin. She was a woman whose appearance was even better than Yin Ni’s. The only flaw was that there were layers of tiny golden scales on her face, which instantly transformed her from beauty to divinity, inhuman.

Just as Zheng Dafeng said, any mountain or water spirit who saw Chen Ping’an last night would have a strong feeling of love and hate, but Yin Ni had no waves at all.

At this moment, she glanced at the palace at the foot of the mountain and sneered, “If it weren’t for the fact that his body is stained with a lot of aquatic aura, I would definitely make him suffer! The lives of a million people in the capital are closely related to my Dao. Anyway, if I live, they all live, and if I die, they all die. If you annoy me, don’t mention Chen Ping’an. Even if you have more calamities, you, as the vice headmaster of the Confucian Temple, will also suffer and cause a dynasty’s capital to become a ghost domain. You two scholars are the culprits…”

While she hated Master Han, she was distracted and said to Zheng Dan, who was standing at the bottom of the Danbi steps of the palace, “Please decline Mr. Zheng’s kind invitation for me. Just say that I have no intention of going to the Barren Battlefield. Even if the Middle Earth Confucian Temple sees through me, I want to see what they can do to me…”

As she