When Chen Ping’an returned to his humble dwelling in Nipin Lane, a maiden in rose-hued silks was diligently sweeping the courtyard. A lad clad in verdant garb lay prostrate by the small cistern, mouth agape, as if seeking communion with its depths. Though a span of two feet remained, a column of water reversed its course, flowing upward into the boy’s waiting maw, a spectacle akin to a dragon drawing sustenance from the heavens.

Chen Ping’an settled upon the threshold, observing the scene. The rose-clad maiden, sensing her master’s contemplation, wisely refrained from interruption. Though Ruan Xiu had meticulously cleaned the yard ere this, the girl felt an unsettling idleness, a sense of unworthiness for the serpent’s gallstone so generously bestowed by her lord.

Having traversed leagues untold, Chen Ping’an’s thoughts suddenly turned to Cui Dongshan’s tale of Song Jixin. He rose, retrieving the keys surreptitiously left by Song Jixin upon his departure from the town, and ventured to unlock the neighboring abode. Upon the study desk, he espied three tomes stacked high: “Primary School,” “Literary Music,” and “Guanzhi.”

He fetched a chair and immersed himself in “Primary School.”

During the latter half of his journey, he had traveled in the company of Cui Dongshan, often hearing the rogue reciting passages from venerable texts. He now grasped that “Primary School” was no mere primer. At first glance, one might deem it a repository of simple knowledge. Yet, if Cui Dongshan was to be believed, the scholastic masters of the secular world would never consider this work a mere elementary text. Perhaps only Master Qi possessed the acumen to unravel such complex truths, leaving Li Baoping and the others utterly bewildered as to its profound depth.

Chen Ping’an did not carry the three books back to his ancestral home. After perusing several dozen pages of “Primary School,” he felt his meager understanding falter. Deliberate attempts at comprehension only led to confusion and a swelling of the mind, like clouds without anchor.

Defeated, Chen Ping’an closed the book, drew the silver sword embryo from his sleeve, cradled it gently in his palm, and resumed his vigil upon the threshold.

Twice he passed by the stone arch bridge, yet received no sign. A grim realization dawned: she had truly vanished for an indeterminate time, expending half of the Dragon-Slaying Platform to hone the blade. But the Platform was sundered into three pieces, claimed by Ruan Qiong, Fengxue Temple, and Zhenwu Mountain. Chen Ping’an could only speculate on the consequences of her actions, powerless to intervene.

It was on a bitter winter night that a girl had collapsed at his gate. Chen Ping’an had saved her, only for her to become Song Jixin’s handmaiden. Wang Zhu renamed her Zhigui, and in the end, she followed her true liege, Prince Song Jixin of Dali, to the capital.

The Kiln Affairs office oversaw the construction of the official halls; the bridge bore the inscription “Flower and Water Rise”; the Lock Dragon Well possessed fathomless depths; each locust leaf held the shade of ancestral trees; and the old porcelain mountain marked the graves of immortals.

To say nothing of the local serpents and cross-river dragons that infested the town.

A tangled mess.

No wonder Old Man Yang had prophesied that Chen Ping’an would one day discover the true size of this town.

Thinking of the apothecary who espoused fair trade, Chen Ping’an felt his spirits sink. He exhaled a breath of turbid air, instinctively clenching the sword embryo in his palm. He rose, concealed the blade in his sleeve, and departed the abandoned abode of Song Jixin. Upon returning home, Chen Ping’an entrusted the rose-skirted maiden with the keys to Liu Xianyang’s house, bidding them to relocate, for the dwelling in Nipin Lane was far too cramped.

The verdant-clad child, finally sated, straightened from the water tank. He paused, as if struck by a sudden thought. “Master, did you not exchange an ordinary serpent’s gallstone for a mountain of rags for me…? And as for those Yunxia Bottles and Moonlight Bottles, why not gift them to Miss Ruan, given your closeness? Master, with my centuries of experience, I can tell you that every woman, regardless of station, desires such trinkets. Surely they are preferable to a broken bamboo slip?”

The lad smirked. “What? Does the master begrudge parting with those precious vessels? Then I must speak plainly. Ruan Xiu is the daughter of a military saint, and the master would still be in her debt even if he gifted ten thousand bottles!”

Chen Ping’an, helping the maiden carry the bookcase, retorted with ire: “Did you not perceive that Master Ruan holds me in little regard?”

The verdant boy reflected upon the matter, considering the master sage’s demeanor. Indeed, he seemed rather lukewarm toward Chen Ping’an. “He is blind!” the boy declared. “He cannot see your future brilliance, Master. Do not vex yourself so, it is not worth the cost to your health.”

He remembered suddenly that Ruan Qiong was in charge of this world. He was under the jurisdiction of the emperor. If the emperor sat on a dragon throne, it would be under the world. Is it the king’s land? Therefore, he has many unimaginable magical powers. The boy in blue hurriedly He slapped himself in the face, “Child words are not quarrels, the saints dozed off, and they didn’t hear anything. Don’t blame him if you hear it…”

The verdant boy pressed on, “But does the matter of gifting bottles to Ruan Xiu truly hinge upon whether Ruan Shengren approves of you?”

Chen Ping’an offered a casual explanation: “If I intend to bestow the bottles, I shall gift them all. But imagine Miss Ruan arriving home with such a vast collection of vessels. Master Ruan would surely discover them, further diminishing my standing in his eyes. He might even suspect ill intent, leading to discord with Miss Ruan. Such an outcome would be most undesirable.”

The maiden in rose silks nodded sagely. “The master is indeed most considerate.”

The verdant boy was aghast. “Misunderstand ill intent? Do you harbor ulterior motives toward Ruan Xiu, then?”

“Nonsense!”

Chen Ping’an cuffed the boy upon the head, sending him sprawling beyond the threshold. The boy scrambled to his feet, stood at the gate, and grinned. “Master, do not silence me with death! I swear to keep my mouth shut. I’ll mention the bottles no more than Li Baoping, nor more than the winding beam bottles!”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his forehead, shame washing over him.

The maiden gazed beyond the yard, toward Nipin Lane, and felt her eyes open anew. First, she had felt the abundant spiritual energy of Longquan County; then, she had witnessed the potential of the down-and-out mountain with her own eyes; then she had seen the extraordinary and handsome Wei Bo, and then walked into the building that could A beautiful bamboo building that condenses the fortune of mountains and rivers.

This was her fifth awakening. In her eyes, Chen Ping’an was no longer just a scholar standing in a dark alley. At this moment, he was like the rising sun.

A figure garbed in azure asked, a smile playing upon his lips, “What of my treasure bottles?”

The verdant boy stiffened, turning his head slowly. Seeing no one else present, he regarded the newcomer with suspicion. The scholar before him seemed devoid of any particular aura.

The maiden, having learned from her past mistakes, refrained from speaking, even though she saw nothing amiss about the young man.

“Li Baoping is my master’s dearest friend,” the lad blurted, feigning idiocy. “I merely admire that girl. Who are you?”

“Brother Li, what brings you here?”

Chen Ping’an, discerning the situation, stepped to the gate, fearing the boy would blunder.

Li Xisheng said with a tinge of guilt, “I neglected to mention that the books I provided were given before, bore annotations and reflections of my own making. Mo Chuang added some perfunctory notes, while Zhu Chuang wished to question the sages directly. I came to advise that you disregard these words for now. If they prove perplexing, set them aside. Do not misinterpret the texts due to my thoughts, and do not lose sight of their true meaning.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “I understand.”

Li Xisheng smiled, glancing at the verdant boy. “Jest if you must, but remember that excess leads to error. Words hold power. They combine to form phrases, which link to form sentences, which intertwine to form articles. The Great Tao resides within.”

The verdant boy looked up at the scholar with sarcasm, but he didn’t blurt out. He clenched his fists and swallowed the words. If it weren’t for the hardships in the blacksmith shop, the boy in green would want to ask you, this guy is so good at being a teacher, why don’t he go to Confucianism to be a saint?

Li Xisheng seemed to have seen through the thoughts of the boy in green at first sight, and even heard his heart directly, with a gentle smile and patiently explained: “There is a saying in Buddhism that Taoism has a step of the bridge of immortality and a step-by-step ** , We Confucianism have a gradual rule, so I have to take the imperial examination first. As for whether we can become a Confucian saint in the future, it is too far away and we dare not expect it.”

The verdant boy was as if he had lost his parents. He didn’t dare to look at the scholar again. He just turned his head and looked at Chen Ping’an for help. His expression was desolate and he had no desire to live, but he didn’t dare to say a word.

It feels like I am complaining to my master. Longquan County is really terrible. I just walk over and sit on a bamboo chair. I am a military saint. I just run to stand alone in the alley. A Confucian gentleman who can see through his own thoughts? A wise man?

So next time, will there be someone else who will kill himself with one punch?

The girl in the pink skirt blushed and mustered up her courage and asked loudly: “Sir, why do we often suddenly stop recognizing certain words when we are studying? Even if they are just under their noses, staying motionless on the pages of the book. But we just feel very strange?”

Li Xisheng was slightly surprised and looked at the petite and cute girl in pink skirt. He knew something in his heart and showed a hint of praise. The scholar of the Li family bent down, blinked at her, and lowered his voice gently, half true and half false He said, “Because at some point, some words were secretly borrowed by some saints.”

The girl in pink skirt was a little angry. She had a special stubbornness in books and knowledge, and she taught others a lesson for the first time. “If you don’t know the correct answer, don’t solve your doubts randomly. Where can you do this in the world? A matter of reason! Knowing what you know and knowing what you don’t know is knowing… ”

The further she went, the girl in the pink skirt became weaker and her voice became lower and lower, so that even she could not even hear the thin and weak mosquitoes and flies in the end.

Chen Ping’an smiled and patted the little head of the girl in the pink skirt, and said to Li Xisheng, “Brother Li, don’t be angry, she is not in this way.”

Li Xisheng laughed heartily and said happily, “That’s the best.”

As Li Xisheng heard that Chen Ping’an intended to journey elsewhere, he followed him from Nipin Lane.

Chen Ping’an suddenly found a young…swordsman standing in the alley ahead?

On the waist of the swordsman close to Chen Ping’an and others, a short sword that was only slightly longer than a dagger was hung, and on the other side, a sword that was much longer than an ordinary long sword was hung.

The short sword scabbard is snow-white, and the long sword scabbard is pitch black.

The young swordsman’s side face is feminine and the corners of his mouth are naturally raised, giving people the feeling that he is smiling all the time, so that his appearance is quite like a fox. At this time, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the old house that was far more complete than he had imagined. This made the young swordsman not only not feel happy, but was a little unhappy.

The young swordsman turned his head and looked at Chen Ping’an and his group with a soft tone and a warm voice, “Do you know who has repaired this house?”

Chen Ping’an’s face could not be seen at all, and he asked, “What’s wrong? The house is broken, shouldn’t it be repaired?”

The young swordsman shook his head and smiled, “Don’t you say whether you have practiced well, but is there any saying “Tai Sui’s head hitting earth” in your Dali Longquan County?”

Although the young swordsman kept laughing, Chen Ping’an did not dare to take it lightly at all, and even felt a chill in his heart.

This young foreigner who seems easy to talk to is very dangerous!

Li Xisheng suddenly took a step forward, reached out to stop Chen Ping’an and the other two behind him, and whispered: “Stand behind me, don’t say or do it next, just look.”

The young swordsman smiled even more strongly, holding the hilt of the sword of different lengths with both hands, shook his head, trying to find Chen Ping’an behind the green-shirted scholar, and finally stood still, “What, so coincidentally, I happened to meet him.” Lord? As for what you want to do, seek death?”

Li Xisheng smiled and said, “You can talk about the truth carefully. Don’t unsheath the sword.”

The young swordsman shrugged and smiled innocently, “But the reason is in the scabbard.”

Li Xishengyun said lightly, stretched out his finger to himself, and suddenly said, “So the drunkard’s intention is not about wine, but about me?”

The young swordsman smiled and said, “It’s not as complicated as you think. I don’t even know your surname or name. I just didn’t like you when I saw you for the first time. After hearing you talk nonsense, I felt even more uncomfortable. It just happened to be a mistake, killing two birds with one stone. Isn’t it beautiful to teach you a lesson with that little guy?”

The young swordsman pressed the palm of his hand against the hilt of the short sword and smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I, Cao Jun, made a sword and rarely killed people.”

Li Xisheng frowned and asked, “Is your ancestor the sword immortal Cao Xi?”

The young swordsman sighed and answered the question, “Why do you come here? With my identity as Cao Jun, how can you bully that young man even if you don’t like him? At most, it’s just to destroy him. That’s just a little martial arts foundation, but you have to be the first to be a leader. If you have great ability or too small, it’s okay. If you have no ability and only lose half of me, the boy will be pissed off by me, you Didn’t you harm him?”

After saying this, the young swordsman grinned and showed his white teeth, “Okay, don’t go around in circles, let’s be honest, I, Cao Jun, have a unique talent and can sense some strange existences, such as… a sword embryo. The rest Everything, such as my ancestral home, and what you think is annoying to you, a scholar, are all…really. But don’t worry, I will bid for the sword embryo, and the price is definitely not low. As for whether you think you are forced to buy it It’s not my business to force it.”

Li Xisheng asked, “Before you are ready to start, can I ask you, what is your current state?”

“How could I ask this before the fight? But since you are so interesting, I really don’t mind answering you.” The young swordsman narrowed his eyes and sneered. When he spoke frivolously, he mentioned the swordsmanship and realm. Zi became precious to the word “sword, eight, nine, between.”

Li Xisheng nodded, “I understand.”

The sword embryo in Chen Ping’an’s sleeve gradually became hot. Chen Ping’an wrapped his left hand around his back, twisted his wrist, and held it tightly.

————

Ruan Qiong has come to the Longxu River from time to time recently, reaching into the water, weighing the weight of the yin energy contained in the river.

A young man with long eyebrows often follows the man.

Ruan Qiong squatted by the river today, suddenly poured out the river water from his palm, and snorted coldly, “Relying on having a good ancestor, do you dare to break my rules? You don’t know how to live or die.”

Above the river surface, a confrontation scene in Nibo Lane gradually emerged.

The long-browed boy looked at the young man with a long short sword hanging on his back and pointed, “Master, is it him?”

Ruan Qiong nodded and revealed his secret, “His ancestors have created a sword immortal named Cao Xi. He and your ancestor Xie Shi are among the few people in our Baoping Continent. They can do it on other continents. It is indeed great to gain a foothold, establish a sect, and seize the sect.”

The young man with long eyebrows seemed not very interested in this, but just stared at the scene on the river, “Master, what do you say? Do you want to stop the Cao family’s son?”

“Stop it!”

Ruan Qiong sneered, “I will beat him to death when he hurts someone, so that’s the rules.”

The young man with long eyebrows asked about the reason for the conflict. After Ruan Qiong said it roughly, the young man said in surprise: “Under your nose, Master, Cao Jun is willing to make money and dares to force buy and sell, and people outside , are they all so arrogant and unreasonable? ”

Ruan Qiong said expressionlessly, “If you want to seek treasures from heaven, you need to use wealth in the world. What’s so strange about it? Since that sword embryo, I couldn’t even see the mystery before, but Cao Jun attached so much importance to it, this shows that Cao Jun’s eyes were The uniqueness, and once the sword embryo reveals its true appearance, it will definitely be extremely shocking. If it weren’t for this, Cao Jun would have been restrained. Don’t say you’re bidding, just kill someone and leave.”

The young man with long eyebrows who had just started practicing and climbed the mountain didn’t take long, felt that the world was too incredible and asked, “Master, how can such an evil person become such a powerful Qi training man?”

“You have never read a book, so why are you talking about good and evil? Remember, you won’t talk about this on the mountain.”

Ruan Qiong stood up, and after saying a word, his figure flashed away.

————

An old man teased the bird in the cage. He was actually absent-minded, his eyes were filled with anticipation smiles, fearing that the world would not be in chaos, and murmured, “Want quickly, fight quickly, and do one move, the carp jumps over the dragon gate, no one in the world knows it. Jun…”

————

Panting on the top of the Yunshan Mountain, Wei Bo, who was fluttering in white, sat cross-legged on a cloud of clouds, less than one meter from the ground. Wei Bo was sleeping soundly, and his head fell from time to time, like a chicken pecking at rice.

Under the clouds and mist, there were birds and beasts, and they all wanted to get close to the clouds and mist and get as close to the white-clothed god with a golden ring hanging in his ears as much as possible.

A body fell heavily to the ground, and the top of the mountain was really showing the scattered birds and beasts.

Wei Bo was sleepy and confused. After discovering the figure of the man, the clouds dissipated and he landed on the ground, “There are no guests, no guests, and the honor is honor.”

Ruan Qiong said in a strange tone: “Just just remind you that the sword immortal Cao Xi may come here in the near future. You can stand by and watch, but don’t fan the flames.”

Wei Bo glanced at Niping Lane in the small town, “Is someone interested in using Cao Xi to do your articles with Dali? Gao Family of the Great Sui Dynasty? Guanhu Academy? Nanjian Country? Or is there another expert?”

Ruan Qiong’s face was solemn.

The rest are all good, it is nothing more than soldiers who come to block the water and soil. I am afraid they are targeting his daughter.

Ruan Qiong looked at the town, but it was not Niping Lane where the battle was imminent, but the Yang family shop.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Ruan Qiong came and left in a hurry.

Wei Bo resented, “I’m so annoying. I’ll do it all, but I won’t stop.”

He also flashed away, and the next moment he came to the bamboo building of Luopo Mountain, lay in the corridor on the second floor, and continued to sleep soundly.

The truth came out, and it turned out that the dragon was entrenched. The wind and the grass are moving, and the tiger is already eyeing it.