After Chen Ping’an completely lost consciousness, at the stairwell between the first and second floors, the boy in azure robes finally released the girl in the pink skirt’s arm. The latter dashed over, her face streaked with tears, weeping like a little tabby cat. While taking Chen Ping’an’s pulse and examining his soul’s movement, she turned her head and sobbed, “Why did you stop me? You’re ungrateful, a wolf in sheep’s clothing… If Master dies, I’ll fight you to the death…”

The azure-robed boy’s face was ashen. “Calling you a silly girl isn’t a mistake. You rashly disturbed Chen Ping’an’s Qi circulation. That sword energy would have regarded you as an enemy, not only leaving you half-dead but also delaying Chen Ping’an’s chance for enlightenment. You almost turned a good opportunity into a disaster, potentially killing him.”

The pink-skirted girl choked with grief. “Master is covered in blood; Master is dying! Are you satisfied now? I’m not stupid! You’re just greedy for Master’s serpent gallstones. Master shouldn’t have brought you back. You have no conscience at all. Master is so good to us…”

With a light hop, the azure-robed boy perched on the green bamboo railing, saying unpleasantly, “Whether Chen Ping’an lives or dies isn’t up to you. With your meager cultivation, what do you know?”

The pink-skirted girl’s sobs grew fainter as she realized that the two strands of Qi within Chen Ping’an, initially chaotic and violent, were gradually stabilizing. It was like a meeting of mountains and rivers; though at first, the water clashed against the rocks, creating surging waves and a treacherous scene, with the passage of time, it had become calm and peaceful. The soul and spirit, which had been trembling violently in pain, were also soothed, their wails turning into whimpers.

Chen Ping’an was deep in slumber. His twisted and ferocious dark face gradually returned to normal, eventually resembling a babe in swaddling clothes, sleeping exceptionally sweetly.

The pink-skirted girl was overjoyed, her face full of tear streaks. She whispered to the azure-robed boy, “Master is alright; he’s just really asleep.”

The azure-robed boy rolled his eyes, stood up, and used the railing as a walkway, beginning to stroll.

After Chen Ping’an’s fainting spell, the pink-skirted girl was completely at a loss, and could only ask the azure-robed boy for help, “What do we do next?”

The azure-robed boy paced back and forth on the railing, pondering in silence. Truth be told, he only vaguely knew the general idea, and he really didn’t dare to rashly make a judgment on how to deal with Chen Ping’an afterward. It was true that he coveted Chen Ping’an’s serpent gallstones, but to say that he would take advantage of someone’s misfortune and do something underhanded, he was not that base, this good brother of the River Warden. He would rather punch Chen Ping’an to death head-on and openly snatch that mountain of serpent gallstones than act sneakily.

When you are mixed up in the pugilistic world, you need to have some principles.

This had always been his code of conduct.

His brother, the River Warden, had once said to him, while drunk out of his mind, a surprisingly learned phrase: “There can’t be too much Jianghu morality, but there should be some. If you don’t have any at all, even if you’re a true dragon, you’ll eventually drown in the Jianghu.”

The azure-robed boy’s heart shuddered, and then his eyes darkened. Looking up, he saw a white-robed immortal standing beside him, a taunting smile on his face, looking down at him.

That guy named Wei Bo smiled at the azure-robed boy, “Little Water Serpent, I’m surprised you didn’t want to kill your master.”

The azure-robed boy couldn’t stand that handsome smiling face the most, as if the two were naturally incompatible, especially when Wei Bo ridiculed him in a condescending tone. He couldn’t help but curse, “I regret not defiling your mother back then!”

Wei Bo waved his sleeves, jumping gracefully off the railing, lightly patting the azure-robed boy’s head in the process, smiling and saying, “Naughty.”

That seemingly casual pat sent the azure-robed boy sprawling, landing hard on the railing, clutching his crotch in pain, baring his teeth.

If it were any other place, even a mountain of copper and iron could have been crushed by his weight, but this small bamboo building was unusually sturdy.

Wei Bo sat next to Chen Ping’an, placing one hand on Chen Ping’an’s wrist. The pulse was steady, a good sign.

The pink-skirted girl asked softly, “Immortal Master Wei, it’s cold outside; should we move my master inside?”

Wei Bo smiled, “You are of the dragon lineage, with a natural resistance to heat and cold, so you may not feel it deeply. In fact, this bamboo building has one advantage: it’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Even an ordinary person can strip naked in this bamboo building on a snowy day without damaging their muscles or bones. So, it’s more appropriate to let your master lie here and sleep, without moving him at all.”

The pink-skirted girl breathed a sigh of relief, quickly bowing to Wei Bo in gratitude.

Wei Bo didn’t mind, smiling and asking, “Did Chen Ping’an bring a change of clean clothes?”

The pink-skirted girl shook her head. “Master didn’t plan on staying long when he came up the mountain this time; there were no clothes in his carrying basket.”

Wei Bo frowned, looking at Chen Ping’an’s clothes, which seemed to have been soaked in blood. It wouldn’t be good for him to wake up wearing something like this. He suggested, “Whether you go to town to buy clothes, or to Mud Bottle Lane to fetch clothes, go quickly and return quickly. Chen Ping’an shouldn’t need too long to wake up.”

The pink-skirted girl said “Oh,” and was about to leave.

The azure-robed boy’s eyes were gloomy as he stared at Wei Bo. “I don’t trust you.”

Wei Bo thought for a moment, “Then you stay.”

The azure-robed boy tossed a gold ingot to the pink-skirted girl, “Besides buying new clothes for Master, prepare a few sets for us too.”

The pink-skirted girl smiled, “I don’t need them.”

The azure-robed boy said with a straight face, “I’m just being polite.”

The pink-skirted girl felt a little sad and scurried down the bamboo building, running down the mountain.

Afterward, the azure-robed boy sat on the railing, his back to Chen Ping’an, who was lying on the ground, and Wei Bo, who was sitting, his mind filled with thoughts.

Chen Ping’an slept for a full day and night before waking up. After washing up and changing into clean clothes, he felt refreshed. He wasn’t wearing straw sandals; he was standing barefoot on the second-floor corridor of the bamboo building, the soles of his feet covered in a layer of thick calluses as hard as iron and stone. The earliest calluses, from when he was young, had been worn by rough straw sandals, and later they were gradually thickened by mountain rocks, gravel, and thorny plants.

Chen Ping’an also had the white jade hairpin stuck in his hair, with eight small characters personally engraved by him.

He held the locust wood sword, gazing south, lost in thought.
Wei Bo returned with some medicinal herbs, instructing the girl in the pink dress to brew a decoction for Chen Ping’an to replenish his vital energy. Chen Ping’an, used to handling everything himself, wanted to take the reins, but she adamantly refused, her rosy cheeks scrunched up in a pitiful, tempestuous expression. Chen Ping’an couldn’t bear such a sight and reluctantly gave in.

The young lad in green wandered off to explore, like a sovereign surveying his domain. Today, he ventured up the mountain where a mountain deity temple was being erected. The deity enshrined was a peculiar mountain god with a golden head. The temple was not yet complete, with some finishing touches remaining. As such, officials from the Dali Ministry of Works, cultivators dispatched by the imperial court, able-bodied townsfolk, and exiled convicts mingled together, a motley crew.

Wei Bo stood beside Chen Ping’an, chuckling, “That reckless charge of yours wasn’t entirely in vain. You’re almost at the Third Realm.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Faster than I anticipated. I thought it would take at least three to five years.”

“A dull conversationalist! No fun. I’m leaving.”

Wei Bo smiled wryly, shaking his head as he departed. This time, he refrained from flying, descending the stairs step by step, sauntering away.

After Wei Bo’s figure vanished, Chen Ping’an patted his chest, murmuring to himself, “I know you’re resentful, reluctant to stay with me.”

Chen Ping’an whispered, “That swordsman Cao Jun must possess extraordinary qualities to excite you so. That’s understandable. A swordsman of the Eighth or Ninth Realm, a celestial being of such stature, is far superior to me. But alas, you were given to me by the Sage of Letters, so you cannot go anywhere until I die…”

A sharp pain pierced Chen Ping’an’s heart, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he nearly coughed up blood.

Clenching his teeth, Chen Ping’an forced the blood back down, muttering, “Though I don’t know the whole truth, I can surmise that you could easily kill me but are forbidden from doing so for some reason. Your situation is awkward, isn’t it?”

A moment later, Chen Ping’an wiped the blood from his nostrils. “It’s fine. I have several clean sets of clothes up on the mountain, and my little servant girl is a fire python. She can wash and dry them instantly. So, go ahead and continue rampaging through my Qi Refinement chambers. This little suffering, heh, Chen Ping’an is not bragging when I say it’s nothing. I endured worse when I was five.”

A cramping pain twisted his abdomen.

Standing barefoot on the corridor, Chen Ping’an hugged his locust wood sword tightly, his eyes resolute, though his voice trembled slightly, “If I utter a single cry of pain, you can be my ancestor from now on.”

Eighteen Qi Refinement chambers, eighteen fortresses, with two insurmountable chasms existing between the sixth and seventh, and the twelfth and thirteenth.

Previously, Chen Ping’an could only circulate his Qi through six acupoints in one breath. Although his energy hadn’t reached its limit, it was as if there was no path forward, and he could only slam headfirst into a wall, each attempt ending in vain. This time, after inexplicably merging the silver sword embryo from his hand into his heart, he still couldn’t reach the seventh fortress in one breath, but the bottleneck between the sixth and seventh seemed to have loosened.

It was as if someone was diligently building roads and bridges, and the scenery on the other side was beginning to be faintly visible, getting closer with each attempt.

Moreover, the sword Qi’s unrestrained movement within his body was more effective than the body tempering exercises of fist fighting and stance walking, somewhat forcing Chen Ping’an to cultivate both internally and externally.

It was like a mountain that Chen Ping’an had been trying to carve a path through, but he didn’t know where to start, and the progress was extremely slow as he hacked his way through thorns.

Now that the sword embryo had entered his Qi Refinement chambers, it was like the young lad in green revealing his true form, traversing the mountains, naturally creating a rough “mountain path.” Chen Ping’an only needed to follow behind him, constantly repairing, digging, and filling.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t afraid of hardship, but few people in the world truly enjoyed it, and Chen Ping’an was no exception.

But if enduring hardship could bring benefits, Chen Ping’an would not hesitate to seek it out.

Having lived alone and worked hard for so many years, Chen Ping’an understood a truth: in life, many people do many things, and suffering is just suffering, nothing more.

You reap what you sow? It depends on whether the dozing heavens are willing to grant it.

He still had to place most of his belongings in Miss Ruan’s blacksmith shop, as the Loose Weed Mountain was too mixed a bag; Chen Ping’an didn’t trust it.

If it hadn’t been for Li Xisheng, Chen Ping’an would have suffered a great loss even at his own doorstep in Mud Bottle Lane.

No wonder the young lad in green kept repeating that saying, “The martial world is treacherous.”

Chen Ping’an’s head swayed to the side, and he suddenly reached up to cover his mouth, blood seeping through his fingers.

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath, opening his palm to reveal a pool of crimson.

Chen Ping’an said indignantly, “I’m going down the mountain next to build tombs for my parents. Let’s call a temporary truce, shall we?”

The sword embryo, which was about to strike another Qi Refinement chamber wall, slowly calmed down, seeming to agree to Chen Ping’an’s request.

Afterward, Chen Ping’an descended the mountain alone, carrying his basket filled with most of his belongings. He found Ruan Xiu at the blacksmith shop, once again asking for her help to store them back in that mud brick house.

Hearing that Chen Ping’an wanted to build tombs, Ruan Xiu offered to help, but Chen Ping’an shook his head, saying it wasn’t a big deal. He could hire some craftsmen with the money he had, and he could afford it.

Ruan Xiu didn’t insist, only saying that if he needed help, he should let her know and not stand on ceremony.

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly, saying that if he were truly standing on ceremony with her, he wouldn’t have made this trip.

The girl laughed.

Chen Ping’an no longer had any worries, and he took the money to the town. He quickly found people and, after asking the old craftsmen about the rules and etiquette of building tombs, agreed on a price and picked an auspicious day to start construction. Chen Ping’an watched over the process from beginning to end, helping when he could, and staying out of the way when he couldn’t, following the instructions and arrangements of the old craftsmen.

Perhaps it was because the young man gave enough money, and the craftsmen felt the sincerity he showed in his daily interactions, so everything went smoothly without any hiccups.

In the end, the meticulously and carefully built tombs were no better than ordinary people’s, not luxurious in any way, and the words on the tombstones were all carved by Chen Ping’an himself, burning the midnight oil.
After settling the bill, Chen Ping’an bowed and expressed his gratitude to the group.

The last person returned to the gravesite with the sacrificial offerings. When Chen Ping’an was preparing his own offerings, he hesitated for a moment before adding a pot of fine wine. While offering the wine to his father’s grave, he looked towards his mother’s grave and scratched his head. “Mother, it seems Father has never tasted wine before. Let him have a sip.”

Then, he turned slightly and smiled at the adjacent grave. “Father, if you don’t like the wine, or if it upsets Mother, just send me a dream. I won’t bring wine next time.”

Chen Ping’an poured out the wine, wiped his face, and grinned. “Father, Mother, if you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as you agreeing.”

After that, Chen Ping’an went to the Shrine of Immortals and respectfully paid his respects to the several statues.

Instead of embarking on a grand project of road construction and bridge building, Chen Ping’an chose the Shrine of Immortals. In Ruan Xiu’s name, he hired artisans to repair the dilapidated and disorganized statues. He provided the funds, and she acted as the figurehead. Ruan Xiu didn’t know why, but she didn’t press the matter, simply nodding in agreement. After the recent calamity, the sound of the Shrine of Immortals exploding could be heard by all the townsfolk that night, like firecrackers bursting. The statues became increasingly scarce and even more damaged. Chen Ping’an heeded Ruan Xiu’s advice. This large-scale repair would adhere to the principle of restoring the old as it was, preserving the original appearance as much as possible. If restoration couldn’t be guaranteed, they would at least ensure that the re-erected statues wouldn’t collapse again, and there would be no arbitrary alterations. Therefore, temporary bamboo sheds were erected to provide shelter from the wind and rain.

Occasionally, Chen Ping’an would sit in the two shops in Riding Dragon Lane. And so, he busied himself, and before the eve of the new year, Chen Ping’an made a special trip to Fallen Mountain to find the young boy in green robes and the young girl in a pink dress.

When Ruan Xiu heard the news, she said that she was just about to go and oversee the construction of the manor at Divine Embroidery Mountain, so she went into the mountain with Chen Ping’an. Then, she didn’t part ways with him, but changed her mind halfway through, saying that she wanted to see Chen Ping’an’s bamboo house, that her last glimpse was too hasty, and that she wanted to take another look. Chen Ping’an would certainly not refuse.

As Chen Ping’an and Ruan Xiu appeared at the foot of the mountain, the boy in green was standing on the railing, clicking his tongue in amazement, “The twin peaks stand majestically opposite each other, the scenery is magnificent and spectacular.”

The girl in pink tiptoed and looked into the distance, wondering, “There aren’t any mountain peaks south of Fallen Mountain.”

The boy in green turned his head and glanced at her with a mischievous smile. “You’re still young.”

He clasped his hands behind his head, planted his feet firmly, and swung back and forth on the railing like a swing, murmuring, “Where can you find such a good girl? She’s one of a kind in all the world! If you don’t cherish her, Old Master, you’ll be punished by heaven. Really, I say these words with a clear conscience.”

The girl in pink agreed wholeheartedly, “Miss Xiu is really, really good.”

Chen Ping’an and Ruan Xiu ascended the mountain slowly. Ruan Xiu said that she had received a letter from Pillow Post Station. After that, a blind old Daoist priest did indeed bring a lame young man and a round-faced little girl into the town. They had come to the shop in Riding Dragon Lane to look for her, but the three of them soon continued north, saying that they wanted to try their luck in the capital of Great Li.

Chen Ping’an remembered the old Daoist priest with whom he had shared hardships, and thought of Lin Shouyi and his cultivation of the *Cloud Above, Jingling Jade Book*. He asked her about the Five Thunder Righteous Method, but unfortunately, Ruan Xiu had never been interested in these things. She didn’t know much about it and could only recount hearsay.

During their leisurely conversation, Chen Ping’an learned that Master Ruan had taken in three registered disciples this year. One was a young man with long eyebrows, surnamed Xie. Although his family had lived in Peach Leaf Lane for generations, they had fallen on hard times in his generation. If he hadn’t entered the smithy, he would have had to sell his ancestral home and move to another lane. He also had an older sister and a younger brother.

Another was a taciturn young man who became Ruan Xiu’s father’s registered disciple most recently.

On the first heavy snow of winter, he knelt by the well for a day and a night, begging Ruan Qiong to accept him as a disciple. He didn’t move an inch, covered in white snow.

Perhaps his sincerity had moved even metal and stone. Ruan Qiong agreed to let him enter the smithy to forge swords and work iron.

After the young man surnamed Xie, a girl from Wind and Snow Temple became the second disciple. According to Ruan Xiu, that girl was considered to have mediocre talent in the Wind and Snow Temple. She seemed to have committed a serious mistake and was expelled from her sect. She found Master Ruan, who was establishing his own sect.

Then, Ruan Qiong said that she was actually indecisive and that she subconsciously wanted to find a way out before doing anything. She could stay and he could even guide her in swordsmanship, but he would not accept her as a disciple.

She worked as a handyman in the smithy for a long time. One day, she cut off one of her thumbs on her sword-wielding hand.

She found Ruan Qiong with a pale face, saying that from that day on, she would start practicing swords with her left hand and start all over again.

When talking about these things, Ruan Xiu always looked calm, as if she was talking about a hen and its nest of fluffy chicks.

Chen Ping’an was in the dark, not realizing this. In his impression, this girl was very good, so good that you couldn’t find any fault with her.

Chen Ping’an was thinking more about things “on the mountain” at the time.

Chen Ping’an knew that as long as you could become a cultivator, no one would be simple.

He had Lin Shouyi by his side.

Yu Lu and Xie Lingyue were even more the pride of heaven.

But through Cui Dongshan’s few words and Ruan Xiu’s chat, Chen Ping’an roughly understood one thing: even if you successfully ascended the mountain and became an immortal in the eyes of the common people, you would still be divided into different classes, with a strict hierarchy.

So, cultivation is difficult at the beginning, difficult in the middle, and will always be difficult until the end.

Chen Ping’an had been experiencing this a bit lately.

Because after the graves were repaired, the sword embryo began to act up.

It became even more aggressive, simply rampaging and unstoppable within Chen Ping’an’s acupoints.

So, in Mud Bottle Alley in the town, there was an extra guy who often staggered when walking, like he was drunk, or inexplicably squatted by the Shrine of Immortals coughing, or locked himself in his ancestral home, rolling on the wooden bed.

Approaching the bamboo house, Ruan Xiu asked, “Will you be spending New Year’s Eve on the mountain too?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “No, I’ll definitely be spending the New Year in Mud Bottle Alley. That day, after finishing with the graves, I’ll return to the ancestral home to paste Spring Couplets, the character ‘Fu’ (good fortune), and Door Gods. After eating a big meal, I’ll be staying up all night, and setting off firecrackers in the morning. Moreover, the two shops in Riding Dragon Lane also need to be decorated. There are too many things to do. I’ll definitely be very busy then.”
Ruan Xiu asked, “Shall I help you?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head. “No need, no need. It only sounds busy, but the matter is actually quite simple.”

The boy in green robes and the girl in a pink dress had no objections to hearing they were going down the mountain to Mud Bottle Lane for the New Year.

While packing his luggage, Chen Ping’an suddenly asked, “Would it look odd to put up couplets and door gods on this bamboo building?”

The boy in green robes declared firmly, “Of course it would look odd! Red and green, it’s simply vulgar. Old Master, I absolutely disagree with this!”

The girl in the pink dress nodded gently in agreement with the boy’s opinion.

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I was just saying. If you don’t like it, then forget it.”

The boy in green tentatively said, “At most, we could put up a ‘Spring’ character or an upside-down ‘Luck’.”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Forget it.”

The boy in green felt a little guilty. “Old Master, you’re not holding a grudge against me, are you? If you really want to make it feel like the New Year, we can discuss it properly. For example, if you just give me a slightly unusual snake gallstone, I’ll voluntarily help put up the spring couplets. I can cover the entire bamboo building, inside and out!”

Chen Ping’an tossed him a chestnut. “I thank you for your offer.”

After descending the mountain, Ruan Xiu parted ways with them, heading towards Divine Embroidery Mountain.

Before they knew it, it was already New Year’s Eve.

They went to the graves together, and after returning to Mud Bottle Lane, as they were putting up the spring couplets at the door, the boy in green said it was crooked, while the girl in pink said it wasn’t, making Chen Ping’an a bit flustered.

During the New Year’s Eve feast, Chen Ping’an, who had prepared a table full of delicious dishes, didn’t forget to give each of them an ordinary snake gallstone. The boy in green immediately threw it into his mouth, crunching it loudly and smiling like a flower.

The girl in pink demurely lowered her head and ate, her face full of happiness.

In the evening, there was a small charcoal brazier under the table with enough embers to keep them warm, and all three of them rested their legs on the edge of the brazier, and all had changed into brand new clothes.

The table was piled high with snacks and pastries from their own shop. Chen Ping’an had a book, bamboo slips, and a carving knife in front of him.

He was going to keep vigil.

Year after year, it had always been like this. But this year, it was different. Chen Ping’an was no longer alone.

The girl in pink was munching on melon seeds. The boy in green, with his hands propped under his chin, looked at Chen Ping’an and asked with a smile, “Old Master, Old Master, will you get so happy during the New Year that you’ll give me another snake gallstone?”

Chen Ping’an, using the slightly brighter light than usual, carefully looked at his book, without even raising his head. “No.”

The boy in green wasn’t upset. Instead, he smiled happily and asked, “Old Master, can I light the firecrackers tomorrow morning?”

Chen Ping’an raised his head and nodded with a smile. “Sure.”

He turned to look at the girl in pink. She quickly put down the melon seeds in her hand and made a playful gesture of covering her ears with both hands.

Chen Ping’an made a face at her and continued to look at his book.

The two little ones smiled at each other, and then, with a tacit understanding, they both looked at the top of the youth’s head.

There was an inconspicuous hairpin with eight small characters written on it, the content related to scholars.

Regarding this, just like whether the spring couplets were really crooked or not, they had private disputes. The boy in green thought it didn’t suit Old Master at all, while the girl in pink thought it couldn’t be more appropriate.

After midnight, it would be the New Year.

The boy in green went to bed early and fell fast asleep. The girl in pink, after Chen Ping’an’s persuasion, also leaned on the table and dozed off.

Chen Ping’an kept vigil alone, the only sound in the room was the slight rustling of pages turning.

When the first ray of dawn appeared in the sky.

Chen Ping’an gently got up, went to open the door, and looked up at the east.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but cough softly, and then Chen Ping’an opened his mouth and spat out a snow-white rainbow light, about an inch long.

It turned out to be a small, clear flying sword.

It hovered quietly in the courtyard.

Its brilliance was fully revealed.