Although Chen Ping’an’s Bridge of Longevity was broken, rendering him temporarily unable to cultivate, the martial world teemed with swordsmen, even grandmasters hailed as having swordsmanship reaching the divine, capable of holding their own against Qi refiners who could move mountains and overturn seas.

The most unrestrained and elegant among the pure martial artists in the world were always the swordsmen. Given two martial experts of comparable strength, status, appearance, and bearing, one using fists, the other a longsword, the latter would invariably be more appealing.

Using fists meant either bone-crushing, flesh-tearing blows, or even directly exploding heads and spilling entrails with a single punch. How could that compare to the use of a sword?

*A valor surpassing ten thousand men, bearing a hero’s spirit throughout life.*
*Laughing, he drains a cup of wine, slays a man in the city.*

*Now that you have mastered swordsmanship, go forth!*
*Where there are dragons, slay dragons!*

Unrestrained or not? Romantic or not? Of course!

Even someone as dull and rigid as Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but feel his heart stirred when Cui Dongshan recited this poem by the great waterside.

Before, when Chen Ping’an practiced fist techniques, he at least had the “Mountain-Shaking Manual.” Even if Miss Ning looked down on it, it still pointed him in a direction for martial arts training.

Therefore, when practicing swordsmanship, there should also be something like a sword manual. Otherwise, Chen Ping’an felt that with his limited talent and comprehension, he could practice until the end of time without producing any results.

This made Chen Ping’an somewhat worried.

Outside the bamboo building, someone approached from afar, holding a bamboo staff and a peach-wood talisman hanging from his waist. He called out loudly, “Chen Ping’an.”

Chen Ping’an, pondering on the second floor, turned his head and replied loudly, “Brother Li, what brings you here?”

Chen Ping’an rushed downstairs.

Li Xisheng, bringing his semi-disciple, the young Cui Ci, made a special trip to Mount Luopo to visit its master, Chen Ping’an.

Li Xisheng removed the peach-wood talisman from his waist and stated straightforwardly, “I might be leaving the town soon, so I hurried over to give you something, lest I be too rushed and unable to explain things clearly.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t reach out to take it, not because he suspected the man before him of harboring malicious intentions, but because he was accustomed to not accepting unearned benefits, and he genuinely lacked the face to accept something for free.

Li Xisheng said, “My younger brother, Li Baozhen, you know him, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Li Xisheng said, “The incident where Zhu Lu attempted to commit murder at Pillow Station was secretly orchestrated by him. Of course, he was wrong. By the time I found out, it was too late to stop it. Li Baozhen has never been willing to admit his mistakes since he was young, but there’s nothing I can do. He’s Brother Bao Ping, and I’m his older brother. Family is family. Since he did something wrong and is unwilling to repent, I’ll have to make amends on his behalf.”

Li Xisheng saw the still-silent dark-skinned youth and smiled, “Don’t worry, let’s deal with this matter separately. This peach-wood talisman is only related to the assassination attempt. After I leave the town, you’ll have to be careful of Li Baozhen yourself. If you have a clear upper hand, Chen Ping’an, I implore you to give him a chance to live, a chance to reform himself, just one chance.”

“Of course, if the situation is evenly matched, a life-or-death struggle, you don’t need to show mercy. Self-preservation comes first.”

Chen Ping’an carefully considered for a moment, then slowly said, “Alright!”

Li Xisheng handed over the peach-wood talisman, his smile warm, “Since that’s the case, then accept it without worry. It’s just a small thing, nothing worth mentioning.”

“Brother Li, you don’t need to give me anything, and rest assured, I will definitely do what I promised.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand and smiled, “Something that made Brother Li travel so far specifically to deliver must be very valuable. Besides…”

Chen Ping’an stopped there, not saying anything further.

In fact, A-Liang once mentioned that the real opportunities within the Blessed Land of Liyuzhu were still in Fulu Street and Tao Ye Lane.

Instinct told Chen Ping’an that it might be related to Li Xisheng’s peach-wood talisman.

Li Xisheng saw the youth’s unusual insistence and hesitated for a moment. “Can we talk in private?”

After Longquan County was elevated to a prefecture, the original name of Longquan County, which was associated with dragon energy, was changed to the relatively ordinary Huaihuang County. The prefectural government was located north of the mountains, while the county government remained in the small town. The county magistrate was a young official surnamed Yuan, who, unlike his proactive predecessor Wu Yuan, rarely appeared in public. However, strangely, many stalled matters that Wu Yuan, the Prefect, couldn’t resolve before his promotion, such as the construction of the literary and martial temples on the old porcelain mountain and Immortal Tomb, had begun to proceed in an orderly manner. Therefore, many people felt that Wu Yuan’s undeserved promotion was very unreasonable.

The new ceramics supervisor was a young man of similar age to Magistrate Cao, surnamed Cao, also a surname from the State of Shangzhu. Unlike the elusive Magistrate Yuan, Supervisor Cao was more willing to show his face. He not only proactively visited the wealthy families in Fulu Street and Tao Ye Lane, but his figure could also often be seen at the school founded by the Chen family of Longwei Prefecture. In particular, Supervisor Cao would attend the lessons of the school’s assistant teacher, Li Xisheng, whenever he had free time, taking off his official robes, donning a Confucian robe, and sitting openly at the back of the classroom, sharing a room with a large group of young students, never feeling ashamed.

The eastern post road of Huaihuang County, the post station closest to the county town, was named Huai Zhai Post Station. It was not large, but it had all the necessary facilities. All five post horses were Class B warhorses, which was something that other small post stations in other prefectures could only dream of.

Today, Huai Zhai Post Station welcomed a wave of distinguished guests. In the early morning, Prefect Wu Yuan arrived from the western prefectural government, bringing only two trusted civilian and military secretaries. Then, Magistrate Yuan arrived by carriage, and upon seeing his superior Wu Yuan waiting by the post road, he didn’t even bother to greet him. Instead, he walked straight into the post station, ordered a pot of tea, and sat there drinking alone.

After that, Supervisor Cao arrived alone on horseback, reeking of alcohol. He swayed as he dismounted, hiccuping, and walked with his horse. He had likely been drinking heavily the night before and was using alcohol to sober up this morning. Upon seeing Wu Yuan, he quickly and unconvincingly patted his clothes to dispel the smell of alcohol. He led his horse to the Prefect and bowed with a smile, “Your subordinate Cao Mao greets the Prefect.”

Wu Yuan, now a high-ranking official, did not display any smugness. He said politely, “Supervisor Cao is an official directly under the Ministry of Rites. You don’t actually need to perform a formal greeting when you see me.”
Kiln Affairs Overseer Cao Mao, a picture of delight, possessed a face like jade and a slender physique, truly deserving of the title “Jade Tree of the Cao Family,” his words and actions as comforting as a spring breeze. “How could I dare? A small official like myself must show respect to those of higher rank. Moreover, if Master Wu were to become the fortunate son-in-law of the Yuan family, he would soar like a dragon amidst the clouds, his career in the bureaucracy becoming unstoppable. I wouldn’t dare show the slightest negligence.”

Cao Mao’s posture was exceedingly humble, yet his words were unreserved, disregarding the customs of officialdom. He held little genuine respect for Wu Yuan, a regional governor in charge of a vast prefecture.

This was not surprising. As the eldest direct descendant of the Cao family, upon whom they placed great expectations, Cao Mao had ample reason to dislike Wu Yuan, the Yuan family’s future son-in-law.

The Yuan and Cao families of the capital, both esteemed houses of state, were once close-knit through marriage and long-standing friendship. However, in recent centuries, their relationship had soured into bitter animosity. Their respective ancestors, who had brought glory to their clans, were once steadfast allies who fought shoulder to shoulder their entire lives, key pillars in the rise of the Great Li. Cao Hang and Yuan Xie, the two esteemed pillars of state, were even from the same hometown, thus lauded in historical texts as “Hang Xie in Accord, Unrivaled in Civil and Military Affairs.” Even now, in the villages and markets of the Great Li, countless legendary tales of their deeds circulate widely.

Today, all the door gods within the jurisdiction of Dragon Spring Prefecture are uniformly regulated, bearing portraits of the Cao and Yuan ancestors, Cao Hang and Yuan Xie.

Whether the families’ sending of their direct descendants to serve as officials here was guided by some lofty master, or motivated by a desire to tap into ancestral blessings, remained unknown. After all, the old locust tree had long since fallen, its branches destroyed, its leaves scattered. Whether this “land of the rising dragon” for the Yuan and Cao clans could still retain any ancestral shade was truly difficult to say.

Soon, several more individuals arrived together, all elderly.

There was the old Zhao crone, leaning on a cane. Her grandson, Zhao Yao, had served as Qi Jingchun’s page, leaving his hometown in a bullock cart before the upheaval in the small town.

There was also the old ancestor of the Li family, his inner spirit concealed. After the restrictions of the Li Zhudong Heaven dissipated, the elder successfully ascended to the tenth realm, earning two official positions for his clan. However, the eldest grandson, Li Xisheng, declined, while Li Baozhen chose to accept, entering the ranks of prestigious officials in the capital of the Great Li.

The remaining position had to be “reserved,” to be left for a promising descendant of the Li clan.

And there was the diminutive old man living in a house at the corner of Peach Leaf Lane, kind-faced and benevolent. Chen Pingan had once helped him deliver a family letter, and the old man had wanted to invite the boy in for a drink, but the mud-legged youth from Mud Bottle Lane had not dared to accept.

The other elders were similarly heads of the town’s four prominent families, holding numerous kilns, vast tracts of farmland, and ordinary mountains, veritable local tycoons.

A Confucian scholar in high-crowned robes gently lifted the curtain of a carriage and stepped out. The old man squinted, surveying his surroundings, instantly causing everyone to feel an oppressive aura.

The name of a person, the shadow of a tree.

This old man possessed countless titles brimming with immense power: the first disciple of the Literary Sage, the eldest disciple of Qi Jingchun, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li, a Confucian Sage, a Go master who had played against the City Lord of White Emperor City amidst彩云间…

The Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent was the smallest of the nine continents, yet the appearance of Grand Preceptor Cui Chan had helped this small continent attract the attention of many powerful figures behind the scenes.

As Cui Chan stood firm, everyone bowed and saluted in unison.

When they slowly rose and lifted their heads, they were astonished to find a beautiful maiden in palace attire following behind the high-ranking old man, catching some who knew the details off guard.

Cui Chan said in a calm tone, “Everyone, return.”

No one dared to object, or even reveal the slightest hint of resentment.

Cui Chan rubbed a jade pendant at his waist with his fingers, walking toward the Locust Tree Inn, the maiden following closely behind with a detached expression.

Cui Chan sat down at a table, asking the inn to bring three jars of wine. As the innkeeper and his assistants carried the wine jars over, each one felt their throats dry.

Cui Chan waved his hand, dismissing them from serving. He uncorked the wine himself, and then, pressing his hand down, motioned for the maiden standing rigidly by the table to sit down. He smiled, saying, “There’s no need to be so constrained. This trip is merely to ensure your safety; you are the master of this small world.”

Cui Chan lifted a large white bowl, taking a sip of the mediocre country wine. He didn’t mind it at all. Back when he had betrayed his master’s school, wandering the world alone with his sword, he had endured all sorts of hardships. Cui Chan had always believed himself capable of enduring hardship and enjoying good fortune, which was why he had survived until today.

Cui Chan looked at the uneasy maiden and asked with a smile, “Zhigui, the contents you told the Ministry of Astronomy are recorded, and I’ve read every word carefully. So, are there any small stories you haven’t told? Even trivial details are fine. For example, when Xie Shi and Cao Xi were young, did they have any interesting peers around them? Or, for example, was there anyone who suffered a misfortune but miraculously survived? Was there anyone who was particularly isolated from a young age?”

It turned out that the maiden was a handmaiden of the Great Li Prince Song Jixin. Zhigui, whose true name was Wang Zhu, possessed a bizarre true form, actually a pearl formed from the soul of the last true dragon in the world.

Zhigui thought for a moment, shaking her head. “No.”

Cui Chan chuckled in spite of himself, not getting annoyed. He continued to drink alone.

Before long, three figures walked into the inn: the wealthy merchant Cao Xi, the taciturn fellow Xie Shi, and the Moist wanderer Xu Ruo.

The two great figures who had walked out of the Li Zhudong Heaven, upon seeing the maiden, confirmed the aura on her. Cao Xi was slightly stunned, then burst into laughter, pointing at the maiden. “Damn it, this is embarrassing! The guy who scared the hell out of me back then turned out to be such a delicate little girl!”

Xie Shi clasped his hands, bowing deeply to the maiden. “Xie Shi of Peach Leaf Lane thanks you, maiden, for saving my life twice!”

Zhigui, with a cold face, only nodded to Xie Shi. As for Cao Xi, she didn’t even glance at him.

Xu Ruo crossed his arms, leaning against the door, and closed his eyes to rest.

If today’s matter was resolved smoothly, it would have nothing to do with him. If it fell apart, it would likely have a great deal to do with him.
Cao Xi cackled, plopping down across from the maiden with a smug, “found a treasure” look, and chuckled, “Back then, I stood at the iron lock well, peeing down into it. Only half a stream later, the iron chains started rattling and the well water surged right up to my feet! Scared me so bad I didn’t even finish, didn’t even pull up my pants! A truly ‘shit my pants’ moment! I, Cao Xi, have embarrassed myself countless times in this life, but that one’s definitely in the top three!”

Zhi Gui finally couldn’t keep a straight face, glaring, “If you hadn’t run so fast, I’d have made you drink well water until you burst!”

Cao Xi stroked his mustache with a finger, gloating, “I remember for a whole month afterwards, I stood two zhang away from that iron lock well, chucking rocks down with all my might. Did any of them hit you? Surely one must have?”

Zhi Gui rolled her eyes, scoffing, “Born bad seed! I regret not drowning you in the creek!”

Cao Xi wasn’t angered, but smiled, “I was a bit naughty as a kid, haha, just childish! Just always farting while swimming with the other kids, couldn’t help it, always liked watching the bubbles rise from behind. But I was decent enough. The well-peeing incident really scared the soul out of me, my elders even had to call someone to summon it back! So embarrassing, they banged gongs and drums all the way from Mud Bottle Lane to the iron lock well, calling ‘Cao Xi’ and I had to answer every time! The scholars at school laughed at me for years afterward…”

At this point, Cao Xi chuckled, poured himself a bowl of wine, and sighed, “Those classmates, their bones have probably rotted away underground by now. But I still remember all their names.”

Zhi Gui sneered, “Who secretly dumped half a bucket of black dog blood into the iron lock well in the middle of the night?”

Cao Xi laughed awkwardly, “I heard from the elders that black dog blood could ward off evil spirits.”

Zhi Gui found this guy annoying. Cao Xi was like this as a child, and even more so now that he was old.

Xie Shi remained silent.

Zhi Gui hesitated, “Which of you became a True Lord? Who became a Sword Immortal?”

Cao Xi raised his white bowl, pointing at Xie Shi, sitting across from the Great Li National Preceptor, “He’s the True Lord of Ju Lu Continent, about to become a Taoist Celestial Lord! Several dynasties’ sacred mountains have his lineage’s sect residences. In all of Ju Lu Continent, the Taoist sects are all him alone, the rest are just insignificant minor paths. Those so-called Sect Leaders and Kingdom True Lords aren’t even worthy to carry shoes for our Xie True Lord. Before our old pal Xie Shi, they’re all grandchildren, without exception!”

Xie Shi’s face darkened, “Shut up.”

Cao Xi begged for mercy, “Alright, alright, I won’t say it then. Who told you to be a Taoist Celestial Lord, while I’m just a wild cultivator? I can’t afford to offend you!”

Within a dynasty, the appointment of a Taoist Kingdom True Lord required not only the emperor’s nomination and recommendation, but also the acknowledgement of the continent’s Taoist leader. For example, Qi Zhen, the Sect Leader of the Divine Edict Sect of Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, was the Taoist leader. Afterwards, it required the approval of more than half of the continent’s Celestial Lords, and finally, a decree from a sect in the Central Divine Continent to be considered legitimate.

And the Taoist leader of Ju Lu Continent was none other than Xie Shi. His sect was in the center, and because sword cultivation was prosperous in Ju Lu Continent, and the Buddhist influence far outweighed the Taoist, not a single Celestial Lord had emerged, except for half of one, Xie Shi himself.

Of course, Treasure Bottle Continent wasn’t much better. As the smallest of the nine continents, even though Taoist power far surpassed the Buddhist, Treasure Bottle Continent still only had one Celestial Lord, and he was a newly ascended one, Qi Zhen of the Divine Edict Sect of Southern Ravine Kingdom. Just like Xie Shi, the selection of all True Lords was purely a one-person decision on the continent.

But in other continents, the Central Divine Continent needed no mention. For example, in the vast Southern Po Suo Continent, there were more than a handful of Taoist Celestial Lords.

“Long story short.”

Xie Shi said directly, “We can let bygones be bygones regarding the shattered natal porcelain. But I want to ask Great Li for three people.”

Cui Chan put down his wine bowl, smiling, “Hold on, what does ‘let bygones be bygones’ mean? The matter of Chen Ping An’s shattered natal porcelain was indeed the fault of our Great Li’s kiln administration, but, firstly, the porcelain buyer had confirmed Chen Ping An’s aptitude beforehand, and there was nothing special about it, a below-average talent, that was confirmed. Secondly, after the natal porcelain was broken, Great Li punished those who should be punished and compensated those who should be compensated. The porcelain buyer also nodded in agreement and accepted the compensation. Xie Shi, your so-called ‘let bygones be bygones’ simply doesn’t hold water.”

Xie Shi said calmly, “Of course the porcelain buyer isn’t qualified to make trouble, but the power behind the porcelain buyer is qualified to be unreasonable with your Great Li.”

Cui Chan laughed heartily, actually nodding without hesitation, picking up his wine bowl again, taking a small sip and tutting, “The world is full of helplessness.”

Cao Xi bared his teeth.

Zhi Gui’s eyes flickered, seemingly hearing something interesting.

Cui Chan asked, “Then what if Great Li doesn’t agree?”

Xie Shi had no awareness of being surrounded, and continued, “Great Li’s southward push is already a certainty. If you don’t agree, you’ll have to worry about a fire in your own backyard.”

Worries in the rear? Great Li’s northern territory had already reached the northern sea coast.

Cao Xi looked amused. It seemed that certain important figures in Ju Lu Continent felt that these three people were a must-have. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so aggressive.

Clearly, Xie Shi’s implication was that cultivators from Ju Lu Continent would openly cross the sea and harass Great Li’s northern borders while the Great Li iron cavalry pushed south.

That young man named Chen Ping An, his natal porcelain being broken, was actually just a trivial matter that had already been settled. It was just a clumsy excuse for some people.

Because when the big shots started planning the grand strategy of the world, small matters were no longer small.

Cui Chan sighed softly. This was what it was like when cultivators were unreasonable. It was similar to children fighting, once their temper flared up, they would use all their strength to fight to the death, very intimidating, but not actually intimidating.

It wasn’t that Cui Chan felt unfamiliar. On the contrary, Cui Chan had experienced it many times, so he seemed particularly indifferent.

Cui Chan could only take a step back first, and asked, “Which three people do you want to take away?”
Xie Shi took a sip of wine after sitting down, “He Xiaoliang, Ma Kuxuan, Li Xisheng. This is the order of importance, which is also the ranking. Depending on how many individuals your Great Li is willing to hand over, you will receive corresponding rewards.”

Cui Chan chuckled, “Rewards? More like earth-shattering wrath, wouldn’t you say?”

Xie Shi remained silent.

Li Xisheng was a native of Longquan in Great Li, and the easiest to negotiate with.

Ma Kuxuan was already a disciple of True Martial Mountain, and in a short year, he had already gained a reputation for his extreme ferocity, extraordinary talent, and rapid progress.

He Xiaoliang was even more of a prized student of the Divine Decree Sect, blessed with astonishing talent and even more frightening fortune. Apart from the less renowned Confucian scholar Li Xisheng, the other two were the hopes of their respective sects, one being from an ancestral shrine of the Military School, and the other from a sacred site of the Daoist School. Even though Great Li already occupied half the land, they might not be willing to antagonize either side, especially since the Great Sui had not yet been overthrown.

Once the Divine Decree Sect and True Martial Mountain raised their arms, Great Li would have to face the animosity of half the military cultivators and most of the Daoists on the Treasure Bottle Continent.

This was a losing deal no matter how one looked at it.

Cui Chan felt that this deal was not negotiable.

He reckoned that upon returning to the capital of Great Li, the matter of adding flying swords to the White Jade Capital would require the worst-case scenario to be considered.

But Xie Shi suddenly said, “As long as you agree to this matter, I will lead people to the Summer Resort Mountain near Guanhui Academy to help you deter the academy and the entire Southern forces. Rest assured, this is not just for show. Just as our cultivators from Mount Ju Lou coming south to attack the northern borders of Great Li is not a joke if you disagree, if your Great Li nods in agreement, you will not suffer the slightest loss. This is a promise from several top cultivators of Mount Ju Lou, including myself, Xie Shi.”

Cao Xi was stunned.

This was quite interesting.

If Xie Shi was truly willing to lead people to defend the Summer Resort Mountain, and not just put on a show, then this move would cripple the Great Sui even before the war with Great Li began.

One could even say that the vast majority of the eastern Treasure Bottle Continent would most likely fall into the hands of the Song family of Great Li.

Cui Chan sighed, “So it is such a big gamble. It’s truly beyond my expectations. I need to inform our Emperor.”

Xie Shi nodded, “That is reasonable. I can wait, for a maximum of half a month. The Emperor of Great Li must give me an answer.”

Cui Chan suddenly pointed at Zhigui, “You, Xie Shi, have received two life-saving graces from her. Don’t you have any expression of gratitude?”

Xie Shi laughed heartily, “Of course. If you don’t agree to this matter, I, Xie Shi, will not participate in the southern harassment. If you do agree, I will accept two or three direct disciples from Great Li and nurture them with great care. You should understand. Let me say this first: I, Xie Shi, will soon be promoted to Heavenly Sovereign. Considering my age, among all the Daoist Heavenly Sovereigns in the Nine Continents, I can only be considered young and strong. To put it immodestly, I have a truly promising future in the Great Dao. Moreover, in the millennium since I established my sect, I have only had three direct disciples!”

Cui Chan pointed at Zhigui, “Does she count as one?”

Xie Shi shook his head, “She doesn’t. But if she is willing, her spot won’t be among those two or three.”

Cui Chan remained silent, pondering.

Zhigui was somewhat absent-minded.

She was a little anxious, wanting to return to the courtyard in Mud Bottle Lane as soon as possible to take a look, even if the cage of fluffy chicks had already starved to death. She had to see their corpses with her own eyes to be at peace.

If they were still alive, then she would definitely strangle them with her own hands this time. As her little creatures, it would be too unsightly if they died in the mouths of wild cats or dogs.