After the yellow finch settled on his shoulder, Xie Shi set down his teacup, as if completely relieved, and laughed loudly, “Is this the way Great Li treats its guests?”

Cao Xi was crestfallen, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

He indeed intended to get rid of this Xie Shi, and then implicate a certain prominent figure in Taoism behind Xie Shi. When things descended into chaos, the Chen clan of Yingyin in Suo Po Continent, the Sage Ruan Qiong of this place, and the two ancestral military courts of Bao Ping Continent, the Wind and Snow Temple and the True Martial Mountain, the unfathomable White Jade Tower of Great Li, and the cunning Great Li National Preceptor Cui Chan, among others, Cao Xi would be able to fulfill the agreement with the Confucian Chen clan, successfully control his Natal Porcelain, and at the same time form a marriage alliance to become relatives. Afterwards, he would find an opportunity to escape and comfortably watch the fire from the other shore. Even if the sky fell, there would always be taller people to bear it, once and for all. At worst, he would hide in the Zhenhai Tower in the future.

However, Cao Xi did not want to be the first bird out of the forest, and confront Xie Shi head-on.

After sensing the appearance of that yellow finch, Xu Ruo, who had seen much and knew much, had originally given up the idea of drawing his sword. However, after hearing Xie Shi’s words, he felt displeased and re-gripped his sword hilt. This heroic swordsman of the Mo family, strolling in Peach Leaf Lane, slowly walked towards the old Xie family residence, saying as he walked, “Great Li’s hospitality, there’s no need for me, Xu Ruo, to say more. If it were truly determined to be disadvantageous to you, the young maiden Zhi Gui wouldn’t have appeared in the small town, reasoning with you with both emotion and logic. Great Li hasn’t done badly. On the other hand, Xie Shi, you were quite arrogant at the post station table, not putting Great Li in your eyes at all. What, now relying on the support of your ancestral master, you want to continue flaunting your power? Fine, I, Xu Ruo, will today only in the identity of Xu Ruo, have a life-and-death battle with you.”

Xu Ruo walked to the gate of the Xie family, and smiled, “Rest assured, we Mo family disciples, value our promises like gold. If I, Xu Ruo, settle today’s matter only between our lives and deaths, neither Great Li nor the Mo family elders will seek any trouble from you, Xie Shi.”

Cui Chan, Cao Xi, Ruan Qiong, Xu Ruo, and the nameless martial artist. The small town was a place where dragons coiled and tigers crouched. These five, as the most powerful, formed an invisible net to jointly encircle and suppress Xie Shi. Logically speaking, Xu Ruo was the least likely to be the first to attack, but unexpectedly, it was this Mo family wanderer, who was easy to talk to with anyone, who wanted to take the lead in drawing his sword, engaging in a one-on-one fight, and independently experience the heaven-reaching abilities of a Taoist Heavenly Sovereign.

Xie Shi frowned, looked towards the entrance of the mansion, and said in a deep voice, “Xu Ruo, are you really going to make a move?”

Xu Ruo patted his sword hilt, and laughed freely, “I haven’t fully delivered a sword in sixty years. I’ve nurtured two or three swords for this, which is barely passable. I believe it will definitely not disappoint Heavenly Sovereign Xie.”

Xie Shi was unusually caught in a dilemma. If it were a personal grudge, in Ju Lu Continent, he, Xie Shi, would really let go. But this time, crossing continents to the south was not that simple. The fact that he, Xie Shi, could do these things against his will, was very telling. As the master of a continent, how could he just swallow his anger and return home to the south just because he was threatened with Natal Porcelain?

Cao Xi was somewhat gleeful at his misfortune.

Xu Ruo was known for not being intimidated by force. He was among the most good-tempered wanderers in the world. Xu Ruo’s abilities, cultivation depth, and the strength of his backing were all a mystery because he rarely took action. However, both above and below the mountain believed in one thing: being able to live for a long time and earn a great reputation, then the more good-tempered a cultivator was, the more astonishing they would be when they lost their temper.

At this moment, an old voice, like a booming bell, resounded throughout the Xie family’s old mansion, “Xu Ruo, don’t compete with this old man. Xie Shi, right? Leave it to this old man to practice. It’s just right to celebrate this old man’s return to the tenth realm of martial arts. If the opponent isn’t strong enough, the fight won’t be satisfying! If Xie Shi thinks this old man is bullying others with power, using numbers against the few, it doesn’t matter. This old man will have a hearty fight with the person behind you, in the same way as Xu Ruo. Personal grudges, bear the consequences yourself!”

The pink and tender yellow finch, which had been standing on Xie Shi’s shoulder, chirped softly, its song melodious and pleasing.

Xie Shi listened attentively, smiled knowingly, and clasped his fist, “The old man said, it was my Xie Shi who wasn’t sincere enough before. There’s no reason for such a forced transaction! So he is currently on his way to Dragon Spring County, and also said that he would personally help your Great Li Dynasty, and abduct…”

Xie Shi recounted word for word to this point, his expression slightly stiff. Thinking of showing respect for the esteemed, he quickly changed his words, “Invite He Xiaoliang of the ‘Jade Maiden’ lineage of Bao Ping Continent, to avoid future conflicts between Great Li and the Divine Edict Sect, as a token of sincerity. So the only place where your Great Li Song family really needs to focus its efforts is True Martial Mountain.”

Cao Xi thought about it, and felt that something was wrong. But he couldn’t find anything wrong with Xie Shi’s words.

Xie Shi looked towards the gate of the mansion, and clasped his fist and smiled, “If you want to fight, after this matter is completed, I, Xie Shi, will definitely accompany you!”

Then he shifted his direction, facing the southwest mountains, where the Bamboo Building of Fallen Phoenix Mountain was located, “If you want to fight with my master, you still have to fight with me, Xie Shi, first. I hope you understand. If you think that I, Xie Shi, look down on you…”

Xie Shi withdrew his fist, put his hands behind his back, and sneered, “Then just assume that I, Xie Shi, look down on you!”

Xu Ruo left a sentence, “After this matter is over, I will definitely accompany you.”

On Fallen Phoenix Mountain, the old man turned his head and smiled at Cui Chan, “How is it, when should I make a move? In normal times, I really couldn’t stand it.”

Cui Chan’s expression was as usual. He rubbed his thumb and index finger lightly, as if weighing the pros and cons, and slowly said, “Don’t rush. It was originally a business negotiation. He, Xie Shi, was asking for the moon, and I was just thinking of using your ninth realm of martial arts to help His Majesty bargain on the spot. Since the boss behind the scenes has shown up and spoken, taking a big step back, Great Li doesn’t need to break face with Xie Shi. Heh, in the future, Xie Shi will have to be stationed on the mountains north of Guanhai Academy. We can’t hurt this Heavenly Sovereign, can we? After I leave the mountain, I have to persuade Xu Ruo not to act impulsively. It’s a bit of a headache. People like Xu Ruo, being without desires, are indomitable. Once he makes up his mind, alas, a headache.”

The old man, standing barefoot on the corridor, looked at Cui Chan’s profile and sighed, “Chanchan, you shouldn’t have become like this.”

Cui Chan pointed to the distance, and sneered, “I am Cui Chan. Your grandson Cui Chan is in Great Sui, not only in his youthful appearance, but also with a childish heart. He should be to your liking.”

Cui Chan was in a bad mood, and suddenly said sternly, “Come out!”
The enraged roar startled the boy in azure robes and the girl in pink, the former trembling in fear. “What? Can’t even curse under my breath? Is the Confucian Sage so omnipotent?”

Fortunately, a slender, jade-like man emerged from the secluded path outside the bamboo building. He appeared to be in his thirties, radiating youthful vigor, and dressed in black. A frigid, unyielding aura emanated from him, marking him as a difficult individual. With determined steps, he approached the bamboo building, bowed with clasped hands towards the second floor, and announced, “Sun Shujian, a fringe retainer of the Cui Clan, greets the Great Li National Preceptor, and the Esteemed Ancestor!”

Cui Chan’s eyes showed displeasure. “That begging monk stopped you once, essentially saving your life. Yet, you still dare to venture up the mountain?!”

When Cui Chan had quietly left the post station to meet the old man, he had already detected the man hiding in the shadows. Cui Chan had been ready to kill him then, but the monk had intervened, placing himself between Cui Chan and the Cui family retainer. Unwilling to create unnecessary complications, Cui Chan had refrained from killing him.

Sun Shujian’s expression was resolute. Maintaining his bowed posture, he raised his head to meet the Great Li National Preceptor’s gaze. “The Cui Clan’s ancestral home has personnel specifically assigned to monitor the Esteemed Ancestor, rotating every ten years to prevent anyone from harming him in secret. It is my responsibility for these past ten years. The Esteemed Ancestor’s unauthorized departure from the South was also facilitated by me, providing false intelligence, claiming the Esteemed Ancestor remained in the South.”

Cui Chan narrowed his eyes and smiled. “So, you’ve come to seek a reward?”

Although the man shook his head, he made no attempt to conceal the fervor in his eyes, declaring loudly, “I dare not! I, Sun Shujian, only wish to learn boxing from the Esteemed Ancestor! Even if my talent is limited, and I can only grasp a tiny fraction, I would die without regrets!”

The barefoot old man chuckled. “In these hundred years of my decline, during my rare moments of lucidity, I have remembered many like you. Most of them possessed higher cultivation than you, but were all ornamental pillows, lacking in both talent and combat prowess. In truth, you, a wild, self-taught cultivator of the Sixth Realm, are far superior. You needn’t belittle yourself. Perhaps your decision to voluntarily degrade yourself and attach yourself to me, tending to a cold stove for a century, is also a selfish calculation of yours, Sun Shujian, is it not?”

Sun Shujian displayed a touch of genuine villainy, nodding in agreement. “Indeed, I harbor hopes of using the Esteemed Ancestor’s favor to ascend to the heavens in a single bound!”

“Oh? Ambitious. My Great Li National Preceptor here might take a liking to you.”

The old man gestured towards Cui Chan beside him, then to himself, and finally towards the pure martial artist downstairs. “Ungrateful wretch, you still acknowledge me as the Cui Clan Ancestor, yet you dare act in such a manner. Your audacity is astounding. Are you not afraid that I might regain my sanity and crush you into a pulp with a single punch?”

Sun Shujian’s gaze was unwavering. “I only know that if I do not take a chance, gamble it all, I will surely regret it for the rest of my life!”

Cui Chan’s eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the young junior for the first time.

“Intriguing.”

The old man caught Cui Chan’s expression from the corner of his eye. He smiled, lightly leaping down from the second floor, landing gracefully. Behind the old man was the closed door of the bamboo building’s first floor, where a miserable youth lay in a large medicinal vat. The old man fixed his gaze on the family’s fringe retainer, whose muscles were taut. “To learn boxing from this old man, you must possess genuine skill. Dare you take a punch from me? If you endure, the Eighth Realm, if not even the Ninth, will be yours. If you cannot, there will be no second punch.”

Faced with such an extraordinary opportunity, Sun Shujian remained rational, asking directly, “May I ask, Esteemed Ancestor, at what Realm will you deliver the punch?”

On the second floor, Cui Chan smiled. “He is indeed qualified to be my pawn.”

On the first floor, the old man laughed heartily, full of mirth. “You are of the Sixth Realm. I won’t bully you. I shall gift you a punch with Fifth Realm strength. How does that sound?”

The man stepped forward with one foot and back with the other, adopting his boxing stance. A will of the fist flowed through him like a mountain stream, natural and complete.

Evidently, in the martial dao, the self-taught Sun Shujian possessed not only great perseverance, but also considerable comprehension. Given his status as a self-taught cultivator, to reach such heights – a peak Sixth Realm martial artist, a martial arts grandmaster capable of traversing a state – he must have poured in countless unknown efforts.

Sun Shujian held his breath and focused his mind. Already, he possessed the bearing of a master. “Esteemed Ancestor, please, deliver your punch!”

Cui Chan suddenly sighed for no apparent reason.

The barefoot old man took a step forward and threw a punch.

A simple, unadorned punch landed on Sun Shujian’s forehead.

Unable to block the old man’s attack, Sun Shujian was instantly sent flying dozens of feet, collapsing in a pool of blood, his limbs twitching, blood flowing from his seven orifices. On the verge of death, the young martial artist, whose ambitions reached the heavens, widened his eyes towards the sky, his gaze filled with confusion, indignation, and unwillingness.

The girl in pink covered her eyes, unable to bear witness to the scene.

The boy in azure robes swallowed hard. “See? He really did kill him with one punch.”

From the second floor, Cui Chan inquired, “Why do you act in this manner?”

The old man turned and leapt back under the eaves of the second floor. “This kind of person is not worthy of learning my boxing.”

Now that the man was dead, despite a measure of regret over the loss of a promising pure martial artist with potential to reach the Eighth Realm, even advance further, and a significant pawn, Cui Chan quickly abandoned the emotion. “He is already dead, thinking more will do no good. Fortunately, we are on other people’s grounds, so he wouldn’t need to clean the corpse.

Cui Chan asked curiously, “Why did you kill him?”

The old man returned to his stool. “It was not for you to see, but for that fellow downstairs.”

“Fortune and misfortune have no gate; they are summoned by oneself.”

Cui Chan looked down.

Outside the bamboo building on the first floor, stood a pale-faced youth, looking up at them.

However, the youth remained silent.

The atmosphere was exceedingly cold.

After a moment, the old man did not rise, and the youth did not leave.

Cui Chan found it somewhat boring.

Even if the person downstairs was another ‘self’s’ teacher.

However, Cui Chan felt no interest in such matters. If it weren’t for the possibility of someone returning to the mortal realm, since the souls had been split in half, and the body was already divided, Cui Chan wouldn’t mind sending Chen Pingan of Mud Bottle Alley along his path since he would have no further benefit to him. He was unsightly and there may be unforeseen complications. This made Cui Chan, who was accustomed to controlling the overall situation, displeased. As for how the “youth Cui Chan’s” Great Dao would fare or whether it would be hindered because of this, leaving the masses without hope of returning to its peak, what did that matter to National Preceptor Cui Chan?

In the end, they were two people.
The old man sat on the bamboo chair and sneered, “What? You brat disapproves of my indiscriminate killing and wants to seek justice for that fellow who died with his eyes wide open?”

Chen Ping’an walked to the corpse, squatted down, and found that life had indeed departed.

Chen Ping’an said softly, “I don’t know why you came, nor do I know why he killed you. So, all I can do is bury you. If I ever learn of your hometown, I’ll try my best to help your remains return to your roots.”

These words were spoken for the dead man to hear, for the two on the second floor, and even more so for himself.

The old man suddenly roared, his face contorted with rage, terrifying and fierce. His aura soared as he bellowed, “There are countless good people in this world, but pure martial artists like me are few and far between! How many cultivators are there? Do you think those who reach the peak care about good or evil? Chen Ping’an, are you learning to punch with me, or are you learning to be a saint?!”

Chen Ping’an stood up, beckoned the young boy in green robes to come and help with the burial, looked up at the second floor, and said, “Only learning to punch!”

The old man stood up and laughed heartily, “Good, good, good! When do we practice?”

Chen Ping’an silently walked towards the bamboo building, ascending the stairs.

The old man turned and walked into the room, “Call me if you need anything.”

“Rest assured.”

Cui Chan turned and headed for the stairs, declaring with certainty, “That won’t happen!”

The old man paused slightly, then strode across the threshold, the door slamming shut.

Cui Chan stopped at the foot of the stairs. Chen Ping’an, halfway up, saw that he had no intention of yielding, so he halted.

The old scholar in Confucian robes looked down at the young man and smiled, “Back in the Lilizhu Grotto-Heaven before it fell and shattered, you, Chen Ping’an, were the most pitiful, your fortune thin and almost nonexistent. That’s why you could only brush past every opportunity, becoming bait for others.

Now that those mystical restrictions are gone, you even have a hint of turning bad luck into good. So, when such a huge windfall falls from the sky, hold onto it tight! Even if your hands are smashed, your legs are crushed, even if you have to bite it with your teeth until they shatter, you must fight with your last breath to grab it and hold on!”

Cui Chan walked down, saying, “These words are for that old fellow to tell you, but he never likes to speak properly. Whatever he does, whatever he says, it’s all with an air of righteousness, which is quite annoying. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have come to see you this time at all. Your life or death is no longer important. You should thank Qi Jingchun, my junior brother, for that. Of course, if you, Chen Ping’an, are not up to the task, then Qi Jingchun will have died in vain.”

Saying this, Cui Chan’s smile was complex, “I have to admit, on this point, my vision is better than Old Yang’s, but worse than Qi Jingchun’s.”

Finally, the two brushed past each other, each slightly yielding the way.

At that moment, Cui Chan paused slightly and whispered, “Do you know the most dangerous moment in your life?”

The young man slowed his pace almost simultaneously.

Cui Chan murmured, “It was that string of candied haws that a certain ‘good Samaritan’ wanted to give you. If you had taken it then, all would have been in vain.”

Chen Ping’an was shocked beyond measure.

Many past events flashed before his eyes, vivid and clear.

Imperial Tutor Cui Chan continued down the stairs. The moment he stepped off the last step, his figure vanished in a flash.

This day’s training, tempering both body and soul, was even more grueling than yesterday’s ordeal.

No matter how Chen Ping’an gritted his teeth and persevered, he still fainted several times, only to be brutally awakened by the old man. Again and again, it was truly a living hell.

When the young boy in green robes carried Chen Ping’an out of the room, he almost thought it was the second time he had to collect a corpse today. He was given a big fright. At that time, Chen Ping’an’s breath was as thin as a wisp of smoke, and his breathing was weaker than that of a decrepit old man.

Even Wei Bo had no choice but to knock on the door on the second floor to remind the old man to not overdo it.

The old man, separated by a door, replied irritably, “Who I teach to punch is none of anyone’s business!”

Wei Bo went downstairs in a huff. Still worried, he had no choice but to personally watch Chen Ping’an’s breathing in the medicine bucket, in case of any accidents.

In the night, the mentally exhausted Chen Ping’an changed his clothes and walked out of the gate.

The young boy in green robes was cultivating by the cliff, and the little girl in the pink dress brought a small bamboo chair.

Chen Ping’an sat on the bamboo chair, touched her head, and smiled, “I’m fine.”

The little girl in the pink dress forced a smile and, imitating the young boy in green robes, brown-nosed, “Of course, my Lord is the most amazing.”

Chen Ping’an made a face at her.

Finally, he made the little girl laugh.

Chen Ping’an then sat quietly on the chair, his hands casually resting on his legs, his posture relaxed and unforced.

However.

Now, Chen Ping’an finally had an indescribable sharpness. Even if he didn’t speak, whether he was sitting, lying, or standing, the true meaning of his fist that flowed like a torrent could make boxing experts feel dazzled and stung!

The little girl in the pink dress would feel strange, and the young boy in green robes even more so. That was why he was desperately cultivating every day.

The most valuable thing about this training was that the old man’s tempering of Chen Ping’an, no matter how fierce and brutal, never changed the young man’s original nature in the slightest. Whether on the mountain or below, a rule applies: regarding imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts, a wise teacher is above a famous teacher. The old man was undoubtedly a first-class martial arts master. A wise teacher is not necessarily a top expert. For example, Old Ancestor Li believed that Zhu He, who was just a fifth-realm martial artist, was a well-deserved wise teacher. However, this old man who locked himself in the bamboo building every day, if he wasn’t a martial arts grandmaster, then it would be a strange thing.

“There is great scenery above the ninth realm,” who could say such a thing? For example, Zhu He even firmly believed that the peak of the ninth realm was the end of martial arts and the end of the road.

The little girl in the pink dress secretly asked, “Lord, are you not happy today?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Are you talking about the old senior suddenly killing someone?”

The little girl in the pink dress timidly turned her head and glanced at the second floor, afraid that she would cause trouble for her Lord.
Chen Ping’an didn’t offer a clear answer, instead saying softly, “During my last long journey, I encountered a ghost bride who loved a scholar, loved him deeply… I don’t know how to put it, but she killed many innocent passing scholars because of it. I feel she was wrong, terribly wrong, beyond redemption. But what could I do? Bao Ping, Li Huai, they were all with me at the time. I couldn’t just act according to my whims. And I also wondered if I was being simplistic, I wasn’t sure.”

The girl in the pink dress asked curiously, “Master, what do you think now?”

Chen Ping’an clenched his fists and rested them on his knees, his eyes clear as he smiled, “It was wrong. Next time we meet, I probably still won’t be able to reason with her, but that’s okay, the time after that! The time after that, there will always be a chance!”

The girl in the pink dress smiled.

This kind of Master, different from the previous sullen Master, was better.

Chen Ping’an silently told himself in his heart.

He had to live first.

The night was deep, and a young Taoist priest wearing a lotus crown pushed a wheelbarrow, with a fortune-telling banner like those seen at divination stalls, walking on the official road leading to Huaihuang County. The wheel of the cart squeaked and groaned as it rolled along the road.

It was none other than the young Taoist surnamed Lu who had been a clumsy fortune teller in the small town for many years.

A yellow oriole suddenly burst through the night from a ripple in the air, came to a halt, and stood on the young Taoist’s shoulder, affectionately rubbing its beak against his cheek.

The young Taoist smiled brightly, freed a hand, and gently patted the oriole’s small head, “I know, I know, you’ve had it hard before, having to peck copper coins to and fro, helping to examine the literary luck. There was nothing else to be done, Qi Jingchun was so good at playing chess. See, didn’t the two of us fail to calculate Qi Jingchun’s next move in the end? Well, I accept this defeat. Who asked my master to be so biased? I’m clearly his disciple who is worst at playing chess, worst at divination, and worst at fighting. In the end, all the thankless chores had to be done by me, isn’t that making things difficult for people?”

The young Taoist chattered like a gossiping market woman, complaining about this and that, without a hint of divine bearing.

The oriole suddenly pecked the young Taoist’s ear.

The young Taoist seemed to understand the oriole’s thoughts and laughed heartily, “How can immortals not be people?”

The young Taoist’s eyes lit up, he grinned, and imitated a monk, standing with one palm upright in front of his chest, which, to put it lightly, was neither fish nor fowl, simply ridiculous, but to put it heavily, it was defiance of Taoist principles.

The young Taoist was without a proper demeanor, softly muttering, “Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, please bless me, let this trip back to the small town be harmonious and prosperous, it must be harmonious and prosperous. Hmm, asking you last time was useful, wasn’t it? In the end, I didn’t fight Qi Jingchun to the death, did I? So, please take care of me this time too? Once familiar, twice skilled, we’ll be friends from now on!”

The young Taoist looked up.

Under the night, the small town was crystal clear in his eyes.

Whether after the fall of the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, losing the protection of the great array, or before its destruction, with the magic restrictions intact, it was actually the same to the young Taoist, there was no difference.

The young Taoist extended a finger and gently tapped the ancient Taoist crown on his head, seemingly pondering a troublesome question.

The young Taoist named Lu Chen.

Was the inescapable dead knot for Qi Jingchun, whether he left the Li Zhu Cave Heaven or not.

It was just that Qi Jingchun unexpectedly took a big step back, and the young Taoist followed by taking a small step back.