(A Great Chapter of Twenty Thousand Words!)

The early bird catches the worm, but a horse fattens not on night grass.

Such is the common wisdom, and so it is said. Yet, alas, the young Daoist, toiling from the break of dawn till deepest night, though his fortune-telling stall opens earlier and closes later than his peers, remains neither fed nor fat.

For the common folk in this humble town now place their faith in more direct means, showing not the slightest restraint. Especially that Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom, he understands my temperament best, fearing I might, in a fit of pique, offend the Sect Leader.”

Lu Chen casually scrutinized the mortally ill Great Li Emperor, clicking his tongue. “This humble Daoist is curious about something. Ah Liang’s fist shattered your Bridge of Longevity, both freeing you from your puppet destiny and dooming you to a premature demise. Are you grateful, or resentful?”

The Great Li Emperor replied with candor, “Both sentiments exist, so intertwined that I cannot discern which outweighs the other. In the vastness of the Grand Azure World, ancient rules bind sovereigns. Practitioners above the Middle Five Realms are forbidden from ruling a nation, while those in the Lower Five Realms cannot sit upon the Dragon Throne for more than sixty years. Moreover, the nature of an emperor inherently clashes with the pursuit of cultivation. Therefore, I succumbed to temptation, lured by the Lu Clan gentleman who aided in building the Jade Pavilion, taking a shortcut through unorthodox means, secretly cultivating to the Tenth Realm. This was a grave error, for I yearned too deeply to hear the sound of Great Li’s cavalry thundering upon the shores of the Southern Sea, beyond Old Dragon City!”

As he spoke, the Great Li Emperor’s face glowed, as if a dying ember rekindled, “If such a day were to dawn, I believe its sound would surpass even the thunder of spring in the heavens!”

Lu Chen remained noncommittal. “You’ve shown remarkable strength in cleansing your court in such a short time, and even the courage to refuse the Lu Clan of the Central Continent. Of course, the sudden choice of the Mo Clan’s main branch to support your Great Li Dynasty plays a significant role. Regardless, your reign as emperor has been…turbulent.”

The Great Li Emperor was unsurprised. Although Immortals descending to the mortal realm must adhere to the intricate rules established by the Sage of Rites, the young and handsome Daoist before him was no ordinary Immortal.

The reason Great Li insisted on coming to this town, to witness the “young” Daoist with his own eyes, was not without a sense of awe and reverence, a simple, pure emotion.

One looks up to towering mountains, and emulates virtuous conduct. Though unattainable, the heart yearns for it.

To be able to stand before him, to catch a glimpse of his presence, would be a great fortune in this lifetime.

The Great Li Emperor revealed a trace of hope mixed with trepidation. “With the Sect Leader present, might I escape this calamity?”

Lu Chen shook his head with a smile. “Among the resplendent stars that adorn the mortal realm, you shine with considerable brightness. Naturally, I could prolong your lifespan, not just by ten or a hundred years, but even a millennium. However, should I intervene and alter your fate, you would have to abandon your ancestral inheritance and follow me to another realm to truly survive. Otherwise, do you think the Sage of Rites’ rules are mere decorations? Are the divine statues in the Confucian Temple all lifeless?”

The Great Li Emperor sighed, remaining silent for a long time.

Lu Chen glanced sideways at the stern-faced youth, chuckling. “Song Jixin, or should I call you Song Mu? What a coincidence, we meet again. Do you know that Qi Jingchun held you in high regard? You were a key figure in inheriting the Confucian legacy, it was more than just Qi Jingchun’s deceptive illusion cast upon me. Otherwise, my little sparrow would never have taken the copper coin you discarded. Alas, your fate is good, yet lacking a touch of fortune, just this little bit.”

Lu Chen curled his thumb and forefinger, leaving only a sliver of space. “The books Qi Jingchun gave you, the very essence of the Confucian lineage, you refused to take a single one. Know this, the world is filled with righteous Qi, but that ethereal Qi possesses its own sentience. When others offer you treasures, and you cannot grasp them with your own hands, you can blame no one.”

Song Jixin’s composure shattered, sweat pouring down his face.

The Great Li Emperor softly rebuked, “Song Mu!”

Song Jixin finally regained a sliver of clarity, but still trembled, on the verge of collapse.

Lu Chen continued his jesting. “Little one, you’re panicking already? Regretting your choices? Song Jixin, have you ever considered, even if you held such treasures in your hands, could you bear the consequences? The events of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, why did Qi Jingchun die? Aside from your Qi-xiansheng seeking his own death, refusing to hide in the grotto-heaven left to him by that old scholar, not to mention the backlash of Heavenly Dao. The moment you became involved, it meant a long period of unrest. So what if you become the Great Li Emperor? So what if the hooves of Great Li’s iron cavalry trample the shores of the Southern Sea?”

The Great Li Emperor placed a heavy hand on the youth’s shoulder, his voice grave. “Think no more of it!”

Lu Chen ceased his relentless questioning, speaking languidly, “The world always laments missed opportunities, envying the fortunes and blessings of others. Haha, truly laughable and amusing.”

The Great Li Emperor withdrew his hand, his palm already soaked with sweat, his face growing paler. “Sect Leader Lu, can you spare Great Li?”

Lu Chen was taken aback, then slammed the table, laughing loudly. “Words become reality!”

Lu Chen surveyed his surroundings, then narrowed his eyes, gazing upwards, smiling faintly. “How about it? This is not me making unreasonable demands. Rest assured, what happens in the future will depend on ‘natural progression.’ I have no time to waste here. To put it bluntly, if not for Qi Jingchun, I would not willingly be a guest in your territory.”

The old Daoist at the neighboring stall, muddled and drowsy, had been dozing off ever since the young Daoist had settled down at his stall. Moreover, no customers had come to his door. So the old man sat there alone, unaware that the lines on his palm had subtly shifted, his lifespan quietly extending as a new line gently unfurled. This was the unbidden blessing bestowed upon him.

Because the young Daoist’s dismal mood, brought about by the Lu Clan, had finally lifted today, he casually granted a moment of “extralegal grace.”

The Great Li Emperor, leading Song Jixin, bid farewell and departed, a myriad of emotions swirling within the man, afraid to look back.

Lu Chen remarked without cause, “The creations of Heaven and Earth, wondrous beyond words.”

The Sages of the Three Teachings and the Hundred Schools, as well as the heroes and figures of the ancient clans, are all quite occupied, each laying their pieces for the great struggle that is to come.

All this, like the gentle spring rain, bathes the common folk, rewarding good and punishing evil, inviting fortune and misfortune.
The young Daoist snapped his fingers, and the heavens and earth became clear. He turned to look towards the mountains in the west, “Go, go. Everything after this has nothing to do with you.”

The old Daoist trembled, wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, and looked around blankly. He didn’t notice anything unusual, so he sighed, feeling his age creeping up on him. He couldn’t deny he was getting old and couldn’t withstand the cold, bone-chilling wind of early spring. Then, the old Daoist saw the young man sitting on the long bench in front of his stall again, wearing that irritating, attentive expression. Remembering the grand business deal that had been snatched away, he was unwilling to impart any golden words of wisdom to this youngster. Wouldn’t that be digging his own grave, only to have his business stolen again? He impatiently waved his sleeve, “Get lost, get lost! You don’t have the talent or insight for this. I can’t teach you. Hurry up and leave, don’t delay my business!”

Lu Chen stubbornly held onto the stall, shamelessly saying, “Don’t be like that, Old Immortal Master, give me some pointers, so I can hawk my wares in my own territory later.”

The old Daoist furrowed his brow, then relaxed it, smiling, “An old man’s words are worth a thousand gold. Do you know the rules?”

“Huh?”

Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise, “Can I owe you first?”

Seeing that no one was around, the old Daoist abandoned his immortal demeanor and glared, “Get out!”

Lu Chen reluctantly took out a small piece of silver, a real one at that, and placed it on the table, “Old Immortal Master, you’re too worldly. How can you be so obsessed with money?”

The old Daoist snatched it up and stuffed it into his sleeve, clearing his throat. He began to talk endlessly about his experiences in the pugilistic world, only choosing empty platitudes, grand and impractical, of no real use. He steadfastly avoided the practical, insider knowledge truly needed to navigate the world. However, the young man across the table seemed to not understand at all. He listened to the old Daoist’s pompous talk with wide-eyed respect, taking everything to heart. Every now and then, the young Daoist would suddenly slap his thigh, acting enlightened and deeply impressed, startling the old Daoist.

Unknowingly, the palm lines that the old Daoist had altered returned to their original state, without a single difference.

In the world, gains and losses happen without knowledge or awareness.

The Lantern Festival in the Great Sui capital was filled with lights as bright as day.

The students of Cliff Academy almost all went down the mountain to join the festivities that night. The instructors and teachers of the academy didn’t object to this. Young people shouldn’t just stay cooped up in their studies, always nodding their heads. That would kill their spirit. Instruction should not be too rigid or inflexible, or else the seeds of scholarship in good soil would never grow into towering trees.

Li Huai wanted to go, but after calling around, only Yu Lu was willing to accompany him. Li Bao Ping said she had already explored every nook and cranny of the Great Sui capital. Going down the mountain now wouldn’t be to see the lanterns, but to see the crowds. It was boring. Besides, she still owed her teacher several essays as punishment, and she had to burn the midnight oil!

Lin Shou Yi said he wanted to continue reading in the library. Xie Xie was now Xie Ling Yue, and had even transformed into a disciple of Cui Dong Shan, blessed with good fortune. A bunch of magical treasures that only immortals could use. Li Huai had pestered Xie Xie to show them to him. After seeing them, Li Huai thought they were nothing special, not as cute as his painted wooden puppets, and he wasn’t envious at all. Xie Xie said that night that he needed to cultivate and couldn’t accompany Li Huai to see the lantern festival.

In the end, only Yu Lu, who was the easiest to talk to and had the least to do, went down the mountain with Li Huai.

At the foot of the mountain, they encountered Gao Xuan, a prince of the Great Sui Dynasty. The three of them went together. Gao Xuan had often visited Cliff Academy before. But Gao Xuan couldn’t follow the thoughts of the girl in the red cotton-padded jacket, and Lin Shou Yi was aloof and detached. Xie Xie was constantly being summoned by the “Old Ancestor of the Cai Family” to fetch tea, pour water, wash clothes, and sweep the floor. He was treated worse than a servant girl, not at all like a cultivation prodigy. So Gao Xuan was most familiar with Yu Lu and would often accompany him to fish by the lake.

The Lantern Festival of the Great Sui was a time of joy for the ruler and his subjects, a time of universal celebration.

Li Huai had specially put on the ink jade hairpin engraved with “Huai Yin” and walked with his chest high, full of swagger.

Yu Lu and Gao Xuan protected Li Huai on either side, not because they were afraid someone would bully Li Huai, but because the little rascal seemed to have a strange, unique aura. He was a country bumpkin, but he had good luck. Like now, he was able to have a former prince of the Lu Dynasty and a current prince of the Great Sui Dynasty escort him.

Li Huai’s trip to the Lantern Festival was worth it.

Inside the library of Cliff Academy, Lin Shou Yi read by lamplight. Suddenly, he felt uneasy. He sighed, put down the book, walked to the window, and thought of a beautiful maiden among the willows.

Lin Shou Yi silently told himself to study hard and cultivate diligently, so that in the future…

Thinking of certain beautiful scenes, Lin Shou Yi, who was usually unsmiling, had a warm smile on his face.

The handsome young man became even more handsome.

In the dorm where the girl in the red cotton-padded jacket lived, she was also studying by lamplight, but in addition to reading, she also had to copy books. After dipping her brush in ink, Li Bao Ping looked solemn and raised her arm high, holding the brush. With a shout, she started working swiftly with thunderous momentum! *Swish, swish, swish*, she could write the standard script so fast it was like thunder. She must be quite skilled at copying books! After filling a page, she would casually flick it aside, muttering the words “Go you”.

An old teacher, responsible for patrolling the academy that night, stood at the window and saw this scene. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, feeling helpless and sorry at the same time. The old teacher happened to be one of the little girl’s instructors. He quietly turned and left, not wanting to disturb the little girl’s great task of copying books. But the old man wondered if he should have Little Bao Ping copy fewer books in the future.

Mao Xiao Dong, the deputy head of the academy, was silently playing chess in his room. After so many years of wandering and displacement, one of the things the old man hated most was his inability to give up this hobby. He had quit playing chess several times, but every time he accidentally saw others playing, he couldn’t tear himself away. He would watch the game, often feeling irritated and secretly criticizing a player’s poor move. When he saw a brilliant move, he would be itching to play. Once back in his room, he couldn’t help but replay the whole game, then continue to scold himself for his lack of willpower, all while happily playing chess. Some old chess friends liked to joke about Mao Xiao Dong’s quitting chess as “seclusion” and his return as “coming out of seclusion.”
Tonight, Mao Xiaodong declined the Emperor’s invitation, choosing to remain at home rather than attending the palace lantern festival, quietly pondering his thoughts.

The old man’s chess skills were taught by a certain bastard surnamed Cui. What infuriated him more was that no matter how hard he tried, searching for the most unpredictable moves, he always lost. The old man huffed, “Forget it, forget it! I can’t win against that little bastard, so I won’t play anymore! By the way, Little Bottle, when are you planning to return to your hometown? Don’t tell me you’re really planning to stay in this broken town and become a… a river god?”

Li Xisheng was speechless.

The old man rambled on, “Maybe… maybe you’re destined to be a golden boy, and then you’ll become a divine couple. Heh, that wouldn’t be bad…”

He chuckled to himself at the thought.

Li Xisheng felt helpless. His grandfather’s competitive spirit was impossible to change. To become the first tenth-realm cultivator among the four surnames and ten clans of the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, this breakthrough process was extremely dangerous. But no one could dissuade him, including Li Xisheng. If he hadn’t secretly divined a “mid-good” fortune, Li Xisheng wouldn’t have dared to let his grandfather rush headfirst into seclusion.

The old man scoffed, “As for that little brat Ma Kuxuan, I’m not one to speak ill of people behind their backs, but his family has always been a nest of thieves and scoundrels. Hmph, I don’t think he’ll amount to much. The greatest good is like water, and the strongest is easily broken. That’s been true since ancient times. He doesn’t know the slightest thing about concealing his abilities, displaying his brilliance at every turn. So what if he broke through three realms in a year? Let’s see him break through three realms in a row after reaching the Sea Gazing Realm!”

Li Xisheng remained silent.

The old man suddenly asked, “Why did you give that ‘Snowdrift Awl’ and those talisman papers to Chen Ping’an?”

The old man scoffed, “You should have kept half for yourself! Do you believe that the kid doesn’t even know how valuable those papers and brushes are?”

Li Xisheng chuckled, “It seems that Grandpa doesn’t really mind losing the Treasure Bottle.”

The old man was stumped, then flared up in embarrassment, “Who said that?! If I don’t care about Little Bottle, who will? Fine, they’re given away, so they’re given away. I was just mentioning it casually. Do you think I would make you ask for them back?”

Li Xisheng smiled knowingly.

The old man saw the smile on his eldest grandson’s face and tapped him twice in the air with his finger. “Giving away family heirlooms so casually, Grandpa won’t stop you, nor will he force you to regret it, but that doesn’t stop me from calling you a spendthrift.”

Li Xisheng’s lips were filled with smiles.

The old man placed his hands on the armrests of the chair, looking somewhat tired. He sighed, “Grandpa only has this much ability. I risked my life to barely reach the tenth realm. I can’t even dream of the upper five realms. Xisheng, Grandpa won’t be able to do anything for you anymore.”

Li Xisheng quickly stood up and said softly, “Grandpa, don’t think like that. You’ve already done the best you possibly could.”

The old man stood up, walked around the table, and helped his eldest grandson straighten his collar. “Regardless of whether you go to Ju Lu Island, regardless of whether you abandon Confucianism for Daoism in the future, you’ll always be Grandpa’s good grandson. There’s no end to the principles of being a good person, but I believe in my grandson. You will be upright and honest, always!”

Li Xisheng’s eyes welled up. He nodded vigorously, took two steps back, bowed deeply, and said loudly, “Exemplary teaching, sincere heart and upright intention, my Li family is second to none!”

The old man murmured, “Of course you are, and Little Bottle is too.”

He only left out Li Baozhen, the acknowledged most intelligent one.

In the Great Li Changchun Palace, the only Daoist sect in the Great Li Dynasty mainly consisting of female cultivators… that was a matter for when her father returned.

At that time, there were quite a few fellow cultivators standing in the corridor outside, including a seasoned Qi Refiner in the Middle Fifth Realm, and even a sword cultivator with a sword hanging from his waist! Of course, he didn’t need to deal with such matters personally, it would be beneath him. As for the first taste of the two dishes of wild vegetables, it would definitely be his. As for what happened next, it would depend on his mood, whether or not he would reward his lackeys and hangers-on.

But when the honest man who had gone to buy food returned and heard what had happened, he neither trembled with fear nor slammed the table and glared. After placing the food box containing the simple lunch, he only said, “Let’s go outside and talk.”

The woman was on the verge of tears, but the girl held her mother’s hand and said, “It’s okay, Dad’s here.”

The woman burst into tears and said something that broke the girl’s heart, “I’m afraid your dad will get beaten.”

The man stepped over the threshold, gently closed the door, and grabbed the man’s neck as if he were grabbing a chick, lifting him into the air. He walked step by step towards the group of Ju Lu Island Qi Refiners whose expressions had changed slightly, and the seemingly calm Sixth Realm sword cultivator. Someone was about to say something threatening, but found that their throat was burning hot, as if a piece of charcoal had been stuffed inside. Their face flushed red, and they clutched at their neck, unable to utter a single word.

The man casually threw the barely breathing Qi Refiner to the side and asked the sword cultivator, “What is the name of your ancestor, and what is the name of your sect?”

The sword cultivator sneered, “We haven’t done anything. Starting a conflict without authorization, according to the rules of this ferry, you will be thrown into the sea.”

The man didn’t bother with words. He broke the sword cultivator’s Bridge of Longevity with a single punch, forcibly “uprooting” the Natal Flying Sword that hadn’t even had time to be drawn from the Qi Palace, and gently clenched his fist in his palm, instantly crushing it.

The sword cultivator fell to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices.

The other cultivators almost simultaneously knelt down and begged for mercy.

But all the movements and sounds had already been completely isolated by the man using his Martial Dao divine abilities, blocked outside the door of the room.

The man said calmly, “Report the origins and names of this sword cultivator, as well as your own names and sects. After you’ve tasted my punch, I will naturally seek out your ancestors in the future.”

Someone’s thoughts flickered, and they deliberately made up a name and sect. The man’s Martial Dao cultivation was almost divine. He could see the ripples in the Qi Refiners’ mind-lake like a torch in a cave, clear as day. He immediately smashed the Qi Refiner’s foundation for longevity and Dao with a single punch. The man said impatiently, “Since I can kill you with one punch, and I’m willing to talk to you nicely, then you should listen carefully.”

The rest of the group looked like they had lost their parents.

The Ninth Realm cultivator and the Seventh Realm martial artist who were stationed on the ferry quickly arrived.

The cultivator was an elder with an imposing aura. The Ninth Realm was the Golden Core Realm for Qi Refiners. As the saying went, “Forming a Golden Core, you are one of us.” They were the pride of heaven who had successfully broken through the Eighth Realm Dragon Gate Realm. Therefore, the Golden Core Realm was also hailed as the “finishing touch” that transformed the ordinary into the magical after a carp jumped over the Dragon Gate. The entire Qi Sea condensed and compressed into a spinning golden pill in the dantian. Each cultivator had a different internal landscape when forming the core. Some talented cultivators even attracted celestial phenomena when forming their core.

There were huge differences in size and quality between the “Core Chambers” of the Golden Core Realm Great Cultivators. But there were also special cases such as “large but empty” and “small but exquisite.” The will of Heaven was unpredictable.
A Seventh Realm Pure Martial Artist was a burly old man, standing eight chi tall, with a broadsword hanging at his waist.

The Golden Core Realm old cultivator, witnessing the tragic state of the corridor, erupted in fury, about to use the rules to suppress the man.

The Seventh Realm martial artist softly reminded, “Elder Hong, this person is at least an Eighth Realm martial artist.”

The burly old man even emphasized, repeating the words, “At least!”

The old cultivator swiftly assessed the distance between himself and the stalwart man, determining it was certainly no more than ten zhang, which presented him with a dilemma.

Within ten zhang, engaging in a life-or-death struggle with a Pure Martial Artist of at least the Eighth Realm held no appeal.

Fortunately, the man wasn’t overtly aggressive, and he recounted the events in broad strokes.

Then, some fool, feeling emboldened, cried out in indignant grief, “Immortal Hong, the swordsman on the ground is Tang Xiufeng of the Azure Sprout Peak! His natal sword was forcibly extracted from his body by that madman and utterly crushed! This is a feud of life and death; the Azure Sprout Peak will not let him go!”

Without this reminder, the Golden Core Realm old cultivator might have remained indecisive. But hearing this, he quickly sized up the dismal state of the swordsman on the ground. The old cultivator swallowed hard, now certain that the ruthless man was not only an Eighth Realm or higher Grandmaster of the Distant Excursion Realm, but most likely a master of the Eighth Realm’s Great Completion, potentially even touching the threshold of the Mountain Peak Realm. Otherwise, he couldn’t have so effortlessly destroyed a Middle Fifth Realm swordsman’s natal sword.

The old cultivator bowed, saying, “Rest assured, we will handle this matter impartially and ensure justice for the esteemed Senior.”

The man nodded, then, after a moment’s thought, said to the dumbstruck crowd, “I’ll defer that punch for now. I’ll settle accounts with your ancestor later.”

The man glanced at the old cultivator and the fellow martial artist, frowning. “Don’t try any silencing tactics. I have my own plans for this matter.”

The old cultivator offered a helpless smile. “We would never resort to such measures.”

The man said nothing more, returning to his room and knocking on the door his daughter had deliberately bolted, a gesture to comfort her mother. “Willow, it’s your father.”

The young woman swiftly opened the door, and the man entered, closing it behind him. The woman hurried forward, tears still visible on her face. “Li Er, what happened? Did they bully you? Were you hurt anywhere? Do you need ointment?”

The man scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. “Nah, the person in charge of the ship just happened to be passing by, and I quickly told them what happened. Heh, guess what? They were very reasonable and kicked those people out. They even told them not to approach us three again. So everything’s fine. I told you, there are still good people when you’re out and about.”

The young woman, Li Liu, suppressed a smile.

Her father’s distant journey wasn’t in vain; he’d learned to spin tall tales.

The woman finally breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest. “Thank goodness, thank goodness.”

The man simply smiled, quietly gazing at his wife.

The woman misinterpreted his gaze, pinching the hard flesh of his waist. She scolded him in a low voice, “The daughter is here, yet you can’t restrain your roving eyes!”

The man sheepishly scratched his head again.

That evening, the bright moon shone upon the sea.

The young woman, Li Liu, stood by the railing, gazing at the full moon.

Old Yang had once said that she possessed great talent, and Li Huai had great fortune.

What was this “talent”?

It was Li Liu’s innate knowledge.

Her provocative gesture towards the Grand Tutor of Great Li at the Cliffside Academy wasn’t the rashness of a naive girl, but rather a display of her acute awareness of the situation.

Next door to the young woman’s private room…

The woman was also lighthearted; once the matter had passed, she immediately forgot any grievances. She ate and slept as usual, and was already snoring soundly.

Li Er lay beside her, listening to his wife’s thunderous snores, and gently took her hand.

The man slowly closed his eyes. He never uttered any saccharine sweet nothings, and he couldn’t bring himself to say them anyway. Fortunately, his wife didn’t care to hear them.

A good wife, a good son, a good daughter – only he, the father, wasn’t much good. The man smiled with his eyes closed, secretly delighted.

Lake Shujian, renowned for its abundant spiritual energy, was a scenic expanse of azure waters. Over a thousand islands dotted its surface, scattered like stars, with roughly half occupied or leased by cultivators of varying ranks. The largest of these, Azure Gorge Island, was the domain of Liu Zhimao, the Lord of Intercepting River.

Liu Zhimao cultivated unorthodox Taoist arts. Although his title of “Lord” wasn’t bestowed by the dynasty’s official decree but merely a boast from his mountain comrades, Liu Zhimao’s profound skill had been proven in countless life-or-death battles. Due to Liu Zhimao’s questionable reputation, his so-called comrades were many, but only casual acquaintances. His disciples were a mixed bunch, with no promising young talent capable of carrying the mantle. Yet, Liu Zhimao remained able to occupy Azure Gorge Island in Lake Shujian, relying solely on his own strength to stand his ground amidst circling wolves and tigers.

After his journey north, Liu Zhimao was riding a wave of success.

He had brought back a child, a young boy he publicly declared to be his closed-door disciple. Initially, everyone dismissed the boy as a lucky bumpkin. The boy was always grinning, seemingly oblivious to the disdainful or sinister gazes directed his way. In particular, Liu Zhimao’s first disciple took a strong dislike to this supposed chosen one of the master.

Later, those on Azure Gorge Island, after spending more time with the child, realized he was a mischievous little rascal with a head full of bad ideas. Not only was he adept at playing the fool at such a young age, but he was also extremely vindictive, much like his master, Liu Zhimao. As the saying went, the roof leaks from the top.

At the end of last year, Azure Gorge Island had caused a major incident that shook the entire Lake Shujian, and this child was one of the main culprits.

Although Azure Gorge Island was dominated by Liu Zhimao alone, there were several vassal sects. Furthermore, the Lord of Intercepting River had enthusiastically invited some congenial guest retainers who indulged in pleasures year-round, but when they struck, they would eradicate any root of future trouble.
As for the island lords of the nearby isles, they were a ruthless bunch, wavering between righteous and wicked. All were untamed cultivators who had carved their own bloody paths. The child named Gu Can was accompanied by his mother, an ordinary woman of mediocre talent, incapable of cultivation. However, she possessed a captivating beauty, and one of Liu Zhimao’s retainers harbored lascivious desires, seeking to make her his concubine. That wizened, monkey-faced retainer was a formidable force, having cultivated and gathered influence for over a century, forming a power base that even Liu Zhimao had to yield to in some measure.

This man had a peculiar predilection for using the bosoms of beautiful women as hand warmers. Thus, the attire of his maids differed from that of other women, with extremely low-cut necklines to grant him easy access. These alluring women were mockingly referred to as “open-collared wenches.”

Liu Zhimao displayed a subtle ambivalence towards this, neither rejecting nor endorsing it, simply playing deaf and dumb.

Then, one day, emboldened by alcohol, this man barged into the woman’s residence, kicking open the door. He entered the house, hoisted the woman onto his shoulder, and prepared to return home for a night of unbridled pleasure, laughing wantonly, with no one daring to stop him.

At that time, Liu Zhimao’s eldest disciple, having concocted a pretext, had lured the woman’s only son, Gu Can, to the rear of Qingxia Island, claiming to impart secret teachings at the waterfall, instructing him in a profound and esoteric Daoist incantation.

As the old retainer carried the comely woman back to his opulent mansion, ready to throw the voluptuous beauty onto the bed and devour her whole…

At that very instant, not only he, but all the Qi Refiners throughout the Shujian Lake region, sensed an anomaly.

The lake churned violently, with waves crashing skyward. The Qi was chaotic, frightening to the extreme.

Even two Ninth Realm cultivators, who had long been in seclusion, were compelled to break their meditation and emerge, investigating to ascertain the identity of the sacrilegious one who dared to incur public wrath, stirring up storms and disrupting the unusually potent geomantic fortune of Shujian Lake.

Then, all the Qi Refiners stared dumbfounded towards Qingxia Island, their minds reeling with shock.

A dragon-like creature, its body radiating draconic energy, slowly raised its colossal head from the waters near Qingxia Island, its gaze fixed intently on a certain mansion.

“Qingxia Island losing a senior disciple is not a significant matter. Even if both senior sisters were to perish, it would be of no consequence.”

The child, his face beaming, raised his head high, meeting the old man’s gaze squarely, and asked with a smile, “Master, don’t you agree?”

Liu Zhimao’s expression shifted between dark and uncertain. Finally, he burst into uproarious laughter, affectionately patting the child’s head. “You are a prodigy, just like your master was back then. Excellent, truly excellent.”

Gu Can smiled, his eyes narrowing. “Rest assured, Master. Whoever you wish to kill in the future, as your closed-door disciple, I will surely obey your commands. Besides, Little Mudskipper enjoys eating people, especially the immortals from the mountains. They are particularly nourishing, and Little Mudskipper is delighted. Alas, Little Mudskipper has grown so quickly since leaving its homeland that even your old white bowl, Master, can no longer contain it. We are forced to let it roam free in the lake. Master, do you have a larger bowl?”

Liu Zhimao shook his head, smiling.

The child smiled innocently and obediently.

Only the second senior sister felt a chill run down her spine.

The behemoth, affectionately called Little Mudskipper by Gu Can, then devoured the Qingxia Island’s senior disciple, who was desperately begging for his life. Its enormous body carved furrows across the island. The dragon not only consumed the man but also any nearby onlookers who were not afraid of death, or those servants and maids who were too slow to escape, devouring them all. Apparently finding some of the mortals distasteful, it tore their bodies apart and discarded them to the side. It returned to Shujian Lake, swaying contentedly, its mouth dripping with blood that splattered onto the ground.

That night, the child accompanied the frightened woman as they watched the moon in the courtyard.

Gu Can ate a mooncake, mumbling, “Mother, don’t be afraid. No one will dare bully you anymore.”

The woman glanced around before lowering her eyes and embracing the child. She lowered her voice and said, “Can Can, when you talk to your Little Mudskipper in the future, don’t be so fierce.”

Gu Can nestled in his mother’s warm embrace. Only at these moments was the child less sinister and gloomy, appearing more like a normal child. He grinned and said, “Rest assured, Little Mudskipper and I are of one mind. It knows how good I am to it. We have a great relationship. Even that man surnamed Liu…”

The woman quickly covered the child’s mouth with her hand, picked up a mooncake with the other, and said softly, “Eat your mooncake, say less.”

Gu Can patted his stomach. “Mother, I can’t eat any more. I’m not Little Mudskipper, constantly thinking about eating, eating, eating, like a big glutton.”

The woman smiled gently, stroking the child’s head. She looked up at the moonlight, her eyes becoming moist. “Can Can has grown up and can protect his mother now.”

The child suddenly felt somewhat aggrieved, pouting. He muttered to himself, “Chen Ping’an, I told you, everyone in and out of the town, except for you, are bad people, and you didn’t believe me!”

Gu Can broke free from his mother’s embrace, jumped to the ground, crossed his arms, and said in an old-fashioned manner, “Mother! I promised Chen Ping’an that I would find him seventeen or eighteen girls who look like Zhi Gui. The next time he comes to Qingxia Island, I’ll give them to him all at once. Mother, do you think that’s a good idea?”

Remembering the youth from Niping Lane, the woman, filled with both guilt and warmth, covered her mouth and giggled, her charm captivating. “Yes, yes, yes, whatever makes you happy.”

Gu Can suddenly lost his earlier vigor, becoming listless. “Mother, what if Chen Ping’an isn’t happy and gets angry instead? What should I do?”

The woman teased, “Oh, does my Can Can have someone he’s afraid of?”

Gu Can blushed, grunting. “I’m not afraid of Chen Ping’an. I am…”

At this point, Gu Can, still just a child, suddenly reddened his eyes, lowered his head, and sobbed, wiping away his tears. “I just feel that if Chen Ping’an were here, no one would bully us… I just miss Chen Ping’an. He would help me with everything. Chen Ping’an is the only good person in the world…”

The woman didn’t know how to comfort her son, as she herself began to weep softly.

The crescent moon shines over the nine provinces, some rejoice while others grieve.

The Chen clan of Yingyin is the greatest example of virtue and integrity, to the point that the Confucian scholars of the world have bestowed upon them the sole title of “Pure Confucian.”
This branch of the Chen clan, which migrated from the Central Divine Continent to the Southern Poshuo Continent, was not particularly prominent in that grand exodus. At the time, this Yin Chen branch was merely one of the eight branches of the “Righteous Clan Chen,” and the least flourishing at that. All of this changed dramatically after settling down in Poshuo Continent, especially with the meteoric rise of their ancestor, a man of integrity with nothing but the sun and moon on his shoulders.

A school and an academy were both built on the Chen family’s land.

Memorial archways were erected one after another as generations of Yin Chen descendants excelled, achieved meritorious deeds, and wrote influential works, creating an unbroken line of monuments.

Therefore, every guest entering the Yin Chen family, whether a wandering scholar, a renowned master of letters, or a visiting emperor or general, had to first pass through the road lined with archways. Without exception, they would be awestruck, even feel a sense of inadequacy, in the face of this glorious legacy.

The pride of the Yin Chen descendants ran so deep that even when their ancestor personally bequeathed his radiant sun of knowledge, allowing someone to borrow it for a century, no one felt it was a disgrace.

A tall youth from the distant Baoping Continent was studying here, brought by a direct descendant of the Chen family, Lady Chen Dui herself. No one in the family ridiculed the youth for his humble origins, nor did they become deliberately enthusiastic after learning of his innate talent. From beginning to end, they remained calm and treated him with respect.

This put the Liu youth at ease.

The youth was Liu Xianyang, the bright young man who had once vowed to his best friend that he would not die in such a small, insignificant place as his hometown. After leaving his hometown, he quickly saw mountains that seemed higher than the sky, an endless azure sea, countless winged, multicolored flying fish soaring over the waves, various spirits appearing in the sea of clouds, and even vast numbers of sword-wielding immortals traveling leisurely through the air.

At first, he had worried that the Chen clan, like the Xu clan of Qingfeng City or the Mountain-Moving Apes of Zhengyang Mountain, secretly coveted his sword scripture, the strange scripture that allowed him to practice swordsmanship even while awake or dreaming.

But Liu Xianyang quickly dispelled this notion. As soon as he set foot in the Chen family compound, a refined old man, said to be the treasure-guardian ancestor of the Yin Chen clan, gave him a folding fan made from Qing Shen Mountain’s Divine Lightning Bamboo. This Divine Lightning Bamboo was extremely rare, one of the best materials for making demon-quelling whips. All spirits and demons rooted in the earth feared magical artifacts made from Divine Lightning Bamboo.

Then there was an ink-eating fish of extremely high quality. These creatures were raised by aristocratic families in brush-washers, living on ink. After a hundred years, a golden thread would appear on their backs; after five hundred years, they had a chance to become ink dragons, the “ink treasures” that scholars dreamed of. Almost all scholarly families kept these creatures, but ink-eating fish were extremely demanding about the quality of the ink, preferring to starve rather than compromise.

Finally, there was a wisp of book-turning wind.

Liu Xianyang clearly remembered that even someone with the highest opinion of themselves would feel a sense of insignificance in this place.

Reasoning was futile here.

Everything depended on the sword in hand!

The girl held a sheathless longsword in one hand and raised a wine flask in the other, pouring the contents onto the blade, whispering, “Little Cricket, have a drink.”

Behind her, the five others simultaneously recited in their hearts, “Little Cricket, have a drink!”

The handsome youth quickly dispelled the sorrow from his heart after his moment of grief.

Here, as soon as war broke out, people died every day!

He tentatively asked, “Ning Yao, before, we each had a sword, six people just right. Now that Little Cricket is gone, would you like to take that cloud-patterned one?”

“No need.” The girl, whose lips were chapped but could not conceal her beauty, tossed the wine-soaked longsword back to the handsome youth. She faced south, where the locust-like demon army surged from all corners of the world, gathering and preparing to launch another assault on this high wall.

The girl suddenly remembered something and smiled for the first time.

“Hello, my father’s surname is Chen, and my mother’s surname is also Chen, so… my name is Chen Pingan!”

Ha, this idiot.