The young Daoist stood up, straightened his robes, and strode into the embroidered building’s courtyard, adopting an air of righteous sacrifice. He loudly proclaimed, “Honorable sirs and madams, please hear a word from this humble Daoist!”

All eyes in the courtyard turned towards this Daoist from afar, their expressions varied. The young Daoist of the Divine Edict Sect, a coil of dark rope tied at his waist, frowned slightly upon seeing Daoist Zhang Shan. He unfastened the rope and casually tossed it aside. Like a spirit serpent, the rope unfurled in mid-air, instantly binding the young Daoist. Zhang Shan, resembling a tightly wrapped dumpling, swayed precariously, barely managing to regain his balance.

The Divine Edict Sect youth sneered, “Why should we listen to your nonsense? A fake Daoist of dubious origins! Dare to blather on again, and we’ll toss you out of the courtyard!”

Daoist Zhang Shan retorted indignantly, “This humble Daoist is named Zhang Shan, hails from Jùlú Continent, and is a disciple of the Fiery Dragon True Man of the Soaring Cloud Sect! Furthermore, my lineage is verifiable within the Zhang family of Dragon Tiger Mountain! This journey across the lands, arriving at Treasure Bottle Continent to temper my Dao heart, is to complete the trials of the Dragon Tiger Mountain gate! Once I return home, I shall become a registered Daoist of the Celestial Master’s Golden Jade Register! The Divine Edict Sect, how dare you act with such overbearing might, and insult a member of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang family!”

The Divine Edict Sect youth, lacking in worldly experience, was momentarily stunned, his arrogance somewhat subdued.

Clearly, he was intimidated by the name “Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Residence.” To challenge the Divine Edict Sect against it was a gamble without real assurance.

The name of a man is like the shadow of a tree. Any sect whose reputation could reach Treasure Bottle Continent was not to be trifled with.

Dragon Tiger Mountain of the Central Earth Divine Continent was a name of great renown, not affiliated with any of the three Daoist teachings. It was an independent Daoist lineage. The Divine Edict Sect youth had, of course, heard of it, but only in the context of legends of gods and ghosts, embellished by the ignorant common folk. Few cultivators took it seriously, treating it as mere amusement. However, the Divine Edict Sect, being a prominent sect, possessed a far greater understanding of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Residence. The Zhang Celestial Master, wielding a palm print in one hand and a celestial sword in the other, possessed boundless Daoist powers and unparalleled destructive force. In the Central Earth Divine Continent, a land brimming with deities, he was an immortal who could rank among the top ten of the upper five realms. This was akin to the transcendent status of the Divine Edict Sect Master, Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen, in Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent. Therefore, the Divine Edict Sect readily understood the Dragon Tiger Mountain’s aura of celestial grandeur.

Daoist Zhang Shan pressed his advantage, staring intently at the old Daoist with shifting eyes, his face radiating righteousness. “Yang Huang, as a former disciple of the Divine Edict Sect, has fallen to this state for the sake of love. Even we outsiders find it worthy of song and lament, and shed tears of sympathy for the couple. Surely, the Divine Edict Sect, as the leading Daoist lineage of Treasure Bottle Continent, should possess a commensurate level of magnanimity?”

The youngest Divine Edict Sect acolyte, holding an ancient wooden staff, tugged gently at the sleeve of the young female Daoist and whispered, “Senior Sister, I think that Zhang Celestial Master makes a lot of sense. What do you think?”

The young woman, a green and yellow bamboo whip tucked into her belt, shook her head. “Empty formalities. Don’t take it seriously.”

Chen Pingan’s eyes were opened wide.

However, at the same time, he glanced towards the ridge of the embroidered building with a hint of suspicion.

Daoist Zhang Shan wanted to point a finger at the old Daoist’s nose to amplify the force of his words, but he realized that he was securely bound. He simply hopped forward a step and sneered, “Furthermore, the venerable Immortal Elder is Yang Huang’s former senior brother, sharing years of cultivation under the same sect. Meeting in a foreign land, they should be rejoicing at encountering an old friend. Why then this clash of swords and spears, instead of embracing and reveling? How is it that my Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang family, whether registered or honorary, will always connect upon meeting, while your Divine Edict Sect lacks such an atmosphere? Moreover, though I am a member of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang family and a Daoist cultivator, I also understand the simple principle that laws cannot transcend human sentiment.”

The young Daoist changed his tone, smiling, “Venerable Immortal Elder, could it be that you harbor an old grudge against Yang Huang, hence disregarding the sect’s prestige to force this couple to their deaths? However, I believe this is unlikely. The venerable Immortal Elder appears to be a person of great magnanimity. Once this matter is settled, this humble Daoist, Zhang Shan, will certainly sing your praises and the Divine Edict Sect, even upon returning to the ancestral Dragon Tiger Mountain. Whenever the Divine Edict Sect is mentioned, thumbs will be raised!”

The old Daoist, with his hands behind his back, narrowed his eyes and smiled without uttering a word.

The young Daoist standing on the wall suddenly spoke in a language that no one understood. Daoist Zhang Shan was somewhat bewildered. Unexpectedly, the young Daoist who carried a sword and bell turned back to the common language of Treasure Bottle Continent. Looking down, he pointed at Daoist Zhang Shan and roared, “You imposter! This humble Daoist spoke to you in the official language of Jùlú Continent, yet you cannot answer a single question! Daring to impersonate a member of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang family in Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent is defying the entire Daoist lineage of the continent! Do you know that the Divine Edict Sect is equally entitled to apprehend you?! Kneel and confess your errors!”

Never did he expect to encounter a scoundrel even more skilled at boasting than himself. Daoist Zhang Shan flew into a rage and began to curse the young Daoist in the true official language of Jùlú Continent, then switching back to the language of Treasure Bottle Continent, “Spouting nonsense, distorting the truth, so much for the Divine Edict Sect, so much for the Daoist leader of Treasure Bottle Continent!”

Unexpectedly, the young Daoist on the wall ignored Daoist Zhang Shan completely and turned to look at the old Daoist, suggesting with a smile, “Master, we have preliminarily determined that this person is not from Jùlú Continent. As for whether he is a disciple of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang family, we must investigate further. Why not apprehend him first and set him aside? We can first cleanse our sect and deal with the ghost-embracing tree demon couple before discussing anything else?”

The old Daoist seemed inclined, but before he could speak, the great-bearded swordsman Xu Yuanxia could no longer suppress the anger in his heart. As he had previously stated, he stepped forward, holding his treasured sword, and laughed loudly, “I am but an insignificant nobody, unable to demand any favors from the Immortal Masters of the Divine Edict Sect. However, if the Immortal Masters wish to punish Yang Huang, proceed according to the law, and Xu shall listen attentively, and learn of the golden rules and laws of a Sect-level celestial family, to see if they truly uphold justice. But if you intend to kill Yang Huang and his wife without justification, Xu shall defy you, even at the cost of my own life. With only this sword in hand, I shall personally experience the supreme Daoist arts of the Immortal Masters!”
The Shingao Sect youth, wielding a demon-binding cord, suddenly demanded, “Since you claim to hail from a minor sect of Dragon Tiger Mountain in Jilu Continent, do you possess a travel permit? Something to prove your origin and your Zhang family lineage? If you cannot, impersonating Zhang Tianshi of Dragon Tiger Mountain will bring you a world of trouble.”

The Daoist Zhang Shan wore a troubled expression, a hint of hesitation flickering across his face.

The burly, saber-wielding traveler felt a headache coming on. He thought to himself that if this young Daoist was acting on impulse, falsely claiming kinship to the esteemed figures of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the accusation was severe. Falling into the hands of the Shingao Sect, who possessed the authority to oversee the Daoist traditions of an entire continent, would lead to immense suffering. The duty of a continent’s Daoist overseer, in the end, could be summarized in four words of immense weight: “Rectify and Purify.”

Daoist Zhang Shan took a deep breath and turned, saying, “Chen Ping An, please retrieve the travel permit from my bag.”

The ancient manor’s wraith, Yang Huang, offered a wry smile and glanced at his wife. She seemed to understand her husband’s thoughts and nodded gently. Yang Huang then turned, his voice ringing out, “Esteemed Swordsman Xu, Daoist Zhang, I am grateful for your kindness, and will repay it in a future life! Today, whether the Shingao Sect judges me according to the law or seeks retribution for personal grudges, my wife and I will bear it all. But Swordsman Xu, Daoist Zhang, and young friend Chen, do not believe that all cultivators of the Shingao Sect are like this man! It is not so, it is truly not so!”

As he finished, Yang Huang laughed freely, as if a century of wretched existence had never felt so light and carefree. He extended a thumb, pointing to himself, “I, of the Shingao Sect!”

After a brief pause, the wraith Yang Huang pointed his finger at the old Daoist, “A fool like you, cultivating the Dao without cultivating the heart, is ultimately a rarity. No wonder a century has passed in the blink of an eye, yet you, Zhao Liu, remain at the fifth realm. Haha, a century ago, I, Yang Huang, was already a fifth realm Qi Refiner. If I remember correctly, you, Zhao Liu, were only at the third realm, Willow Sinew! A fine Retention realm indeed, retaining the most scoundrels like you with wicked intentions!”

His words were unrestrained and cathartic, leaving the old Daoist’s junior disciples looking at each other, clearly embarrassed. Especially the young Daoist who called the old man “Master,” his killing intent was palpable, his longsword in its sheath eager to be drawn – he was, in fact, a sword cultivator.

However, Yang Huang’s words struck a nerve with this individual. His master, Zhao Liu, had been stuck at the third realm for decades. The young swordsman himself had also been stagnating at this realm for a long time, gradually transforming from a promising sword cultivator into a fine piece of jade with little future, a showy but ultimately useless display. He had almost no hope of refining his own natal flying sword in his lifetime, and his position within the Shingao Sect had plummeted in just ten years.

He recalled the past when he could occasionally exchange a few words with the golden couple renowned throughout the continent.

What an honor that was!

Especially the Daoist nun who was often accompanied by a divine white deer; she had once even offered him a slight smile during a casual conversation.

What a rare and beautiful sight that was! Even if it was just a polite smile, what did it matter?

One should know that she was a woman whom even a terrestrial sword immortal had been desperately seeking. Moreover, that Snow Wind Temple sword immortal was the youngest sword cultivator in the history of the Treasure Bottle Continent to reach the upper five realms.

And yet, now he could only follow a master with no hope of advancing, leading this group of children toiling in the mud at the foot of the mountain, calling it “cultivating the mind.” They spent their days slaying simple-minded Yin spirits, subduing a few mountain goblins and water demons that had not yet taken human form, and then getting entangled with all sorts of chaotic sect heretics and tree妖esses. What kind of life was this?

In a fit of anger, he was about to draw his sword.

After all, he was just killing wraiths and tree spirits, whose deaths were insignificant. No matter how mediocre he was, he was still a third-realm sword cultivator. He had some connections with the golden child who, along with several elders, managed the outer sect affairs of the Shingao Sect. He had accumulated some goodwill in the past, so even if there were punishments, it would only be something like copying scriptures in isolation. What was there to fear?

A teasing voice rang out without warning, “A sword should not be drawn lightly.”

Everyone followed the sound and looked up. The night sky above rippled gently. The uninvited guest seemed to be using a high-grade invisibility talisman, and had been watching the spectacle from the rooftop all along. She slowly revealed herself, a young woman whose figure was not exactly slender. She wasn’t exactly obese either. She had a round, rosy face and wore red satin clothes, giving off a very auspicious aura.

The old Daoist was somewhat flustered and hurriedly bowed, “Zhao Liu greets Martial Aunt Fu.”

The round-faced girl, standing atop a long sword, asked in confusion, “You recognize me?”

The old Daoist wore a beaming smile, “How could any disciple of the Shingao Sect, whether inner or outer, not recognize Martial Aunt Fu? That would be too ignorant.”

The round-faced girl suddenly darkened her expression and sneered, “What, has my embarrassing confession to the golden child become known throughout the entire sect? Which long-tongued woman or idle man told you? Tell me, and I will be sure to thank them properly when I return to the sect.”

Not only was the old Daoist baffled, but everyone else was also utterly confused.

The reason they recognized this Martial Grand-Aunt Fu was not because of any confession, but because this extremely high-ranking young female sword cultivator had an astonishing backing in the Shingao Sect. She usually enjoyed rapidly riding her sword, dashing wildly between the mountain peaks. Moreover, she was a bit of a chubby girl, and her favorite thing to do, year after year, was to fly straight into the clouds, then dive down from hundreds or thousands of feet in the air, only pulling up at the last moment, just a few feet above the ground, and flying away with a flourish. Which ordinary sword cultivator would dare to be so reckless? Who wouldn’t remember this little demon ancestor?

Moreover, two years ago, the girl had tried to turn around at a height of one foot above the ground, and as a result, she had crashed headfirst into the ground. She and her sword were stuck there, in a perfectly inverted position, leaving the spectators who had been cheering a moment before completely speechless.

It was finally He Xiaoliang, the Jade Maiden who had a close relationship with her, who gave her a scolding, which made this little demon ancestor restrain herself a little.
Not long after, the young woman broke through her bottleneck at the fifth realm and successfully entered the Cave Realm of the Middle Five. Then, she began her daily harassment of the Divine Edict Sect, wandering around the cave entrances of the old immortals on various peaks. This proved quite tiresome for the sect elders who were accustomed to quiet cultivation. However, the young woman’s great-grandmother had been the mentor of the current Sect Master Qi Zhen. Therefore, the usually aloof Heavenly Sovereign Qi Zhen showed favor to this descendant, even more so than to his most promising disciples.

The young woman, seeing their expressions, immediately realized her mistake and how she had let slip her true intentions. She wished she could just fly away on her sword, far away from here. However, remembering Sister He’s instructions and that damned Golden Boy, she suppressed her anger and embarrassment, straightened her face on the rooftop, and began to carefully phrase her words, hoping to quickly dismiss the insignificant couple from the old mansion.

Like many sects, the Divine Edict Sect had both inner and outer disciples. Before He Xiaoliang left the sect, the emergence of both a Golden Boy and Jade Maiden from the same generation was an extremely rare and joyous event. To train these two geniuses, Sect Master Qi Zhen specifically allowed them to become involved in outer sect affairs. Of course, he didn’t just hand them the entire operation and allow them to do as they pleased. Instead, it was similar to the censors of a mortal dynasty, with the power to oversee the officials. At times, He Xiaoliang and the Golden Boy would be tasked with handling certain outer sect matters with full authority, including the right to write official endorsements in red ink. These endorsements detailed specific suggestions for how to handle the affairs and were then passed on to the sect disciples responsible for worldly matters below the mountain. This served as part of their training, and He Xiaoliang and the Golden Boy had the power to inspect and evaluate the final results.

Therefore, He Xiaoliang, the Jade Maiden of Treasure Bottle Continent, was indeed nurtured by the sect, but she resolutely chose to leave the Divine Edict Sect. Not only did outsiders not understand, but many elders and grandmasters within the sect found it unbelievable. This led to the angry accusations that He Xiaoliang was an ungrateful wretch.

In truth, the Divine Edict Sect valued He Xiaoliang’s unparalleled fortune in the continent. As the saying goes, deep love breeds deep hate.

Yang Huang’s secret letter to the sect had actually arrived at the Divine Edict Sect at the beginning of the new year. At that time, He Xiaoliang had not yet left the sect, and she and the Golden Boy had a conflict over the letter. The Golden Boy first wrote his endorsement, which roughly stated that the matter should be handled properly and that Yang Huang should not be overly punished, as his actions were somewhat understandable. He Xiaoliang, however, gave the opposite opinion. Her endorsement was extremely harsh, stating that Yang Huang, as a disciple of the Divine Edict Sect, had fallen into becoming a servant of a ghost and should be severely punished as a warning to others.

However, He Xiaoliang and the Golden Boy were largely in agreement on how to handle the female ghost, choosing to ignore her.

Because of the disagreement, Yang Huang’s secret letter was temporarily put aside. Within the outer sect of the Divine Edict Sect, both logically and sentimentally, as well as due to certain unspeakable influences, more people leaned towards He Xiaoliang’s opinion at the time. But no one expected He Xiaoliang to suddenly cease being a disciple of the Divine Edict Sect, even giving up her identity as the Jade Maiden of the continent. The Golden Boy, who had admired He Xiaoliang for many years, seemed to feel that the secret letter was too unlucky and was unwilling to deal with it. Furthermore, he had countless other matters to attend to, so he simply threw it to an elder in charge of enforcing the rules in the outer sect, instructing him to pass it on to a disciple training down the mountain and handle it as they saw fit, without considering the contradictory endorsements from above.

The subsequent events became clear. Zhao Liu seized the opportunity to come down the mountain to settle a personal vendetta.

However, the round-faced maiden surnamed Fu, having somehow heard about this, secretly followed along, taking it as an opportunity to relax and avoid constantly thinking about that damned Golden Boy back at the Divine Edict Sect. She flew across mountains and rivers on her sword, enjoying the freedom. Whenever she encountered trouble along the way, the proud martial arts masters and wild cultivators, upon hearing that she was a direct disciple of the Divine Edict Sect’s inner sect, would treat her like a Bodhisattva.

The Fu maiden’s words might be lies, but the rare lotus crown she dared not disrespect and the conspicuous golden jade pendant at her waist could not deceive anyone.

After the appearance of the round-faced maiden.

The large-bearded swordsman and the Taoist Zhang Shan both understood that the fate of Yang Huang and his wife was no longer in their control. More words would be meaningless.

A single sentence from a “senior” of the Divine Edict Sect was enough.

Yang Huang, holding the female ghost’s hand, looked up at the maiden and said frankly with a smile, “This sinful disciple Yang Huang and my humble wife are at the disposal of Martial Aunt Fu. Regardless of life or death, we will obey your orders.”

The round-faced maiden glanced at the couple, one withered and the other ugly, their appearances really not pleasing, but also not repulsive. Thinking about the two endorsements on the secret letter, the maiden sighed, thinking that since Sister He was no longer a member of the Divine Edict Sect, should she act according to that damned Golden Boy’s wishes?

She cleared her throat and issued an order, “Zhao Liu, lead a team to take care of that lewd shrine. Whether you do it yourselves or contact the local government, you can decide. As for Yang Huang and his wife, let it be. From now on, as long as you don’t do evil under the banner of the Divine Edict Sect, everything you do is unrelated to the Divine Edict Sect.”

Having finished watching the spectacle, the round-faced maiden was unwilling to stay in this desolate place any longer. She rapidly controlled her sword, piercing through the sky at great speed. Others flew on their swords along a gradual arc, slowly climbing, before entering the high sky. But the Fu maiden seemed to want to fly straight up, as a straight line, rushing to the clouds, looking breathtaking, making people worry that she would accidentally fall back to the ground.

Yang Huang remembered something and shouted loudly, “Thank you, Martial Aunt Fu, for repelling the enemy earlier!”

The old Taoist Zhao Liu bowed with his hands cupped in salute, sending the maiden off. After that, he coldly snorted and turned to leave without saying a word.

Yang Huang didn’t become conceited, but instead cupped his fist apologetically towards the other junior immortal masters of the Divine Edict Sect, “Yang Huang is covered in filth and dare not see you off, fellow immortals.”

The young Taoist who retrieved the demon-binding rope and his twin sister who had a demon-beating bamboo whip hanging on her waist hesitated for a moment, then both nodded slightly.

The little Taoist boy holding the demon-suppressing wood swaggered away, then suddenly turned his head and made a face, smiling at the tree demon ghost, “Ugly monster, ugly monster!”

The smiling female ghost’s expression immediately became mournful, and she slowly turned her head away, covering her face with her hands, no longer daring to be seen.

In an instant.

The little Taoist boy suddenly stopped and stood there stiffly, motionless. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to move, but he didn’t dare to move.
Among the group, he was truly the most valued disciple by the sect, a naturally gifted talent with extraordinary intuition, not those twin siblings, and certainly not that “foolish sword cultivator who had been basking in the sun at the Third Realm for many years.”

He swiftly turned his head.

The young Daoist clutched the demon-suppressing wood, engraved with “Ten Thousand Ghosts Bowing Their Heads,” his palms slick with sweat. He slowly shifted his gaze. The ugly female ghost aside, the sickly ghoul Yang Huang, the burly bearded warrior relying on a divine weapon, likely a Daoist from Mount Longhu’s Juluzhou under Zhang Tianshi, and finally, the expressionless youth carrying a box on his back.

The young Daoist’s behavior, with his youthful face, would appear to others as mere childish play.

Only Chen Pingan extended two fingers and subtly made a strange gesture of pushing forward.

The young Daoist hastily blinked, swallowed hard, and finally forced a smile, waving a polite farewell to the person whose intuition told him was extremely dangerous.

As the young Daoist sprinted away, he grumbled inwardly, “Heavens, this guy’s aura is so sharp, how does it feel like an old monster from the Middle Five Realms? And the kind who frequently descends the mountain to fight, a cultivator seasoned in countless battles?”

The young Daoist didn’t even consider escalating the matter, urging Zhao Liu and his disciple to launch a surprise attack, because it would be pointless.

On the path of cultivation, apart from seeking enlightenment, less trouble is always better, which is not just empty talk.

As the young Daoist ran, a smile returned to his face, his mood instantly shifting from gloomy to cheerful.

“Wow, it’s just like my master said, there are reclusive experts in the mortal world!” And he just happened to run into one? When he returned, he had to tell his master that he had encountered someone who was at least a Golden Core Realm old monster, maybe even a Tenth Realm Earth Immortal, a shameless old coot pretending to be a youth, scaring him half to death…

The young Daoist ran happily, even throwing in a skip, exclaiming joyfully, “Heh, this trip down the mountain is worth it.”

Ahead, in the covered corridor, the siblings turned their heads simultaneously, as if telepathically connected.

The young Daoist immediately held his breath, composed himself, and continued to walk steadily forward with an air of maturity.

Back at the embroidered building, after the ordeal, although the couple in the ancient mansion had been worried from beginning to end, they had finally survived their tribulation. The husband and wife clasped hands, exchanged smiles, everything unsaid was understood. They felt they had achieved their desires, their burdens were lifted, and their suffering had come to an end.

Daoist Zhang Shan smiled at Chen Pingan, “Sword Immortal, Sword Immortal, did you see that? Such a young Sword Immortal, amazing, right?”

Chen Pingan felt somewhat helpless.

The rain had stopped, and the young Daoist looked up at the night sky, sighing, “I really want to compose a poem.”

The burly bearded warrior laughed heartily, “So satisfying, so satisfying!”

Regardless, the matter had finally come to a satisfactory conclusion.

This was even more joyful to the burly warrior than his usual acts of upholding justice and successfully slaying demons, followed by a hearty drink of fine wine.

The old woman who had collapsed on the ground in the third courtyard finally came to, and immediately rushed over. When she saw the unharmed master and mistress, she felt relieved. Yang Huang smiled gently at the old woman, “It’s all over. You don’t have to worry about those ghostly villains anymore.”

The old woman was first stunned, then burst into tears of joy, sobbing uncontrollably.

The female ghost named Yingying slowly moved her body, “wandered” over, gently took the old woman’s arm, and comforted her softly, “It’s alright, it’s alright now.”

Free from all worries, with no trace of her previous withered and dejected appearance, the ghoul Yang Huang laughed loudly, “Hero Xu, Immortal Master Zhang, and Young Master Chen! If you don’t mind, would you allow us to offer you our hospitality? Prepare a table of fine wine and delicacies? Let’s have a hearty feast!”

The burly warrior Xu Yuanxia smiled and nodded, asking Daoist Zhang Shan and Chen Pingan, “What do you think?”

Daoist Zhang Shan laughed, “Why not?”

Chen Pingan also smiled and nodded, patting the wine gourd at his waist, “If possible, I’d like to buy some wine from you.”

Yang Huang waved his hand, seeming to have regained the spirited demeanor of a former Divine Edict Sect disciple, and said generously, “Buy wine? The homemade liquor from our cellar isn’t exactly fine wine, but the taste is really good. After supper, once you’re full and satisfied, Young Master Chen, just take it away!”

Everyone laughed heartily. The ancient mansion no longer had any eerie atmosphere, only the unrestrained chivalry of the Jianghu, intoxicating even before drinking.

After this, the old woman beamed with joy, still constantly wiping away tears, and hurried to the kitchen to cook.

The couple entertained their guests in the main house of the third courtyard, chatting with the burly warrior about Jianghu matters.

Daoist Zhang Shan hesitated for a moment, then called Chen Pingan to the corridor beside the courtyard, apologizing, “Chen Pingan, my real name is actually Zhang Shanfeng, not Zhang Shan. I’m sorry, as a friend, I’ve been keeping this from you for so long. It wasn’t very decent.”

Chen Pingan sat on the railing, saying lightly, “Traveling the Jianghu, it’s always best to be cautious. There’s nothing right or wrong about it.”

The young Daoist’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled, “You’re not using your real name either, are you? Right? I knew it, Chen Pingan, although that name has a good meaning, it’s still a bit…commonplace…”

Chen Pingan rolled his eyes, “It’s my real name!”

The young Daoist was immediately embarrassed. After a moment of silence, he remembered something and asked in a low voice, “What did you give me that ball for earlier?”

Chen Pingan said “sorry” in his heart, then smiled and said, “Actually, earlier, there was a lot of commotion in the opposite wing. I went out to watch a fierce battle. The scholar surnamed Chu turned out to be a tree demon. After being…slain by the Sword Immortal, he dropped that magical artifact, something called ‘Armor Pellet’. That Sword Immortal couldn’t see, so he just left. I secretly picked it up.”

Chen Pingan reached out and handed over the ball.

“The Sword Immortal should be that Divine Edict Sect girl.” The young Daoist realized. He took it and weighed it in his hand. It wasn’t heavy. He looked down and examined it closely, gently turning it in his palm. He faintly saw a tiny crack. The Juluzhou Daoist named Zhang Shanfeng’s expression turned solemn. He handed it back to Chen Pingan, “It does look very similar to the legendary Strategist’s Armor Pellet, but this Armor Pellet seems to have suffered a severe blow, causing a flaw to appear on it. But even so, Armor Pellets are extremely rare and precious treasures. Although I don’t know the exact price, it’s definitely worth more than its weight in gold, no exaggeration. You should keep it safe and don’t let anyone see it. As long as you find an expert to mend and repair it in the future, you can wear it with confidence. It’s equivalent to a first-class amulet!”
This martial armor pellet, according to the Chu scholar himself, was a Heavenly-Grade treasure from the royal treasury of the ancient Yu Kingdom, worth three thousand Snowflake Coins.

Chen Pingan didn’t hide it in his sleeve to store it within his miniature world, but tentatively said, “You know, I’m a martial artist, and the boxing I practice emphasizes unyielding advance. I can’t rely too much on external objects, otherwise it will dull my fist intent. So this armor pellet isn’t very useful to me. How about I sell it to you for three hundred Snowflake Coins?”

The young Daoist shook his head vigorously, and smiled self-deprecatingly, “Don’t even mention three hundred Snowflake Coins, even a thousand or two, for such a rare treasure, if I had the funds, I’d sell everything I own to buy it without blinking an eye. But right now, I’m so poor I can barely afford a full meal on this Kun ship.”

Chen Pingan gently tossed the round pellet to Daoist Zhang Shanfeng, and smiled, “Then consider it you owe me three hundred Snowflake Coins. Don’t rush to refuse. Think about it, with your body that faints from a little rain, how can we fight demons and monsters if we encounter them again? If you wear the armor pellet, our chances of winning might increase significantly. Any spoils we get will be mine until you’ve paid me back. Deal?”

The young Daoist sighed, carefully accepting the armor pellet he wouldn’t have dared to dream of before. He sat shoulder to shoulder with Chen Pingan on the veranda railing, looking at the sky together, and softly called out, “Chen Pingan…”

Then he stopped, as if many words were stuck in his throat.

Chen Pingan supported himself on the railing with both hands, “You see, I haven’t been of much help from beginning to end this time, and you didn’t complain that I was holding you back.”

The young Daoist scratched his head. Hearing this, he felt a little relieved. Chen Pingan considered him a friend, and he considered Chen Pingan a friend too. Between friends, shouldn’t they be less formal and fussy about everything?

He suddenly laughed loudly, “Bristling beard like halberds, a chivalrous hero with a treasured blade.”

Chen Pingan smiled, understanding that he was praising the bearded strongman Xu Yuanxia.

The young Daoist continued, “Abandoning literature to wander the seas and mountains, tirelessly seeking complete truth.”

Ah, he must be talking about himself.

Daoist Zhang Shanfeng turned his head and said, “Chen Pingan, I can’t think of any poems about you right now, but when I’m inspired in the future, there will definitely be one, don’t worry, I guarantee it will be very heroic!”

Chen Pingan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Not wanting to dampen his enthusiasm, he could only nod in agreement, “Okay, okay.”

Chen Pingan jumped off the railing and ran towards the kitchen, turning his head to shout, “I’m going to help with the cooking.”

Daoist Zhang Shanfeng hummed in acknowledgement, sitting in place, filled with mixed emotions.

From the main house, the hearty laughter of the bearded strongman could be heard from time to time.

The young Daoist changed his sitting posture, leaning against the corridor pillar, with his arms crossed, thinking of the high mountain in his hometown. He closed his eyes and hummed a self-composed tune, swaying his head leisurely.

Finally, he opened his eyes and the young Daoist softly murmured, “If you ask who composed this song? Zhang Shanfeng from Wudang Mountain!”

Chen Pingan was actually thinking about something.

From the previous battle with the Chu scholar, Chen Pingan had a rough idea of his strength at the third realm of martial arts. Among the many boxing techniques taught by the barefoot old man, the Divine Man Strikes the Drum was the most powerful. Chen Pingan used a Shrinking Earth Talisman to land a blow, then followed up with successive punches. But even so, the ancient Yu Kingdom tree spirit scholar, although protected by the armor pellet transformed into radiant armor, Chen Pingan’s fist technique was limited to those twenty punches of the Divine Man Strikes the Drum. Not even one more. So if it weren’t for the flying sword from the Gourd of Nurturing Swords to finish the enemy, he would have been drained of his energy by the scholar. Once the Divine Man Strikes the Drum exhausted his breath, if the scholar had a chance to use one or two offensive magical treasures, what would Chen Pingan do?

Escaping shouldn’t be difficult, but wanting to win and kill the enemy would be quite challenging.

However, being able to coordinate his fist techniques with the attacks of the First and Fifteenth flying swords, even to the point of being somewhat seamless, was also a gain.

But deep down, Chen Pingan still felt it wasn’t exhilarating enough, ultimately lacking something.

It seemed the real answer was quite simple: Chen Pingan’s punches weren’t fast enough! Not fierce enough!

Chen Pingan put aside his thoughts. Whether it was practicing boxing or swordsmanship in the future, he couldn’t rush it. In short, he would take one step at a time, moving forward steadily.

He patted the Gourd of Nurturing Swords at his waist, and smiled softly, “Thank you this time.”

The gourd sensed his gratitude, and Fifteenth began to fly around excitedly.

Chen Pingan suddenly said, “But next time you two appear, can you not be so… dazzling? We’re not sparring with people, where we need to announce our names and show off our weapons before attacking. When fighting enemies, let’s not be so particular, okay? Just sneak out of the Gourd of Nurturing Swords secretly. Do you think that makes sense?”

Fifteenth instantly hovered, motionless, seemingly sulking.

First even rushed out of the Gourd of Nurturing Swords and entered Chen Pingan’s Qi palace, creating havoc.

Fortunately, Chen Pingan was quite indifferent to this pain now, and he ran forward with a smile, to help in the kitchen.

Controlling natal flying swords only consumed mental energy, without needing to use true qi. However, there was a distance limit to how far the flying swords could be, which was directly related to the sword cultivator’s realm, or rather the degree of soul condensation. There was no shortcut to breaking through the flying sword distance bottleneck. For sword cultivators, it was ascending in realm. For Chen Pingan, the martial artist who had just earned the reputation of “Sword Immortal,” he needed to use the true qi circulated by the Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi to break through more Qi palaces in one go.

The distance limit for First was ten zhang, and for Fifteenth it was eight zhang.

The kitchen wasn’t far away, with faint lights visible.

“How is Zhang Shanfeng a better name than Chen Pingan?”

Chen Pingan slowed his pace, feeling unconvinced, but then suddenly grinned, secretly amused. “Heh, Sword Immortal!”