Having finally escaped the unfathomable Lotus Blossom Paradise, the first thing Chen Ping’an did after the old Daoist left was to inquire about the current year in the Northern Jin Kingdom. He was truly afraid of what the books described as a “decade in the mountains, a thousand years in the world.” Otherwise, if he was tricked by the old Daoist for ten or dozens of years, and he had also lost the Longevity Sword, he reckoned he wouldn’t even be able to find the man to seek revenge.

Fortunately, after asking merchants on the official road of Northern Jin, he breathed a sigh of relief. The last time it was Guangxi Year Six, and now it was only Guangxi Year Seven. Right now, Tongye Continent was also in autumn, roughly equivalent to the solar terms in Lotus Blossom Paradise, nearing the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chen Ping’an already had a psychological shadow of Northern Jin and dared not linger any longer, heading north all the way. He had long heard of the fame of Mount Taiping and had even thought about taking a distant look, but now he had completely abandoned this idea. In addition, his relationship with the exiled immortals like Zhou Fei of the Spring Tide Palace, Lu Fang of the Bird’s-Eye Peak, and the wandering knight Feng Qingbai, could not be considered good. Chen Ping’an was now thinking about finding a ferry for immortals and heading straight to Treasure Bottle Continent.

Although Yang Old Man had reminded him not to return to his hometown within five years when he left, besides his hometown, there were many other places to go. For example, Fan Er’s Old Dragon City, Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia’s Green Luan Kingdom, Old Sword Saint Song Yushao’s Shuishui Kingdom, Gu Can’s Book Brief Lake, and the Great Sui Academy where Li Baoping and the others were studying, there were plenty of places.

In short, Tongye Continent was not a place to stay for long.

Chen Ping’an put away the oil-paper umbrella he had casually brought out of the paradise. The skinny little girl was constantly looking around curiously, “Where is this? Is it not our Southern Yuan Kingdom?”

Earlier, when Chen Ping’an was asking people questions, she couldn’t understand a single word.

Chen Ping’an nodded. Having this little burden was also the reason why Chen Ping’an wanted to leave Tongye Continent immediately. Taking her was not the same as traveling with Lu Tai before. Once he encountered mountain and marsh rogue cultivators who robbed homes and seized property, it would be very troublesome. However, when he thought of Lu Tai, the gloom in Chen Ping’an’s heart grew even thicker, that man selling candied haws.

Mountain cultivators, especially those who have reached the Earth Immortal realm, can often use their divine sense to observe the mountains and rivers. Although not as omniscient and omnipresent as the old Daoist in Lotus Blossom Paradise, it was by no means a relaxing matter. Regarding this divine ability and immortal art, he must carefully inquire with the old man surnamed Cui or Wei Bo after returning to his hometown, about what tricks and details there are, and what taboos and restrictions there are.

Pei Qian continued to ask, “Is this your hometown? Is it where gods live?”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly and shook his head, “It’s not my hometown, nor is it any fairyland.”

Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Pei Qian stopped digging for information.

She raised her hands and rubbed her eyes.

Chen Ping’an asked, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Qian raised her head and smiled brightly, “I always feel strange, but I can’t remember anything. Just now, I was cleaning the courtyard at Cao Qinglang’s house, and with a ‘whoosh,’ I ran here.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at her.

Pei Qian immediately changed her words, “It was after cleaning the courtyard, I was sitting on a bench cracking melon seeds.”

After the two walked more than twenty li, the little girl was already panting like a cow, wrinkling her face in distress, saying that blisters had formed on the soles of her feet.

Chen Ping’an rented a carriage next to a post station, agreed on the price, and headed north. He had agreed in advance to stop the horse in the border prefecture city of Northern Jin, about two days’ journey away. The Northern Jin of Tongye Continent was very different from the Northern Jin of Lotus Blossom Paradise. There had been no wars for a long time, and both the management of post roads and the passage of documents were very relaxed. As long as you had silver in your pocket, even if you were not an official, you could stay at the post station.

It was Pei Qian’s first time riding in a carriage, and she felt very novel. Sitting in the carriage, swaying back and forth, she felt very comfortable. From time to time, she lifted the curtain to look at the scenery outside. After entering autumn, on the official road not far away, she could often see patches of golden persimmon trees, which made her drool. She couldn’t wait for Chen Ping’an to ask the coachman to stop the carriage immediately so she could steal ten or eight pounds back.

Taking advantage of the gap when she was looking outside, Chen Ping’an took out the four painting scrolls, the roller ends were all different. One was of moth-proof sandalwood, one of white jade, and the other two were of unknown materials. The four people in the paintings were lifelike.

Wei Xian, the founding emperor of the Southern Yuan Kingdom, in a normal emperor’s portrait posture, wearing a golden dragon robe, but his figure was not burly, but rather thin. In addition, the dragon robe was loose, so it seemed a bit mismatched.

Sui Youbian, who failed to ascend, in a sword-bearing posture, looked heroic and valiant. The person in the painting seemed to be looking at the person looking at the painting.

Lu Baixiang, the leader of the Demon Cult, draped in bright red armor, with his hands resting on his saber in front of him, looked even more like a human monarch than Wei Xian.

Zhu Lian, the martial arts madman who died at the hands of Ding Ying, hunched over, with his hands behind his back, squinting his eyes, looking like a little old man from the city streets.

These four paintings, only eat Grain Rain Coins? The problem is, for the person in a painting scroll, how many Grain Rain Coins would it take to get one of them to come out? Furthermore, the saying of loyalty is open to question. To take ten thousand steps back, Chen Ping’an, a pure martial artist, even regarded his robes, golden liquor, infatuation, and stopping snow as external possessions.

Fortunately, this time in Lotus Blossom Paradise, after being led around the world by the old Daoist, Chen Ping’an had a better understanding of worldly affairs. Imperceptibly, he began to look at the “world situation” of Treasure Bottle Continent and the situation and status of the Carp Leaping Grotto Heaven in the Great Li territory from another perspective. His ideas about “external possessions” were no longer so extreme. Otherwise, according to his previous temper, these four paintings might have been directly sold by Chen Ping’an at a sky-high price.

Pei Qian stretched her neck to look at Sui Youbian’s portrait and said softly, “This sister is really pretty.”

Chen Ping’an ignored her and gently put away the four paintings, not putting them into his square-inch object in front of Pei Qian, temporarily placing them by his feet, feeling emotional in his heart that these four ancestors were too difficult to raise. Where were the first and fifteenth as good? He had a sword-raising gourd, let alone Grain Rain Coins, they had relied on each other for so long, fought side by side many times, and had not spent a single snowflake coin. Refining swords and raising swords did not require Chen Ping’an to spend any thought.

In fact, Chen Ping’an possessed a Dragon Slaughtering Platform, which was the best whetstone for refining flying swords in the world. However, Chen Ping’an was unwilling to let the Dragon Slaughtering Platform engraved with “Innocence” and “Ning Yao” lose a single bit. Fortunately, Chu Yi and Shi Wu had never thrown a tantrum with Chen Ping’an about this matter. However, he planned to return to Longquan County in the future and try to buy a small Dragon Slaughtering Platform from the sage Ruan Qiong. He couldn’t mistreat them.

Chen Ping’an would not save on this expense, even if it might not be Grain Rain Coins at that time, but gold essence copper coins would be used.

Chen Ping’an looked at her.
Pei Qian watched him with a worried expression, afraid he would kick her off the carriage. In this unfamiliar place, wouldn’t she be bullied to death? In the capital of Nanyuan, she at least knew her way around. She had a mental ledger of which households’ belongings could be pilfered, which children’s trinkets could be snatched, who to avoid, and who to curry favor with. But here, winter was fast approaching, and a heavy snowfall would surely come. She would either starve or freeze to death. She had witnessed many old and young beggars who didn’t survive the snowy days, their frozen forms a gruesome sight.

Pei Qian knew that Chen Ping’an didn’t like her.

Just as she knew that Chen Ping’an liked Cao Qinglang.

She didn’t expect him to like her anyway. As long as he provided food and drink, that was enough. It would be even better if he gave her a pile of silver. As for affection, how much was that worth?

The coachman was an experienced hand, familiar with the roads. Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian spent the night at a post station. The coachman slept in the carriage. Chen Ping’an booked two lower-class rooms. Pei Qian stayed next door. Chen Ping’an bought some provisions from the station, packed them in a cloth bundle for easy carrying, and added some ordinary books. Otherwise, traveling empty-handed would attract unwanted attention.

He gave Pei Qian a portion of the food and went to his room. He took down his sabre and sword, lit the oil lamp on the table, and took out his carving knife and a small, emerald green bamboo slip. He began to record his experiences in Lotus Flower Paradise in tiny characters.

A knock came at the door. Chen Ping’an opened it to find Pei Qian standing outside, looking timid. “It’s all dark and spooky,” she said. “I’m a little scared.”

Chen Ping’an found it amusing. He thought, “You, who dare to sleep on the back of a stone lion in front of a rich man’s house, are afraid of staying in a room?”

Still, Chen Ping’an let her in. She obediently closed the door. Chen Ping’an gestured for her to sit across the table. He spoke slowly, “This place is called Tongye Continent. It’s a vast land. We are going to Treasure Bottle Continent. My hometown is in the north of Treasure Bottle Continent. Starting tomorrow, you will learn the elegant speech of Treasure Bottle Continent and the official language of the Great Li Dynasty from my hometown.”

Pei Qian smiled brightly and nodded vigorously. “Okay!”

It wasn’t that she wanted to learn any damned elegant speech or official language. It was that the implication in this fellow’s words was clear: he was taking her to his hometown. Wouldn’t that mean she could eat and drink her fill and be free from worry about food and clothing along the way?

But Chen Ping’an’s next words were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head. The thin girl’s expression turned uncertain, filled with complaints. Chen Ping’an picked up the carving knife and continued to carve on the green bamboo slip given by Wei Bo. He lowered his head, each stroke meticulous, and said to Pei Qian, “Starting tomorrow, besides teaching you elegant speech and official language, I will also teach you to read. If I see you learning well, you can have your fill every meal. If you don’t learn well, you’ll eat less.”

She wore a bitter face. “I’m very stupid.”

Chen Ping’an gave an “oh” sound. “Then I can save some money.”

Pei Qian stole a glance at Chen Ping’an. He didn’t seem to be joking. She immediately smiled. “I will study hard.”

Saying that, she leaned on the table and asked softly, “Can you buy me some clothes?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t even lift his head. “When it gets colder, I’ll give you a thicker coat.”

She muttered, “It’s autumn, and the weather is already very cool. And look, my shoes have holes. Really, I’m not lying. If I accidentally get sick, you’ll have to take care of me. It’ll be a lot of trouble…”

Saying that, she raised her foot. The shoes were indeed broken, revealing her dark toes.

Chen Ping’an put down the carving knife and gently brushed away the tiny bamboo shavings with his fingers. “Go back to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Pei Qian didn’t say anything more. She silently got up and left the room. After returning to the next room, she closed the door and immediately broke into a smile. She quickly composed herself, not letting herself laugh out loud, and threw herself onto the bedding, rolling around joyfully. Finally, she looked at the ceiling, kicked off her broken shoes, and remembered Chen Ping’an’s expression. Imitating him, she silently muttered, “Go back to sleep.” She didn’t dare to say it out loud, then stuck out her tongue.

Before going to sleep, she jumped off the bed and lit the oil lamp on the table. Only then did she fall asleep until dawn.

Lighting the lamp was a perk, even if she didn’t need it.

That’s how the rich should live.

In the next room, Chen Ping’an wrote densely packed “Travel Notes of Lotus Flower Paradise” on three bamboo slips. He blew out the lamp and began to practice the Six Step Stance, coordinating it with the various sword-gripping postures from the Swordplay Canon, still holding the sword in an empty grip.

His footsteps were silent, like a fish in water. His fist intent was restrained, his divine brilliance contained. Compared to when Chen Ping’an practiced his fist techniques by the Dragon Beard River, when his fist intent flowed through his entire body, it was a world of difference.

Chen Ping’an could now completely think about other things while practicing his fist techniques.

After the walking stance and standing stance in the Earth-Shaking Fist manual, there was actually also a sleeping stance, “A Thousand Autumns.” Chen Ping’an had long understood the principles and postures. Now that he had reached the fourth realm, he found it not too difficult to master. The key to the sleeping stance lay in the phrase “A Grand Dream Like Death,” which would allow a person’s soul to be like stagnant water in an ancient well, receiving complete rest and recuperation. However, Chen Ping’an had traveled far twice, each time farther than the last. Chen Ping’an didn’t dare to sleep too soundly, so he had been delaying it. He could only wait until he returned to Dragon Spring.

This departure from Lotus Flower Paradise was too hasty.

Otherwise, Chen Ping’an would have tried his best to collect the superior martial arts of that land. Now that he thought about it, Ding Ying’s path of martial arts was actually not wrong. He truly stood on the peak of the mountains, worthy of being called the pinnacle of Lotus Flower Paradise’s martial arts. To reach this step, besides one’s own insights, one also needed to see the scenery of the shorter peaks, mutually verifying them, checking for omissions and making up for deficiencies, and ultimately making them one’s own fist intent. That was the true fist art that towered above the heavens.

How similar was this to reading and principles?

It was also similar in wondrous ways to the construction of bridges in the books of the Ministry of Works.

Unknowingly, the sky outside the window had already begun to lighten.

Chen Ping’an could now practice his fist techniques for an entire night without even breaking a sweat. This was probably also a benefit of reaching the fifth realm and the great accomplishment of his soul. However, whether he wore the golden Li robe or not, it didn’t matter whether he sweated or not.

While Chen Ping’an was practicing his fist techniques, the lotus-like baby, whose injuries had already healed, was dozing off beside the table. After leaving Lotus Flower Paradise, the little fellow seemed to have something on its mind.

Chen Ping’an stopped his fist techniques and sat beside the table. The little fellow was drooping its head.

Chen Ping’an smiled and rubbed its head, saying nothing. Comforting people was not something Chen Ping’an was good at.

He took out four paintings and spread them out on the table, beginning to think about whether to “place his bets.”
In the past, Chen Ping’an regarded luck with the trepidation one might reserve for a ferocious tiger.

Now, with many mental barriers dissolved, he realized that after the shattering and descent of the Jade Dew Grotto-Heaven, especially after being plotted against by Sect Leader Lu Chen and becoming entangled with He Xiaoliang of the Divine Edict Sect, his journey to the Great Sui Dynasty had, in fact, been a case of extreme misfortune giving way to extreme fortune. Even after parting ways with He Xiaoliang on the Kun vessel, his luck had remained remarkably good.

Furthermore, Chen Ping’an’s current wealth was nothing to scoff at. Leaving aside the considerable gains from traveling with Lu Tai, just consider the Yin Spirit accompanying Zheng Dafeng in Old Dragon City. It had spent a full ten Valley Rain Coins to purchase a small bamboo slip made from Courage Bamboo from him, seemingly just for the sake of the phrase inscribed upon it: “Immortals are distinct, Yin and Yang are separate, souls anchor the spirit, and essences forge a golden body.”

Therefore, Chen Ping’an did not aspire to “support” all four paintings. Selecting one among them was like a small, harmless wager, perfectly acceptable.

With chaos brewing, Chen Ping’an certainly needed some assistance to help safeguard his holdings.

He dared not place any excessive expectations on the old man surnamed Cui. It was merely a matter of teaching and learning boxing, and nothing more could be demanded.

Wei Bo was, after all, a Mountain God, with his own responsibilities to fulfill.

As for the young boy in blue and the young girl in pink, their cultivation was still shallow. Moreover, Chen Ping’an treated them more like an elder brother looking after two children. This was due to his inherent nature, regardless of age. If truly significant events were to occur, Chen Ping’an would not only refrain from involving them in danger, but would also ensure they were far removed from any trouble.

He did not have such reservations when it came to the four figures within the paintings.

As for how to interact with them after becoming acquainted, that could be decided later.

Among the four paintings, Chen Ping’an was unsure of whom to choose first, but he was certain of whom to exclude: the portrait of Sui Youbian.

If Ning Yao were to find out that he had a woman who had emerged from a painting by his side, especially after spending a considerable amount of Valley Rain Coins, wouldn’t that be terrible?

Therefore, Chen Ping’an first stored this painting within his flying sword, Fifteen.

Then, he also put away Lu Baixiang, the founding ancestor of the Demonic Sect. He appeared to be an untamed and rebellious character, and had founded the largest underground force in the Lotus Root Paradise. What if, after Chen Ping’an had painstakingly brought him out, he turned out to be an ambitious demonic overlord like Zhou Fei of the Spring Tide Palace, disregarding ethics and engaging in heinous rebellion? Would he have to imprison him back within the painting?

There was no justification for treating money with such recklessness.

Valley Rain Coins were not like Snowflake Coins, and even those would not be handled in such a manner.

Having put away the second painting, only Wei Liang’s ancestor and the seemingly affable martial madman, Zhu Lian, remained. The latter had once been the owner of the silver lotus crown, which made Chen Ping’an somewhat apprehensive. His battle against Ding Ying had nearly cost him his life on Buffalo Mountain, making it the most dangerous encounter of his life.

Chen Ping’an stared at the two paintings, unable to decide.

The lotus doll silently sat before Chen Ping’an, also carefully examining the two portraits.

Unable to make up his mind, Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “Which one do you find more pleasing?”

The lotus doll turned its head. The little fellow with only one arm pointed at the painting, then at himself, as if asking Chen Ping’an if he truly wanted him to choose.

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes with a smile and nodded.

The little fellow quickly stood up and, with wide eyes, ran back and forth along the edges of the two paintings, even lying on the table to examine the two figures within, appearing very earnest and adorable.

Chen Ping’an chuckled at the sight.

Finally, the little fellow squatted on the ground and pointed at the portrait of Wei Xian beside him.

Chen Ping’an laughed heartily and said, “Then it shall be him.”

After getting up, the little fellow ran to the edge of the table and tugged on Chen Ping’an’s sleeve, looking somewhat worried, probably fearing that he had made the wrong choice.

“It’s alright, we have to choose one anyway. Even if you’re wrong, it doesn’t matter.” Chen Ping’an reached out and tickled his armpit, causing the little fellow to giggle.

Chen Ping’an took out a Valley Rain Coin, held it between two fingers, and gently placed it on the portrait of the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom. As soon as the Valley Rain Coin touched the painting, it melted away like ice and snow. The surface of the painting was quickly covered with a layer of Valley Rain Coin’s spiritual energy, hazy like mist over a lake. Then, it suddenly rippled and scattered. Chen Ping’an looked at the portrait of Wei Xian again and found it possessed a hint more of “vitality”, especially the golden light flickering on the ornate dragon robe woven with broken threads.

Unfortunately, he could not discern any further clues. It remained a mystery as to how many Valley Rain Coins would be required.

Chen Ping’an made up his mind to throw ten Valley Rain Coins into it. If there were still no clear signs, he would consider it a wasted investment.

Carefully storing the painting, Chen Ping’an hung the ‘Love-Struck Snowstopper’ at his waist, slung the cotton-wrapped bundle over his shoulder, and went next door to call for Pei Qian to continue their journey.

After knocking for quite a while, the little girl sleepily opened the door, looking reluctant upon seeing Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an pointed at the bed after she had dressed.

Pei Qian looked bewildered.

Chen Ping’an said, “Pack your things before we leave.”

Pei Qian complained, “We paid to stay at the posthouse. You spent so much silver.”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

Pei Qian had no choice but to turn around and pack her bedding.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the oil lamp on the table and frowned.

Afterward, they rode north in a carriage. The driver was familiar with the route and timed it perfectly so that the two guests stayed at post stations and town inns, without ever having to sleep out in the open.

Chen Ping’an began to teach her refined common speech, as well as some general customs and traditions of the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent and the Great Li Dynasty. He also took out a Confucian classic purchased from a bookstore in Scholar Alley and taught her to read. Conveniently, he did so using refined common speech, killing three birds with one stone. However, Pei Qian was not very enthusiastic about learning. Although she had already learned over a hundred characters, it was clear that she did not enjoy reading. She clearly preferred to sleep in the carriage, even if she did nothing else. If Chen Ping’an ignored her and simply let her sleep, she could sleep for most of the day. When she woke up, she would lift the carriage curtain to admire the scenery, then go back to sleep. It was quite a skill.

From then on, there was much rain.

Slowly but surely, the carriage finally arrived at that border city in the Northern Jin Dynasty. After paying the remaining silver, Chen Ping’an began walking with Pei Qian.

As the weather turned cold and it often rained, Chen Ping’an bought her a set of warm clothes and new boots. However, he did not give them to her immediately, so she stared longingly at Chen Ping’an’s slung bag every day, even making the unprecedented request to carry it herself.
The border towns of the Northern Jin Dynasty weren’t particularly strict. With a little grease, the coachman could easily sneak Pei Qian, lacking household registration and travel documents, into the city. But the borderlands were different. Chen Ping’an was now leading her through mountains and rivers. Pei Qian was worlds apart from the hardy Li Bao Ping. Even with Chen Ping’an meticulously caring for her stamina, she constantly complained, tears welling up, which even tried Chen Ping’an’s good nature.

However, after receiving new clothes and boots, Pei Qian was happy for a few days. But since she never cherished anything, her clothes were soon torn by the thorny mountain paths. She relapsed, only regaining her spirit when Chen Ping’an promised to buy her another set in the next town. However, the border of the Northern Jin was vast, and the mountain roads treacherous. Pei Qian scowled all day. Every time Chen Ping’an asked her to practice writing on the ground with a twig, she deliberately made her characters look like wriggling worms. If he told her to write a hundred characters, she wouldn’t write a single one more.

During this time, Chen Ping’an “fed” her three more Gu Yu Coins.

Because Chen Ping’an was now practicing martial arts with every step, refining his body with every breath, it seemed that all his energy was focused on establishing the Stance-Forging Sword Hearth.

Only when Chen Ping’an practiced the sword hearth did Pei Qian have any energy. She dared not approach Chen Ping’an, just standing at a distance, silently watching him stand motionless like a wooden statue. Over time, Pei Qian found it tedious and boring.

That night, Chen Ping’an camped with her in a desolate wilderness. During their last visit to the border town, besides the small leather tent specially prepared for Pei Qian, Chen Ping’an also bought hooks and lines. He found thin bamboo on the mountain to make a fishing rod and began night fishing by the stream.

Late at night, Chen Ping’an turned his head. In the distant mountains, a red glow flickered.

Soon, a strange scene unfolded.

There was an eight-bearer palanquin with large red lanterns hanging on each corner. The bearers seemed to be mountain spirits, while the drummers and gong players were a host of shadowy ghosts, led by a white bone skeleton with a rusty sword at its waist.

Beside the palanquin, there was also a gaudily dressed old crone, wearing festive bright red clothes, heavily powdered, with two rouge circles on her pale face, surrounded by wisps of black smoke.

Chen Ping’an, now familiar with mountain affairs, knew that this was likely a mountain god’s wedding procession.

Unwilling to cause trouble, he pretended not to see anything.

But he didn’t expect Pei Qian to wake up at this moment, crawling out of the leather tent, rubbing her eyes, and staring blankly at the wedding procession.

Let’s set a small goal, like finishing this in 1 second: