Chen Pingan was skeptical of the scholar’s words.

The old Daoist had once led him through the Lotus Root Paradise, showing him the myriad aspects of the human world. Chen Pingan had a general understanding of officialdom. Faced with such a chaotic situation, Chen Pingan was already prepared to flee south, possibly even being pursued for thousands of miles by Qi Refiners of the Great Quan Dynasty. Even if the down-on-his-luck scholar came from a major immortal sect in Tongye Continent, such as the Tongye Sect, Jade Decree Sect, Spirit Writing Sect, or the Mount Taiping, one of the four major forces, it would still be difficult to handle the current thorny situation.

As for whether the scholar came from a Confucian academy, Chen Pingan leaned towards no. In his impression, the virtuous gentlemen of academies would not, and could not, casually interfere in the “domestic affairs” of secular dynasties, unless it involved the legitimacy of a nation.

Regardless, Chen Pingan appreciated the scholar’s good intentions.

However, Chen Pingan did not rashly confide in the scholar, lest he reveal a trace of his true intentions.

Because the person Chen Pingan feared most was the palace eunuch dressed in a scarlet python robe, whose spiritual energy had condensed to the legendary state of “watertight.” Only in his dantian was there a lantern-like object, suspended within his Qi residence. With each long breath, it would flicker, the light sustained, the darkness fleeting. Although it had not yet achieved lasting radiance, even if he was not a true Golden Core Earth Immortal, he was probably only a hair’s breadth away.

Although a step away was a world apart. “Only those who form a Golden Core are worthy of being our kind.”

But such words were only qualified to be spoken by mountain deities who had achieved the Earth Immortal realm. For all Qi Refiners in the Middle Five Levels and pure martial artists below the Wind Riding realm, this kind of semi-formed Golden Core existence was still high above, their every move carrying astonishing power.

Outside the inn, or rather, within Wei Xian’s field of vision at the doorway.

One after another, Qi Refiners floated over, landing beside the young cavalryman. Among them were the elderly immortal master from the carriage earlier, holding a horsetail whisk, and the young female cultivator.

Following the dozen or so Qi Refiners were hundreds of elite cavalrymen who quickly spread out in formation, surrounding the inn completely. The crossbows, specially made by the imperial court, required the Ministry of War’s approval each time they left the armory. Whether damaged, destroyed, or lost, they needed to be scrutinized and carefully examined at every level.

The young cavalryman squatted down. His long-time friend had died with eyes wide open, filled with shock and confusion. The cavalryman gently stroked the young Duke’s face, allowing him to close his eyes.

It was obvious that he was the real master. The corpse on the ground, Gao Shuyi, who had drowned in the affairs of the Jianghu, was actually his study companion. In fact, besides Gao Shuyi, there were two other young men in the inn, all of whom had been imperial princes’ study companions since they were young, from noble families, all for the sake of one day, the prince’s title would change by one character, becoming the crown prince, and it would be even better if he could directly change from prince to emperor.

The young cavalryman was none other than the Third Prince of the Great Quan Dynasty, Liu Mao. Although his two elder brothers, the First Prince and Second Prince, each possessed high prestige among civil and military officials, Liu Mao was the emperor’s most beloved prince. Moreover, there were rumors in the city that this prince had secretly left the palace to travel since he was young, and each time he returned, he brought a basketful of Jianghu stories and rural anecdotes, always able to amuse His Majesty.

In addition, Liu Mao’s birth mother was the emperor’s most beloved concubine, who had died early due to illness, so the Emperor Liu Zhen was very protective of Liu Mao. Perhaps it was a case of love extending to the crows on the roof, he was also extremely generous to the study companions sent to the Third Prince’s residence by old ministers like Gao Shuyi.

Liu Mao stood up, had Gao Shuyi’s corpse carried away, and said to the inn, “I find it strange, since you wanted to save the Yao family, why did you insist on killing the son of the Duke of Shen? Why not wait, wait until the inn’s carrier pigeon delivers the message to the Yao family, and let General Yao solve this matter? By killing Gao Shuyi, is there still room for negotiation?”

Wei Xian leaned against the door, finding it a bit interesting.

General Yao Zhen, the General Who Pacifies the South, had just been attacked and suffered serious injuries. Even if he received the news from the inn, he might not be able to come in person. Most likely, he would send a direct descendant of the Yao family and a confidant to negotiate with Gao Shuyi, who was biting people like a mad dog. The Great Quan royal family member, who was deliberately staying at the inn, supposedly because he had heard of its fame and wanted to drink the plum wine, was obviously trying to take advantage of the situation. The sheep he wanted to lead away was naturally the leader of the Yao family’s iron cavalry, Yao Zhen, who was far away on the frontier and held a large army. Gao Shuyi’s arrogant and domineering behavior was not entirely an act. He jumped out to antagonize all the Yao family members except Yao Zhen. The timing was perfect. If Yao Zhen came in person, Gao Shuyi would not be suitable. After all, he was not Duke Shen Gao Shizhen, and was still of a different generation than Yao Zhen. But besides Yao Zhen, all the others were soft persimmons for Gao Shuyi to squeeze at will, so no matter how many people the Yao family sent, it would only be adding fuel to the fire, consuming their vital energy, and the situation would only worsen step by step.

Wei Xian dared to assert that Emperor Liu Zhen, who had missed several grand ceremonies this year, such as the Zhuangyuan banquet, and the spring and autumn sacrifices, had not shown his face. This meant that Liu Zhen was either critically ill or likely to have encountered an incident, completely losing control of the court. The struggle for the position of crown prince, which originally required each prince to display their talents, had directly turned into a struggle for the dragon throne, which would naturally become cruel and bloody.

If the Yao family had not married a daughter into a powerful family in the capital, and had not become involved with the Minister of Personnel because of their son-in-law Li Xiling, following their ancestral instructions, they would indeed have had a chance to continue to sit firmly on the frontier, waiting for the turbulent waves in the capital to settle, and for the truth to come out. At that time, Yao Zhen would either send his direct descendant to the capital to pay respects to the new emperor to show his loyalty, or the new emperor would simply make a southern tour to the frontier to win over the Yao family’s hearts.

The words of the Third Prince Liu Mao outside the inn were not actually spoken to Chen Pingan, but deliberately said to the inn’s Ninth Sister and the old hunchback.

Once they listened, the situation in the inn would become more interesting.

You, Chen Pingan, risked your life to protect the Yao family. If the Yao family did not appreciate your efforts and instead blamed you for being meddlesome and putting the Yao family in a position of disloyalty, would Chen Pingan, who acted righteously, still have a surge of passion? Chivalry has always been able to withstand the ravages of swords and fire. A chance encounter in the Jianghu, a promise worth a thousand gold, can be exchanged for life and death, but it cannot withstand a cup of ungrateful wine.

Liu Mao sneered, “Do you want to force the Yao family to rebel? Only indulging in the pleasure of temporary grievances, are you really a hero of the Jianghu?”

Sure enough.

People’s hearts cannot withstand scrutiny and testing.

Moreover, people often act in this way. Before things have completely deteriorated, even if they are already in a desperate situation, they still always harbor a glimmer of hope.
Though the Lord of the Yao Clan, Yao Zhen, suffered a treacherous assassination attempt, he was merely wounded. The Yao Clan’s in-law, the esteemed Old Minister Li of the Ministry of Personnel, had previously submitted a request to resign. His Imperial Majesty responded with a rather humorous decree: “With but half your talent departed, it is too early to relinquish your post.” The Emperor then dispatched several tribute fish to the Li residence.

The Yao Clan’s iron cavalry remained a formidable force amongst the southern armies, inspiring awe and respect.

The Yao Clan’s cultivator escorts, who had secretly infiltrated the Northern Jin territory alongside the Imperial Court’s agents, must have already returned to Lord Yao Zhen’s side.

It was rumored that Li Xiling, the Yao Clan’s esteemed son-in-law, was poised to enter the Great Fu Academy of Confucianism, situated in the heart of Tongye Continent.

The Yao and Li Clans were pillars of the Great Spring Dynasty, paragons of virtue and esteemed lineages. Even their alliance through marriage was not perceived as a sign of ambition, but rather as a match made in heaven, adding further splendor to the dynasty’s prosperity, a truly beautiful tale worthy of celebration.

How could such a clan, the Yao Clan, possibly fall?

Ninth Mistress’s expression subtly shifted.

The old hunchback’s face wavered between light and shadow.

From the second floor, the young maiden Yao Lingzhi gazed upon the figure in white robes. An involuntary expression of melancholic resentment crossed her fair face, a mix of heartfelt gratitude and irrepressible grievance.

It wasn’t that she purely craved survival, but that since the establishment of the Great Spring Dynasty by the Liu Clan, the Yao Clan’s ancestral hall had seen the continuous addition of densely packed spirit tablets, each bearing the Yao surname. These ancestors, who had fallen on the battlefield, instilled not only courage in future generations but also an immense pressure – the Yao Clan’s integrity must remain untainted, even by the slightest blemish.

This was only natural.

Members of the Yao Clan could die, but the clan’s reputation must remain untarnished, lest they face their ancestors in shame.

Tragic and admirable.

Chen Ping’an ignored the Third Prince Liu Mao’s two inquiries.

Liu Mao spoke for the third time, “Since you seem unwilling to change your mind, how about letting the uninvolved individuals in the inn leave? These young men are all descendants of the Great Spring Dynasty’s royalty and meritorious officials. Rather than indulging in the benefits of their ancestors’ legacy, they risked their lives, venturing deep into enemy territory to slay foes. They should not die here.”

He reasoned with him, appealed to his emotions, and invoked the principles of Jianghu chivalry.

The young escorts at the two tables within the inn were filled with righteous indignation, glaring at Chen Ping’an with burning hatred. Especially the three seated with Gao Shuyi, their eyes blazed with a desire to chop off Chen Ping’an’s head and offer it as atonement at Gao Shuyi’s grave.

Wei Xian turned to Chen Ping’an, awaiting his answer – to release them or to kill them.

Chen Ping’an instructed Wei Xian, “Don’t let anyone leave, but as long as they don’t approach the main door, leave them be.”

Wei Xian nodded with a smile.

The eunuch in蟒服, the only figure who dared to act independently in the presence of the Third Prince Liu Mao, coldly declared in his unique, effeminate voice, “Your Highness, these are just ignorant fools. I implore Your Highness to allow this old servant, along with General Xu and Mister Xu, to capture these Northern Jin rebels. What is a swordsman? Just a waste of space with a few extra flying swords.”

The woman was about to speak when the scholar interjected, comforting her, “Ninth Mistress, what’s done is done. It can’t get any worse, so let’s just wait and see. Anything you say now is meaningless.”

The little cripple, hiding behind the curtain in the kitchen doorway, nodded vigorously, “That Zhong fellow actually made some sense for once in his life.”

The old hunchback turned his head and roared, “Already a cripple, do you want to become mute as well?!”

The crippled youth fell silent, immediately shutting his mouth.

Within the inn, Chen Ping’an and the other four were pure martial artists, skilled in close combat.

On the other hand, apart from the martial general Xu Qingzhou, the eunuch in蟒服 and Xu Tong were both Qi cultivators. There were also two tables of their own young escorts, who would only hinder them.

From the second floor, Yao Lingzhi suddenly shouted at Chen Ping’an, “Don’t kill anymore! Otherwise, our Yao Clan will be ruined by you!”

The door to the second floor opened, and Pei Qian stared intently at the girl, indignantly declaring, “You foul-mouthed brat, shut your mouth! If you dare to order my dad around again, I’ll use the peerless swordsmanship he taught me to stab you to death!”

Then, the little girl asked the first floor, “Dad, I’ve finished reading the book once, what should I do?”

Chen Ping’an, with his back to the second floor, replied, “Read it again.”

Then, Chen Ping’an added, “If you dare to shout nonsense again, I won’t make you read books anymore, I’ll make you eat them.”

Pei Qian nodded vigorously, “Okay, Dad! I’ll listen to you.”

The moment Pei Qian closed the door, everyone on both sides moved simultaneously.

On the second floor, Sui Youbian wielded the magical sword of the quality of a treasure, Insane Devotion, slicing at Immortal Master Xu Tong’s neck with a crescent arc.

Xu Tong performed dazzling Daoist steps, evading Insane Devotion repeatedly. He then made a hand seal, his sleeves brimming with spiritual energy. Upon his magic robe, appeared images of colorful cloud patterns and fog. At the same time, black-armored generals appeared beside him. These generals were merely empty suits of armor, but were exceptionally agile.

Although Insane Devotion could easily pierce through the armor, it seemed to have no effect on the combat power of these talisman soldiers. Once, the longsword pierced through a general’s “face,” and the general actually raised its arms, gripping the blade tightly with its ten fingers, creating a grinding sound and a shower of sparks.

Xu Qingzhou, protected by a soldier’s armour made of pellets, and Lu Baixiang, wielding the narrow blade Stopping Snow, simultaneously stepped forward in a flash of lightning. The blades clashed, and silver threads seemed to flow from both points. The two exchanged blows in an instant, then switched positions.

Outside the inn, Qi cultivators hurled seven or eight immortal artifacts towards Wei Xian, who was blocking the door. These weapons shone brightly in the night.

Wei Xian suddenly clenched the pellets of the Deity Receiving Dew armour, injecting true qi into them. Instantly, he was clad in armor, just like the Great Spring general Xu Qingzhou.

His fists were like dragons, fast as lightning.

With a dense stream of qi cascading like a waterfall and the protection of a high-grade Nectar Armour, Wei Xian did not confront the immortal weapons head-on. Instead, he deflected them, causing the trails of flowing light from the magical treasures to bend and clang erratically before him.

In an instant, Wei Xian was enveloped in those rays of light, but he fought even more bravely, his momentum surging.
Inside the inn, the sword immortal Sui Youbian, from the Lotus Blossom Blessed Land, stood with a detached expression. One hand formed a sword gesture, two fingers upright before her chest, controlling the lovesick spirit to assault Xu Tong. Her other hand, fair as jade, subtly rotated her wrist. Instantly, half the chopsticks on the tables below, as if receiving a military order, transformed into a flurry of “flying swords,” weaving through the armored soldiers, aiming to pierce Xu Tong. The remaining chopsticks soared to the second floor, hovering around her, ready to defend against the unpredictable lightning magic emanating from Xu Tong’s palms. Each clash reduced a chopstick to dust.

The battle-madman Zhu Lian remained silently perched on the railing, not uttering a word, utterly without presence.

His gaze was solely fixed on Chen Ping’an and the eunuch in python-embroidered robes. These two were the true arbiters of the final outcome. They acted with a tacit understanding, unleashing their full power from the very first moment.

Chen Ping’an, using the Spacial Shrinkage talisman, arrived in an instant, his first punch embodying the Divine Man Drums the Earth stance.

The Imperial Guardian of the Great Spring Dynasty, was simulaneously executing Spirit Travel, dispatching his Yin and Yang Divine projections. Both ethereal figures radiated the majesty of deities.

Chen Ping’an’s punch was not only blocked, but one of the eunuch’s Yin Divine projection even managed to pierce his chest with a probing hand. Fortunately, he wore the magical robe, Golden Nectar, though a heart-wrenching tearing sensation still resonated within him.

Yet, Chen Ping’an remained steadfast, unmoving as a mountain. With a stomp of his foot.

His soul separated, manifesting as three Chen Ping’ans. The other two, once more, charged forward with the Divine Man Drums the Earth stance.

One punch led to countless punches.

First, set a small goal, like 1 second: