In the rain-swept, dilapidated temple, the bonfire brought a measure of warmth.

Chen Pingan sat cross-legged, the lotus-child nestled on his knees. The little one surreptitiously pointed at Pei Qian’s eyes.

Understanding dawned in Chen Pingan’s heart. He instructed Pei Qian to come outside with him for a while. The little lotus-child melded into the earth, helping Chen Pingan survey the area around the small temple.

Earlier, the unusual phenomena surrounding Pei Qian within the dilapidated temple, though Chen Pingan hadn’t witnessed them firsthand, he saw Pei Qian’s sleeves stained with blood after the battle had concluded, her whole body covered in mud. She said her eyes had been hurting, and she had been rolling around on the ground for a long time. The lotus-child had flailed its arms and legs, giving Chen Pingan a rough explanation of what had happened.

The older and younger figures stepped out of the dilapidated temple. Chen Pingan walked a short distance before stopping and turning back. He knelt down, gazing intently at Pei Qian’s eyes. “Why did your eyes suddenly bleed?”

Pei Qian, still shaken, her face pale, her eyes brimming with tears of frustration, shook her head and choked out, “I don’t know! Suddenly, it hurt so much I felt like I was dying. It was like something was about to explode, like firecrackers during the New Year for rich families! Oh, right, when we get back to our hometown, can we set off firecrackers for the New Year? It’s so festive! I’ve always wanted to try it myself.”

Chen Pingan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What did one thing have to do with the other? He said softly, “When we left our hometown, someone told me not to return to Longquan County for five years. But setting off firecrackers during the New Year isn’t a problem. Let’s talk about the important stuff. Did that old Daoist who threw us out of Lotus Flower Paradise tamper with your eyes? Did he say anything to you?”

Pei Qian pondered for a moment. “At Old Wei’s house, in the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom, there was a well, right? I looked at the bottom of the well for a while, and then I looked at the big sun overhead, and I got annoyed. Then I saw a tall old guy in a Daoist robe there. He said he wanted to put something small in my eyes. Of course, I didn’t agree! But the old Daoist said it was very valuable. I thought about it for a while, and then I agreed…”

Pei Qian yelped, quickly tilting her head.

It turned out that Chen Pingan had grabbed her ear, scolding, “So obsessed with money that you don’t even care about your life?”

Pei Qian cried out in pain, saying her eyes hurt. Only then did Chen Pingan let go.

Chen Pingan fell into thought. Zhong Kui had always said that Pei Qian’s eyes were beautiful, so he must have seen some clues but didn’t say anything explicitly.

In fact, Zhong Kui had privately uttered an enigmatic prophecy: “When the sun rises in the Eastern Sea, ten thousand miles are gilded in gold. When the moon sets in the Western Mountains, the mournful cries of night apes arise.”

Chen Pingan muttered to himself, “It can’t be that he actually put the sun and moon of Lotus Flower Paradise into Pei Qian’s eyes, could it?”

At the very least, Pei Qian could see the lotus-child underground, and she could also see through the Celestial Barrier divine power used by the Ancestor of Peaceful Mountain.

After the incident with the “Young Daoist of Peaceful Mountain” gifting the ancestral hall jade token, Chen Pingan had become like a man bitten by a snake once, afraid of well ropes for ten years. However, regarding that old Daoist of the Eastern Sea Observatory who claimed to know the Literary Sage and was the first person in the world to have heard of the “sequence” theory, even if he truly wanted to scheme against Chen Pingan, Chen Pingan temporarily had no ability to break the situation. He could only take each step as it came, dealing with whatever arose. It was a scheme, rather than a sinister plot like the Peaceful Mountain ancestral hall jade token, not because Chen Pingan admired the master of the Observatory, but because cultivators at the level of the old Daoist or the Sect Master Lu Chen had long disdained using underhanded plots. They all used open schemes, striving to be in accord with the profound and mysterious Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Chen Pingan stood up. “I’ll buy you a new oiled paper umbrella later.”

Pei Qian was surprised. “Why waste money on that?”

Chen Pingan didn’t give an answer, telling her to go back to the dilapidated temple first.

After Pei Qian ran back into the temple, Chen Pingan turned around and saw the man whose identity he could immediately recognize: Duke Shen, Gao Shizhen, because Gao Shuyi looked seven or eight parts like this Duke. Behind Gao Shizhen stood an elderly man with an umbrella, resembling a steward. He was likely a deeply concealed Qi Refiner. There was also an old man in white, leaning on an old cane, with a fawning smile on his face.

Gao Shizhen stared intently at Chen Pingan, suddenly sighing, “Much younger than I imagined.”

Gao Shizhen asked, “If not for that incident in the small border town, where the Third Prince wanted to seize an advantage and force the Yao family to their death, hoping to add to his accomplishments, if you had met my son, Gao Shuyi, in Mirage City, like tonight’s rain, just two strangers, each drinking fine wine in a reputable restaurant, would you have become friends?”

Chen Pingan shook his head.

Gao Shizhen’s face twisted.

Chen Pingan said slowly, “I said to the First Prince, Liu Cong, before, we actually understand all the principles. It’s just that sometimes, even the best and most correct principles are too lightweight compared to what we want to get our hands on. People like Gao Shuyi, I hope he’ll be reincarnated in his next life and never encounter me again, or I’ll kill him again.”

Gao Shizhen’s expression turned grim. “You’re trying to provoke me, to lure me into attacking you, so you can take the opportunity to eliminate any future troubles and erase the Shen State Duke’s lineage from Daquan forever?”

Chen Pingan extended two fingers, casually wiping them in front of him. “This is how you and Gao Shuyi conduct yourselves, what you do and what you say, there’s always a traceable pattern.”

This seemingly innocuous gesture from Chen Pingan caused the elderly man with the umbrella to tense up, almost stepping in front of Gao Shizhen to protect him. The old man with the cane nearly escaped into the earth. Good heavens, he had suppressed the Buried River water demon with thunderous methods, and then forced back a scholar of the academy with a single sword. Where was he, this small land deity, going to wrestle with him? Even a sneeze from him would scatter his soul. Those two unheard-of golden talismans were truly methods of immortals.

Gao Shizhen, on the other hand, was the most composed. “I’ve come up the mountain this time to move the bodies of the fallen border soldiers down the mountain. You won’t stop me, will you?”

Chen Pingan said, “This is why I’m still willing to stand here and talk to you.”

Gao Shizhen’s face was full of anger.

The Shen State Duke’s manor had stood tall in the Daquan Dynasty for two hundred years, the same age as the nation. When had they ever suffered such humiliation?!

The old steward said softly, “Master.”

Gao Shizhen took a deep breath and turned to look at the land deity, the minor official among the mountain and water deities. “Spit it out!”
The white-robed old man summoned his courage and stepped forward, bowing low to Chen Ping’an with a smile: “Immortal Chen, this humble one is here to help the Duke tidy up the remains. We might dispatch some mountain sprites and lesser demons, and I fear these lowly beings might inadvertently cause a ruckus and disturb your rest in the dilapidated temple. Hence, I’ve come to inform you beforehand, hoping that the Immortal will be magnanimous and not hold it against us.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Just go ahead and move them.”

The old man cautiously added, “This one dares to be so bold as to ask another question. May I know how Immortal Chen intends to deal with the corpse of that great demon? Would you perhaps need this humble one to command the mountain sprites and demons to assist, performing tasks such as skinning, tendon-drawing, and extracting the demon’s core essence to store in bottles and jars? Such trivial matters are well within our capabilities.”

Chen Ping’an, who had only taken the water demon’s core, chuckled. “Then I shall trouble the Land Deity. Once it’s done, I will provide some remuneration as a token of my gratitude.”

The old man was overwhelmed with gratitude, repeatedly saying that he wouldn’t dare let the Immortal spend any money, and almost teared up.

Could there truly be such a gentle, virtuous, and humble immortal in this world?

Gao Shi Zhen snorted coldly, turned around, and headed down the mountain.

Chen Ping’an walked alone towards the dilapidated temple.

The Eel Demon of the Buried River was only one step away from forming a Golden Core. The final, translucent, emerald-green pellet, the size of a jujube pit, seemed to shimmer with strands of lightning, perhaps due to the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Five Thunder Righteous Law talisman it had endured. However, tonight’s battle with this Buried River Water Demon was undoubtedly a losing endeavor. For a nascent, pseudo-Golden Core, Chen Ping’an had expended three talismans with Dragon Claw Seal Script, ruined the set of Iron Cavalry Encircling the City military talismans personally written by Zhong Kui, and added the golden Five Dragons Holding Pearl talisman that Chen Ping’an had personally paid for, which still pained him to this day.

As he walked towards the dilapidated temple, this immortal in white robes, with a jade hairpin in his hair and a vermillion gourd hanging from his waist, kept muttering to himself, “Sacrifice money to avert disaster, sacrifice money to avert disaster.”

As for the two Golden Essence Copper Coins consumed by Sui Youbian’s two deaths in battle…

Chen Ping’an didn’t want to think about it at all, his heart trembled at the thought.

Upon entering the dilapidated temple, Wei Xian surprisingly took the initiative to speak, “Should we return to Mirage City and beat a dog when it’s down? The Great Spring Liu Clan is already terrified and can’t stir up any trouble. Perhaps that Confucian gentleman will even have to sell everything to beg for peace, pleading with us not to leak the news.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and still shook his head. “Let’s quickly head to the Heavenly Citadel Peak Immortal Ferry. Then, I’ll send a message via flying sword to both Great Fu Academy and Peaceful Mountain to inform them of tonight’s events. We don’t need to interfere with anything else. Wang Qi’s actions, especially his collusion with demons, must be made known to Zhong Kui and the academy. Even Peaceful Mountain is so troubled, the Tongye Continent is too chaotic. Let’s take a ferry back to Old Dragon City in the Treasure Bottle Continent as soon as possible.”

Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian were tasked with keeping watch tonight.

Zhu Lian, the most severely injured, went to a nearby stream to wash up, changed into clean clothes, sat cross-legged by the bonfire, and fell into a peaceful sleep, which Pei Qian admired greatly.

Wei Xian, having removed his Sweet Dew Armor and not needing to keep watch, went outside the dilapidated temple to the battlefield where the martial madman Zhu Lian had fought with the cultivator soldiers, squatted down, and stared blankly at the messy footprints.

Chen Ping’an sat against the wall, meditating and sleeping, his expression as usual.

Pei Qian, unable to sleep no matter what, knew that Chen Ping’an was in a bad mood. Could it be because of the money lost? Because of the two talismans he lost from the down-on-his-luck scholar Zhong Kui? She really wanted to grab her Walking Mountain Staff and beat up the Lotus Little Person, blaming it for being a money-losing item. In a daze, the skinny little girl with a small cowhide tent went to sleep.

At dawn, Wei Xian sat on the threshold. Outside the dilapidated temple, there was a white-robed old man who had been smiling for a full hour, holding an old cane. Further away, stood some mountain sprites and demons with shallow cultivation, looking very comical, carrying two large travel bags and holding porcelain bottles and pottery jars. The old man had arrived at the open space outside the door before dawn. He didn’t shout, but stood there with a group of underlings as door gods. Wei Xian admired the old man for being able to smile at the dilapidated temple for so long.

After Chen Ping’an opened his eyes, he got up and walked to the threshold, saw the Land Deity who had been waiting for a long time, and quickly walked over, giving the old man a Minor Heat Coin as a reward.

The old man, who was in charge of hundreds of miles of mountains and rivers, was so frightened that he acted as if he had received a bowl of last meal before being sent to the execution ground, refusing to accept it no matter what.

Chen Ping’an had no choice but to give up, and once again clasped his fist in thanks to the Land Deity. The white-robed old man smiled brightly, and after saying goodbye, walked two or three miles away before wiping the sweat from his forehead.

A mountain sprite with a human body but a rat’s head quickly flattered him, “Land Deity, I didn’t expect you to have such a big face, to be able to make that Immortal so polite. If this heroic deed were to spread, it would be a great feat! In the future, within a thousand miles, who would dare to speak loudly to the Land Deity?”

The white-robed old man coughed and walked slowly, feeling that the old cane in his hand suddenly felt lighter, pretending to be modest, “Persuade with virtue, persuade with virtue.”

Chen Ping’an looked at the piles of luggage of various sizes placed at the door, and sighed. The “inch-sized item” that Zheng Dafeng had given him in Old Dragon City could be put to use.

The Flying Sword Fifteen, as a square-inch item, had always been used with ease, but it was not large enough. The Wordless Jade Tablet, as an inch-sized item coveted even by Earth Immortals, was actually extremely rare. Before, it was only because Chen Ping’an was sentimental that he had been wasting it by keeping it hidden away. Square-inch items and inch-sized items were praised by mountain cultivators as the “smallest celestial abodes”, and were highly sought after. Even Cui Dongshan, as a great cultivator who had reached the peak of the twelfth realm, carried only an inch-sized item with him.

Flying Sword Fifteen was an extremely special existence.

Ordinary square-inch items and inch-sized items each had a key to open the “celestial abode”, which was the very veins contained within these items themselves. After being refined by someone, they were extremely difficult to crack, unless they were forcibly destroyed with great supernatural powers. Once such a measure was taken, at least half of the items inside would be destroyed, and even the “celestial abode” might completely collapse. Zheng Dafeng would naturally not give only the inch-sized item without giving the key, and had clearly explained the method of cracking, driving, and re-refining it.

The trip to Heavenly Citadel Peak was no longer eventful.

The true foundation of the Great Spring Dynasty had actually been severely damaged because of Chen Ping’an.

Eunuch Li Li of the Palace of Keeping Watch, the Duke’s Mansion of Shen, the First Prince Liu Cong, Xu Tong of the Grass Hut, the Xu Clan of Generals, and the gentleman Wang Qi, who had been stationed in Mirage City for many years.

Traveling north, Chen Ping’an carried a bamboo box on his back, Pei Qian held a Walking Mountain Staff, and wore a slanted bag, with a pagoda demon-suppressing talisman that she never tired of looking at stuck on her forehead.
Lu Baixiang’s waist bore the Tingxue sword, his palm clenching several chess pieces that clicked and clacked.

Sui Youbian, bearing the Zhi Xin sword whose quality had surged, seemed lost in thought more often, possessing a touch more humanity compared to the pure and luminous sword immortal who had first emerged from the painting.

Zhu Lian enjoyed reading while walking, puzzling Pei Qian. How could the old coot not fall flat on his face, not looking where he was going?

Wei Xian, with nothing better to do, had even adopted Chen Ping’an’s Six-Step Stance while walking, a sight Chen Ping’an simply ignored.

Tian Que Peak was the highest peak of Qingjing Mountain, north of Daquan. The Qingjing Mountain range stretched far and wide, its forests exceptionally lush and verdant, surpassing all others in their secluded tranquility, truly deserving its name.

Tian Que Peak boasted three thousand stone steps that ascended straight from the mountain’s foot to its summit. At the peak stood the Azure Tiger Palace, but its inhabitants lived in isolation, never venturing into the towns and cities. They refused all access to officials and nobles seeking immortality, adding to the air of mystery surrounding the Azure Tiger Palace. Furthermore, Qingjing Mountain was known for its wild beasts and lacked a direct path to Tian Que Peak, making the mountain folk wary of approaching it. The elders said it was easy to get lost in the mountains, as the mountain gods did not wish to be tainted by the mundane world.

The group walked along a small path on Qingjing Mountain.

Although the Caomu Hermitage was nominally the foremost cultivation sect of Daquan, any place of cultivation possessing an inter-continental ferry was not to be underestimated.

Even if Tian Que Peak couldn’t compare to the Upside-Down Mountain and Old Dragon City, it was certainly beyond the Caomu Hermitage’s reach.

Chen Ping’an reminded Wei Xian and the others of this.

The four from the painting were all exceptionally intelligent and naturally understood the importance of caution.

The *Record of Immortals and Gods of the Nine Continents*, purchased from the Upside-Down Mountain, contained a specific mention of the female immortals’ dressing table on Tian Que Peak. Though only a few lines, it was remarkably vivid, piquing one’s curiosity.

A weary Pei Qian suddenly looked up, exclaiming in surprise, “Look! Look! There’s a boat in the sky!”

Chen Ping’an reached out and pressed down Pei Qian’s finger, saying softly, “Have you forgotten about the Mountain God’s wedding procession?”

Pei Qian nodded hastily, patting her chest to assure him, “I definitely won’t forget next time!”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Even if there is a next time, it doesn’t matter. You’re still young, after all. But even if I say that, you cannot slack off.”

Pei Qian grinned brightly. “I’ll be eleven next year! That’s not young!”

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Then how about you carry my bamboo box?”

Pei Qian made a face. “But I’m only ten this year!”

Chen Ping’an flicked her forehead.

Pei Qian nimbly dodged it, took a few steps back, and laughed heartily.

Zhu Lian watched the two with a smile.

Tian Que Peak stood alone, towering above the surrounding peaks that bowed their heads in deference.

Therefore, it was quite eye-catching, but as one approached the summit, it became shrouded in mist and clouds, obscuring the view.

After roughly entering the Tian Que Peak territory, they crossed a stone arch bridge, beneath which a clear stream gurgled, its waters teeming with leisurely fish.

Chen Ping’an stopped just as he stepped onto the bridge, gazing south.

After ascending the mountain, who knew when he would next set foot on the land of Tongye Continent?

Had the Fuzhi Sect’s “Shouting Heaven Street,” with its bizarre array of shops and stalls, vanished forever after the great demon’s rampage?

Would that outer disciple, who had stumbled upon a grand conspiracy, transform into someone else, just as he had, from a lowly peasant?

At Eagle Fort, had Lu Tai’s contemplation at the Shangyang Terrace proven fruitful? Why had he secretly placed the narrow blade Tingxue, worth twenty millet rains, into Lu Tai’s baggage? At the time, Chen Ping’an hadn’t understood Lu Tai’s words, “One cannot know good without being near evil,” when Lu Tai had accepted Tao Xieyang and the other two as disciples, but he now had some understanding of their meaning.

Would Zhong Kui remain a gentleman of the Great Fu Academy?

Would the female Daoist Huang Ting encounter another stroke of good fortune while hunting that white ape carrying a sword?

Zhou Fei of the Lotus Blossom Paradise, after returning to the Jade Regulation Sect, had transformed into the master of the entire Cloud Grotto Paradise. Was his name Jiang Shangzhen?

Had the incense offerings at the Biyou Mansion and the Buried River Water God Temple become even more abundant?

Would Mirage City of Daquan welcome the first winter snow this year?

Was Cao Qinglang doing well, living alone in that small house? Was the schoolteacher knowledgeable? Would he teach him principles beyond the books?

Seeing Chen Ping’an stop on the bridge, Lu Baixiang and the others followed suit, standing on the bridge.

Chen Ping’an looked into the distance, and the little charcoal girl looked up at Chen Ping’an, who seemed different from his usual self.

Zhu Lian, whenever he had a spare moment, would start flipping through his book. Pei Qian looked at Chen Ping’an, then stood on tiptoe, trying to see what the crazy old man was always reading, all furtive and secretive.

Zhu Lian slapped Pei Qian’s head again, gently pushing her away.

Pei Qian asked, “What’s written in the book?”

Zhu Lian gave a non-answer: “Nothing much, just some old stories.”

Pei Qian dug deeper. “What’s an old story?”

Zhu Lian chuckled. “To a little one like you, nothing’s old; everything’s new. But the stories in books, those joys and sorrows, seem shallow, light, and fleeting when read on paper. You read them and then quickly forget. But when you’re alive, your stomach grumbles from hunger, your feet are covered in blisters, and you get punched in the face and end up with a bruised nose. Those are all real.”

Pei Qian frowned. “What are you trying to say? Can you speak properly? Learn from Old Wei, okay?”

Zhu Lian squinted at the little girl holding her walking stick, chuckling. “You’ve gotten a lot bolder.”

Pei Qian laughed and took two steps back, waving her hand. “Not bold, not bold. Look at my little body; I’m so skinny.”

Zhu Lian closed his book, complaining, “You’ve ruined it for me. That soul-stirring close combat in the book is now bland and tasteless. I won’t read it anymore.”

Pei Qian was confused. “The people in the book, they fight really well? Are they as good as my father and Immortal Sister outside the dilapidated temple?”

Sui Youbian’s face darkened, barely restraining the urge to slice off the old lecher’s head with her sword and then slap this reckless little girl to death.

Zhu Lian put away his unusually risqué book, clasped his hands behind his back, and shook his head with a smile. “Can’t compare, can’t compare.”

Thinking her flattery was perfect, Pei Qian turned her head with a smile, looking towards the fairy-like Sui Youbian, seeking praise.

Sui Youbian turned around and walked straight off the stone arch bridge, out of sight, out of mind.

Pei Qian was a little puzzled, wondering if the stony-faced woman had taken the wrong medicine today.
Lu Baixiang continued to smile serenely, as if undisturbed by the world. He thought the scenery here was quite pleasing, and if he were to ever build a hermitage to cultivate in the future, he would definitely seek out a blessed spot as picturesque as this.

Chen Pingan ignored Pei Qian.

Once they reached Old Dragon City in the southernmost part of Treasure Bottle Continent, he would see Fan Er, the gentle Madam Gui, and of course, Zheng Dafeng from the Dust Medicine Shop.

Further north, he would go to the home of the magnanimous hero Xu Yuanxia, his big brother Xu, and Zhang Shanfeng. He would tell them how much good wine he had drunk since their parting, and if they could count it all on two hands, he, Chen Pingan, would admit defeat!

He also wanted to visit Shujian Lake to see how Gu Can, that little snot-nosed kid, was doing. Would Gu Can, after becoming a disciple of an immortal sect, no longer be the burden trailing behind him?

Then, he would go to the Cliff Academy in Great Sui, where Li Baoping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, and Yu Lu were. Thank you.

And of course, his disciple, Cui Dongshan.

He estimated that this journey would take about five years, and then he could return to his hometown, walk into Mud Bottle Lane, and ascend Fallen Mountain.

A golden nest is not as comfortable as one’s own humble abode, and besides, his current home was far from being a humble abode.

Only by truly venturing out into the world could one truly understand how fortunate the Dragon Spring County was to be a blessed land suitable for cultivation. The mountain and river’s spiritual energies, forcibly retained in place by the Great Li Dynasty, made each mountain akin to a Biyou Palace sealed with the “Water” seal.

The Green Goat Palace on Heavenly Gate Peak had six grand halls, each dedicated to different Daoist deities. The couplet on the main hall’s pillars was hailed as a masterpiece of nearly four hundred characters, renowned as the “Immortal Seal Script on the Golden Gate.” To the right of the Green Goat Palace was a colossal stone cliff, shrouded in mist, depicting a natural image of a dragon dispensing rain. To the left, near the precipice, was the famed Immortal Maiden’s Dressing Table, originating from an ancient wisteria rooted on the cliff’s edge. Its lush branches and leaves cascaded down for hundreds of feet, resembling a celestial maiden using the sea of clouds as a stream to wash her hundred-foot-long tresses.

Lu Yong, the Palace Master of the Green Goat Palace, was a reclusive Nascent Soul cultivator who paid little attention to worldly affairs. He was not widely known, and devoted his life solely to alchemy. In the eyes of the mountain’s cultivators, he was considered an extreme “scholar,” his combat prowess severely mismatched his Nascent Soul status. In the central part of Tongye Continent, some Golden Core Earth Immortals, skilled in battle, did not take the Green Goat Palace seriously. Because Heavenly Gate Peak’s immortal ferry was relatively large, with frequent Earth Immortal traffic, the Green Goat Palace’s cultivators often suffered grievances.

Yesterday, a guest of immensely high status visited the Green Goat Palace. Upon hearing their name, the mountain gate disciples quickly rushed to report it. Lu Yong even risked ruining a furnace of elixirs, leaving his alchemy chamber to personally escort the great cultivator around Heavenly Gate Peak, trembling and sweating profusely. No wonder Lu Yong acted so subserviently; the Green Goat Palace had offended the visitor’s sect in the past. After all, the Green Goat Palace was closer to the Tongye Sect, the leader of Tongye Continent’s immortals. Its disciples often passed by this ferry during their travels, and once, a Dragon Gate Realm elder of the Green Goat Palace, lacking foresight, sided with a direct lineage junior immortal master of the Tongye Sect during a conflict. This wouldn’t have been much of a problem, a common occurrence, but little did they know that the young cultivator in the lower five realms, whom the Green Goat Palace had humiliated, was actually a disciple of the Jade Regulations Sect, and, crucially, his surname was Jiang!

People with the surname Jiang in the Jade Regulations Sect were rich. Why were they rich? The Cloud Grotto Blessed Land belonged to the Jiang family. How could they not be rich?

That Jiang clan disciple didn’t resort to violence. He simply spent a large sum of money to reserve all the ferry slots at Heavenly Gate Peak for an entire month, causing hundreds of Tongye Continent cultivators to be stranded on Qingjing Mountain, glaring at the Green Goat Palace. They waited a full month before finally being able to depart, all eager to tear the Green Goat Palace to pieces.

As for complaining even a half-sentence to that young man of the Jiang clan, no one had the courage. Lu Yong, as a dignified Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, hid himself to concoct elixirs. After refining a large batch, he had the Green Goat Palace disciples send them out one by one as apologies, only then preventing the complete destruction of the reputation built by their ancestors.

Just one Jiang clan disciple was so overbearing.

So, with the Jiang clan’s patriarch personally visiting the Green Goat Palace, what could Lu Yong do?

At the top of the stairs called the “Elixir Ladder” on Heavenly Gate Peak, stood Jiang Shangzhen and Lu Yong, alone.

Lu Yong tentatively asked, “Does Senior really not need this old one to have the Green Goat Palace disciples descend the mountain to welcome those esteemed guests?”

Jiang Shangzhen, who had traveled thousands of miles from the West Sea of Tongye Continent to this northern border of Great Quan, remained silent, unfathomable.

Lu Yong felt nothing but bitterness.

Could it be a cataclysmic battle between immortals? How could the small Green Goat Palace withstand the stomping feet and waving sleeves of an upper five realms immortal like Jiang Shangzhen?

Lu Yong could only pray for the blessings of his ancestors.

Dealing with such an unpredictable upper five realms great cultivator was truly tormenting. Lu Yong sighed, thinking that after this immortal god left Qingjing Mountain, he must retreat into seclusion to refine a furnace of spiritual elixirs, or else he would feel too aggrieved.

Lu Yong carefully asked, “Or should this old one personally descend the mountain to welcome them?”

Lu Yong felt that he, a Nascent Soul cultivator, had lowered himself to this extent, Jiang clan’s patriarch should at least show some consideration, right?

Jiang Shangzhen indifferently said, “Are you worthy?”

Lu Yong’s knees weakened.

My Green Goat Palace is in peril!

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly burst into laughter, patting the old Nascent Soul cultivator’s shoulder, “Haha, just joking, don’t be afraid. As long as things go smoothly today, that mess your Green Goat Palace caused before will be completely forgotten, and my Jiang clan will buy another hundred furnaces of your most expensive elixirs.”

Lu Yong swallowed his saliva and could only force a smile.

Jiang Shangzhen clicked his tongue, “Saying those three words, indeed, is refreshing.”

On the bridge.

Zhu Lian and the other two had also crossed the stone arch bridge and stood with Sui Youbian.

So, only Chen Pingan and Pei Qian remained on the bridge.

Chen Pingan came back to his senses, leaned over the railing, sticking out his head, seemingly looking for something.

Pei Qian hopped around, curiously asking, “What are you looking for?”

Chen Pingan said, “I want to see if there’s a suspended sword under the bridge.”

Pei Qian straightened her back and started to use her flattery skills, “You can’t see it from the bridge. I’ll go under the bridge and help you look!”

Chen Pingan smiled and stood up, rubbing her little head, “No need.”

Pei Qian looked up, her face full of confusion.

Chen Pingan looked down at her eyes.
Pei Qian widened her eyes in exaggerated fashion, straining them to their fullest extent, “Take a look, do I really have money inside my eyes?”

Chen Ping’an was momentarily stunned, then gently tapped her head and pointed towards the other end of the bridge, chuckling, “Go on, let’s cross the bridge and start climbing the mountain.”

“Alrighty!” Pei Qian chirped, adjusting her pack, brandishing her hiking stick, and swaggered down the stone arch bridge.

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes, recalling his youth when he sat upon a bridge in his hometown, and in his dreams, saw another bridge entirely.

Golden, and exceedingly long.

Rolling clouds surged, to the left, he gazed upon the sun rising from the sea, and turning his head to the right, the moon descended upon the western sky.

Chen Ping’an, eyes still closed, strode from one end of this unremarkable stone arch bridge towards the other.

Clad in white robes, a mountain breeze swept past, causing his sleeves to flutter.

Pei Qian, having just skipped down the steps on the other side of the bridge, turned her head, her eyes shining, and declared with an air of old wisdom, “My dad is truly a divine immortal.”