Several times before, when passing by immortal ferry crossings, apart from the one bordering the Shuishui and Songxi kingdoms, and the time he traded at Qingfu Workshop, Chen Pingan either hurried through or only browsed without buying. Today, he simply brought Pei Qian and the others to thoroughly explore this ferry crossing. Chen Pingan gave each of the four people in the painting a Lesser Heat Coin, letting them buy items freely. Immortal money on the mountain has the saying of “thousands, hundreds, tens.” A Snowflake Coin is worth a thousand taels of silver in the secular dynasty, and a Lesser Heat Coin is worth a hundred thousand taels of pure gold and silver. They couldn’t hope for spiritual tools and magical treasures, but it wasn’t difficult to buy some ingenious, rare, and interesting mountain objects to keep for pleasure and enjoyment.

Chen Pingan agreed with the four in the painting to meet at the most famous place in the ferry crossing in an hour. Chen Pingan took Pei Qian to browse on his own. Buying things at the ferry crossing, in places like Qingfu Workshop where experts were stationed, the possibility of finding a bargain was extremely small, and the prices were relatively expensive. Some luggage shops without a fixed location were the places where people could try their luck and test their discernment. These people were mostly wild and scattered cultivators from mountains and swamps, wandering around the world, and liked to collect items at low prices from the descendants of formerly wealthy families who had fallen into decline, or claimed that their family ancestors or master’s ancestors had produced Golden Core or Nascent Soul Immortals. The ways of selling things were roughly like this. Buyers didn’t need to care about these things. Chen Pingan had learned a lot from the wandering hero Xu Yuanxia when he traveled north and south. Later, Yao Jinzhi’s explanation of “birds in a cage” actually belonged to this trade.

Pei Qian hadn’t seen much of the world, and was dazzled by the strange immortal calligraphy and paintings, spiritual treasures, and elven mountain monsters in the various shops. Pei Qian had one good thing: ridiculed by Zhu Lian as a little glutton, she liked to collect things, accepting everything, but didn’t like spending money, not paying a penny. So, no matter how much she coveted an item, she would only look at it a few times, and would never open the small fragrant pouch given by Madam Gui, which she used as a money bag. If she really liked it, she would stare at it fiercely, and consider it her own, as if she was temporarily storing it in the shop.

Chen Pingan, on the other hand, had never been extravagant, so after walking through a dozen shops with Pei Qian for about half an hour, he hadn’t taken out a single copper coin.

On the way, they encountered a luggage shop, a middle-aged lame man with a simple and honest appearance, who claimed to be surnamed Liu, and could be called Liu Ganzi. When he saw Chen Pingan, who was dressed in a white robe and carrying a white-sheathed long sword, he followed him for seven or eight hundred steps. He looked honest, but his words were not clumsy. He said that his grandfather was a great general of the Wenjing Kingdom. After the Wenjing Kingdom was destroyed, the emperor died on the way to escape, losing one of the seventeen treasures of the Jiaotai Hall, a dragon-tiger button jade seal, which his grandfather brought into the folk. Now, a great immortal master of the Qingluan Kingdom had collected sixteen treasures, and was only missing this “fortune-gathering divine treasure.” In the collecting industry, “seeking perfection” was the first priority, so this invaluable treasure, “which may also contain the dragon energy of the country’s fortune,” was priceless.

The reason why the man followed for seven or eight hundred steps was that the young man beside him, who looked like a rich young master, had a good temper and didn’t chase him away, but listened carefully. Moreover, the man was really in for a lot of trouble if he didn’t make a sale. The annual deadline he had barely managed to muddle through last year was related to three Lesser Heat Coins, which could buy him several lives. After spending a trembling and shabby year, according to the rules, if he didn’t hook a sucker after the first month of this year, he would really be in trouble. The country had national laws, and the industry had its rules, and people would really die.

In order to sell something to survive, the man spared no effort. As a third-realm Qi refiner, he shamelessly followed all the way, and even took the initiative to introduce the scenery of the ferry crossing to the young master.

This immortal ferry crossing on the border of the Qingluan Kingdom was called Bee Tail Ferry, originating from the fact that it was once a small town when the ferry crossing was built. Historically, a Jade Purity Realm immortal, who started from humble beginnings, emerged here, rising to the top five realms by virtue of great perseverance and great opportunity. Various immortal deeds were spread throughout the continent, and he was extremely famous among all wild and scattered cultivators in Baoping Continent. His ancestral home was located in a lane called Honeycomb Alley, and it happened to be located at the end of the lane. Later, this ferry crossing was named Bee Tail Ferry.

Because the ferry crossing was located at the junction of three countries, and in order to compete for the ownership of this alley and this ancestral home, the Tang family of the Qingluan Kingdom and the two neighboring countries had fought countless battles on paper and on the battlefield with pens and knives for hundreds of years. However, the three parties tacitly agreed that the war would not affect the ferry crossing. For this reason, Guanhai Academy specially sent gentlemen and sages to mediate this matter several times.

Under the man’s vigorous introduction, there was a unique well water immortal wine in the ferry crossing, one Snowflake Coin for a small pot. The dignitaries of the Qingluan Kingdom liked to use it to flaunt their wealth. The young master actually bought a pot of well water wine in a street corner shop, asked the shopkeeper for two white bowls, and after sitting down, he smiled and gestured for the man to sit down and drink together. The man originally wanted to stand aside and pretend to be pitiful, hoping that the young master would take pity on him and buy his broken belongings. However, he was really troubled by the wine worms in his stomach, so he sat down and drank the wine, complaining to himself that he couldn’t control his mouth. He thought that if he drank wine greedily, the deal would probably be ruined. For a moment, he was filled with mixed feelings, and he tasted it as if it were a bowl of execution wine.

Chen Pingan touched the wine bowl with the man, and asked with a smile, “Since this jade seal is valuable, and the immortal master is waiting for it to complete the seventeen treasures of the Wenjing Kingdom, why not just go to the door to sell it?”

The man had already prepared a draft to deal with this kind of question from buyers, and said with a bitter face, “That old immortal, his cultivation is heaven-defying, but his character… I’m afraid I’ll take the money but have no life to spend it.”

The man’s voice was low and he spoke vaguely.

Chen Pingan nodded, this explanation made sense. Immortals on the mountain said they were cultivating, but there were eight hundred side doors and three thousand left paths, so wasn’t there a flying ascension realm great cultivator like Du Mao on the mountain? Earlier, wasn’t there the Intercepting River True Monarch Liu Zhimao from Shujian Lake? As for those Qi refiners from the Spirit Writing Sect who had evil intentions in Hantian Street, if they weren’t inferior in skill and ended up being sent to their deaths, once they ambushed and killed him and Lu Tai, they would really be rich now. With this wealth, perhaps one or two more Golden Core Immortals would appear in the world.
The man, likely feeling that he would miss out on this generous outsider if he didn’t escalate his pitch, set down his wine bowl and lowered his voice, “Actually, that ‘Great General of the Wenjing Kingdom’ lineage of mine is just a euphemism, meant to impress. My grandfather was really a ward guard in the Anle Quarter of the old Wenjing capital. Anle Quarter was originally a place where the royal family kept exotic creatures, but later, due to financial difficulties, it was abandoned and used to house eunuchs and palace maids who had been demoted from the palace for their mistakes. The last ruler of the Wenjing Kingdom grew up in the seedy Anle Quarter as a child and was often taken care of by my grandfather. Later, he rose to prominence, somehow becoming emperor from a bastard son hidden outside the palace. Regardless of why the kingdom fell, he was a sentimental ruler, and he treated my grandfather with great respect afterward. When the capital was breached by the Yunxiao Kingdom’s army, he fled back to Anle Quarter. I was young then and don’t remember much, but in the end, this jade seal was passed down from my grandfather. Before he died, he told me to give the jade seal to the descendants of the Wenjing Kingdom and not treat it as my own…”

At this point, the man took a sip of wine, his eyes glazed over. “I am an unworthy descendant, failing my grandfather’s dying wish and failing the Wenjing Kingdom’s crown prince who supposedly changed his name and went to cultivate on a mountain.”

The man’s lips trembled, tears welling up in his eyes. “Young master, please, buy this jade seal, a treasure of a fallen nation. That way, I can buy wine and wallow in drunkenness, not having to face it every day, filled with guilt until I die.”

Chen Pingan poured another bowl of amber-colored Immortal Brew from the Well for the man and shook his head. “I can treat you to wine, but I won’t buy the item.”

The man wouldn’t give up, “Doesn’t young master want to take a look? You can surely discern whether the item is real or fake, good or bad. Even if young master drives the price down ruthlessly, I won’t regret it.”

Chen Pingan still shook his head. “I don’t have luck with windfalls… So, let’s forget about it. Find a buyer who knows its value and is destined to have it. Don’t waste your time on me.”

Pei Qian was about to say something but was glanced at by Chen Pingan and immediately shut her mouth.

The man drank the second bowl of wine, excused himself, thanked him, and then left, dejected.

Pei Qian then whispered, “He’s quite pitiful.”

Chen Pingan drank his wine. “Pitiful, yes, but the item is not necessarily genuine.”

Pei Qian asked, puzzled, “You haven’t even looked at it, how do you know? What if it’s real? It’s not like we’re in a hurry to travel.”

Chen Pingan patiently explained, “If that ‘what if’ lands on our heads, that would be the best outcome, of course. But let’s talk about the worst-case scenario.”

Pei Qian was baffled. “Isn’t it just that it’s fake, we misjudged it, and we got tricked out of some immortal money by that guy?”

Pei Qian suddenly slapped the table, feeling aggrieved. “I can’t stand for that!”

Chen Pingan laughed. “That’s not the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is that we’ve been set up for a honey trap. Not only will we be forced to buy it, but once they see we can afford immortal money, they might try to push their luck and simply kill us for our goods. We don’t know this person well. Even if he’s not inherently evil, he might be facing an insurmountable problem, like being in debt up to his neck. The debtor is weak, and the creditor is ruthless. Combine the two, and that’s the definition of ‘the pitiful are often hateful.’ We pity him now, but who will pity us then?”

Pei Qian thought hard. “But there are quite a few of us, and we’re in the right, anyway. Can’t we just beat them to death with a few punches?”

Chen Pingan flicked her forehead. “When you’re traveling, if you only rely on your fists to reason with people, then we might as well run into Du Mao. And we can run into others like him, too.”

Pei Qian felt wronged. “But we’re good people! Old thief Du isn’t. Evil people get struck by lightning, boiled in oil after death, their tongues pulled out, their hearts cut out, and molten iron poured into their mouths…”

Chen Pingan interrupted Pei Qian’s nonsense. “Where did you learn about all that?”

Pei Qian said, still a little scared, “Last time during the Lantern Festival in Old Dragon City, there were some lantern displays that Little White called ‘cautionary tales to educate and reform, to deter evil and promote virtue.’ I stared at them for a while and thought they didn’t have much to do with me. But the book said, ‘If it’s true, correct it; if not, be mindful,’ so…”

Chen Pingan now had his alchemical liquor in his gourd and couldn’t store the local Immortal Brew from the Well. Furthermore, the Fan family had gifted him many jars of Osmanthus Wine stored in his space jade token, so he wouldn’t lack good wine for at least a year. He only bought two jars from the shop, planning to store them with the Osmanthus Wine. When he returned to Fallen Mountain, he would bury them behind the bamboo building, unearthing a jar every ten years. That would be one of Chen Pingan’s substantial family assets.

At the entrance of Bee Tail Alley, he met up with Wei Xian and the other three, who had arrived in succession.

During this trip to Bee Tail Ferry, Chen Pingan hadn’t found anything particularly eye-catching for himself, only buying Pei Qian a richly illustrated book of sages, with excellent engravings and every character imbued with spirit.

Just as Chen Pingan was about to leave the ferry, a young man carrying an empty wine jug walked out of the alley. He was burly, with a belt around his waist that looked like a chain made of refined iron.

Chen Pingan narrowed his eyes for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, intending to avoid trouble and pretending not to recognize him.

Unexpectedly, the man saw Chen Pingan, quickly walked up to him, and pointed, probably vaguely recognizing Chen Pingan, but couldn’t recall his name. He looked somewhat anxious.

What’s meant to come will come, whether good or bad. Chen Pingan had no choice but to greet him with a smile, speaking in the language of Treasure Bottle Continent, “We met once at the gate of that small town. I was inside with the gatekeeper, and you were standing outside the fence. Your memory is good; after so long, you still recognize me.”

The burly youth nodded with a smile, looking pleased. “Right, it’s you. Besides the gatekeeper, you were the first local person I met in that small town. I didn’t expect to see you here. I wasn’t sure it was you at first, you’ve changed too much. You say my memory is good, but I think yours is just as good, maybe even better.”

Seeing Chen Pingan carrying two jugs of Immortal Brew from the Well, the youth with stubble already growing on his chin laughed, “You overpaid for this Well Water Wine. The truly authentic Immortal Brew is made with water drawn from the three oldest wells. These two jugs of yours are from merchants who lost their conscience and secretly dug a dozen new wells. The taste is wrong. Let’s go, I’ll take you to buy the real old well wine, or your trip to Bee Tail Ferry will be for nothing.”
He had just taken a step when he chuckled, “Forget it, the Jianghu is a treacherous place, let’s not get too familiar.”

The burly youth gave Chen Pingan two addresses of wine shops, “If you want to buy wine, go yourself. I don’t want people thinking I’m being overly solicitous, lest both of us become apprehensive.”

He cupped his fist to Chen Pingan in farewell and strode off to buy wine.

A straightforward fellow indeed.

Chen Pingan sighed inwardly.

The iron chain the burly youth was using as a belt was clearly the thick iron chain from the Iron Lock Well of the crumbling Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven. Chen Pingan had heard that this man had obtained this great fortune. Besides the Five Elements objects, among the many magical treasures of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven hidden in the mundane world, this item, along with Song Jixin’s emerald gourd, the Mountain Spirit Pot, and a Light Suppressing Mirror, were the most precious. And this chain, the Dragon Binding Cord, was the most valuable of all. It had once successfully bound the last true dragon in the world. One could imagine its superior quality.

Now, he had refined it into his Natal Treasure and was openly displaying it. Either he was exceptionally skilled and fearless, or his backing was strong enough, or perhaps both.

That was the first time Chen Pingan had truly come into contact with the outside world.

The Mountain Moving Ape of Zheng Yang Mountain, Cai Jinjian of Yunxia Mountain, the Xu Clan of Qingfeng City, and Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City.

One life-or-death situation after another, it was Chen Pingan’s most difficult period. That sense of helplessness was even greater than when he faced the Nascent Soul Old Flood Dragon in Flood Dragon Gulch or the Ascension Realm Du Mao in Old Dragon City.

But as Lu Baixiang had once confessed in the small courtyard, as long as one encounters a flower in the wilderness of life, everything will be different.

Chen Pingan had met a good girl whose smile made him feel like the richest man in the world.

How could he not like her? How could he bear not to hold her in his heart?

The last time in Old Dragon City when he was drinking with Fan Er on the rooftop of the pharmacy, Chen Pingan had said, “The girl I like is already the most beautiful. But even more beautiful than that is the way she looks when I’m looking at her, when she pretends not to notice, her face in profile, her eyelashes fluttering.”

At the time, Fan Er was somewhat bewildered and asked, “Chen Pingan, how much do you fucking like that girl?!”

Chen Pingan, a little drunk, simply held the Sword Nurturing Gourd and grinned foolishly.

While Chen Pingan followed the route to find authentic old well wine, the burly youth, unwilling to run into the young man who had left the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven again, to avoid suspicion, deliberately chose another tavern. On the way, a sagacious old man with restrained aura appeared and approached the youth, telling him a small matter.

The youth laughed in exasperation, “Are these guys’ brains waterlogged? They’re truly willing to risk their lives for money. Tell the person in charge to stop them. Don’t let them become fodder.”

He wanted to say something more, hoping to take this opportunity to clean up the malpractices of Bee Tail Ferry. But thinking about the hardships of rogue cultivators and loose cultivators, the youth shook his head helplessly, “Just leave it at that. There’s no need to deliberately pressure them. It’s all their own fate. But these out-of-towners I just met, no one in Bee Tail Ferry is allowed to provoke them. Also, take this opportunity to secretly help Old Liu pay off that debt. Follow the rules, however many Xiaoshu Coins it is, that’s what you give. After that, find a chance to scare Old Liu again, and tell him not to be a gambling addict anymore. The little he has left is enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.”

The old man carefully asked, “What if Liu Ganzi can’t control himself and gambles again in the future?”

The burly youth said, “Then that’s his own fault. I can help him once, but not for a lifetime.”

The old man hesitated.

The burly youth shook his head, “That jade seal, although genuine, is something ordinary Qi Refiners can’t touch. Master said, don’t underestimate the residual fortune of a fallen kingdom. There’s great fortune and disaster within. After all, the Jiang clan of the Wen Jing Kingdom still has a Crown Prince who is cultivating on the mountain. As for the guy who’s single-mindedly trying to collect the seventeen treasures of the Wen Jing Kingdom, he’s following the path of assisting a dragon. It’s suitable for him, but not for us. With this kind of thing, if you can’t control your greed, you’re just like Old Liu. Maybe even worse. We Qi Refiners cultivate immortality, which is already unjustified. To gamble with fate on top of that? We’re tired of living, aren’t we?”

The old man departed on his mission.

This old retainer who lived in seclusion at Bee Tail Ferry was the Golden Core cultivator who had seen through Chen Pingan’s “presence.”

The burly youth sighed all the way until he bought a pot of wine and tasted the most authentic Immortal Brew, and then his mood improved.

The tavern landlady was an ordinary-looking woman, honest and reliable, guarding her ancestral craft and the old well. She wasn’t very good at business, and she had turned what should have been a gold mine into a small-scale operation. Over the years, he had watched this once gentle and amiable girl next door marry, sell wine year after year, and still blush and get embarrassed when she encountered flirtatious customers. But the corners of her eyes had also gradually developed wrinkles. The burly youth was grateful that he had met his master. Maybe the landlady’s grandchildren would be old, but he would still look the same as he did now.

To be able to live without owing money or having a guilty conscience.

He thought that was good.
While Fengwei Ferry was a haven for immortals, it couldn’t escape the mortal cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death that plagued the common folk.

My master always said that these mortals, whose hair turned white in their sixties and became frail at seventy, were the very foundation upon which we few cultivators stood.

Without them, cultivation was nothing more than a castle in the clouds.

The brawny youth didn’t give it much thought, frankly, he couldn’t be bothered. He had always preferred a laissez-faire approach to cultivation, never actively harming others, but showing no mercy when harmed himself. That’s why his master kept urging him to choose one of the three emperors – the Tang of Qingluan, the Yan of Yunxiao, or the He of Qingshan – and then conceal his identity to temper his Dao heart in the imperial court. This early intervention would supposedly resolve his inner demons, saving him from last-minute struggles when he reached the Nascent Soul stage. But he always refused. What was the point of dealing with emperors and generals all day long? The Tang emperor was extravagant and obsessed with face, always trying to outspend the mountain deities. The He emperor of Qingshan had bizarre tastes, filling his harem with the scandalous “Five Charms,” polluting the court atmosphere. The Yan emperor of Yunxiao was ambitious and diligent, but also ruthless and calculating, even more so than merchants. He had supposedly even written a popular treatise called “The Materia Medica of Money,” proclaiming that “money tastes sweet, is intensely hot, and can be both poison and medicine. It can communicate with the divine and make demons grind the millstone,” perfectly capturing the art of commerce.

He finished a pot of wine, paid the bill, refilled the gourd with dozens of pounds of Immortal Brew from the well, and hung it on his waist. He swaggered off, also taking two small flasks of fine wine, holding them between his fingers. The woman behind the counter wasn’t surprised. Everyone on Fengwei Ferry knew this youth was no ordinary person, and no one dared to provoke him. He had lived deep in the Jiafeng Alley since he was a boy and never bothered anyone either. They said he was just watching over half the alley for someone, collecting rent. Those who could afford a courtyard in Jiafeng Alley were either wealthy rogue cultivators or refined officials and generals from the Three Kingdoms. The rest were local powers who had bought their properties outright. The latter held the youth, who had grown up under their noses, in great respect.

The brawny youth walked back into the alley, deeper and deeper. Fifty paces behind him, halfway down the alley, stood two vacant mansions facing each other. The painted door gods on their gates were centuries old yet perpetually new. On the left were two civil gods, on the right, two martial gods. As the youth passed the two mansions, he tossed a wine flask in each hand. The four painted door gods glowed, each extending a golden arm to catch the flask and retreat back “inside.” Then, the civil and martial gods each held a paper wine flask that had mysteriously appeared, drank the wine, and passed the flasks to their nearby companions. After finishing the wine, the four painted door gods returned to normal, although the mustache of one of the bearded martial gods seemed slightly damp, but quickly dried.

The brawny youth returned to his solitary residence, which was always cold and desolate. It had been that way for years. His master liked to wander around, always vowing to find him a beautiful and virtuous wife. This time, however, he wasn’t chasing after some future mistress still perhaps dreaming in her mother’s womb, but was on serious business, searching for the scattered fragments of a Glazed Golden Body left behind by a transcendent god who had undergone disintegration. Several pieces had fallen onto the Treasure Bottle Continent. If he could snatch one, he would make a fortune and, in essence, already possess a wife. To this end, his master had also enlisted a close friend; otherwise, he might not be able to compete with the other old geezers of similar age. With his friend’s help, the chances were much greater.

The brawny youth was a bit concerned that this so-called friend might covet such a valuable treasure.

His master had laughed, saying that while everyone on Treasure Bottle Continent might be tempted, this self-proclaimed Jade-Faced Young Lord definitely wouldn’t. Although this old turtle was stubborn and foul-tempered, worse than a rock in a latrine, he was known as “having no demons in his heart” on his cultivation journey. Twice in his life, he had fought to the death for the sake of friendship and the honor of his sect, twice reaching the Jade Purity Realm, and twice falling back to the Nascent Soul Realm. This heroic spirit was something even Ascended Immortals might lack. The sword-forging master Ruan Qiong of Wind and Snow Temple, now a Military Sage, was famous for his straightforward personality in his younger days and had once vowed that if this man ever needed a sword, he, Ruan Qiong, would not only forge it immediately but also personally deliver it to his mountain.

This was the first time the brawny youth had seen his master so certain of someone, so he put his mind at ease.

For a moment, he became curious about his master’s old friend, whose nickname was rather “refined and unique.”

Chen Pingan bought two more flasks of Old Well Immortal Brew before the group headed to the last scenic spot on Fengwei Ferry: an ancient apricot tree, its shade covering several acres. The tree’s hollow trunk was filled with copper coins, silver, and gold. Liu Ganzi, the peddler from the Baofu Zhai, recounted the tree’s history. Before the rise of Qingshan Kingdom from the ruins of Wenjing, this old apricot tree already had a story. It had been granted the title of Imperial Wood by the founding emperor of Qingluan, Tang, in an unprecedented move. Later, the emperor of Wenjing, not wanting to be outdone, sent a court minister to bestow a title upon it, probably one rank lower, locally known as the Prime Minister’s Tree. Finally, the emperor of Yunxiao joined the fun. Three hundred years ago, during the peak of Yunxiao’s power, a meritorious general rode here on horseback and erected a stele with an inscription, so the people of Yunxiao still habitually called it the General Apricot.

Imperial Wood, Prime Minister’s Tree, General Apricot – one tree with three imperial titles, a truly remarkable tale.

Under the tree, Pei Qian took out the small sachet given to her by Aunt Gui. Inside, besides a few emerald green laurel leaves, was a small section of laurel branch, the length of her finger, covered with laurel seeds. Even broken off from the tree, it still retained its fragrance. The golden laurel seeds didn’t fall off. The laurel leaves and branches were placed in the Treasure Box, each occupying a separate compartment. She only took the empty sachet and filled it with the snowflake coin Chen Pingan had given her as a New Year’s gift, and a few copper coins she had earned through hard work and sweat. For example, she had pestered Sui Youbian to bargain for New Year’s goods in Old Dragon City, earning one coin per successful bargain. She had earned seven or eight coins in one go and put them all in this sachet.

Because Chen Pingan had said that the sachet was not an ordinary object, Pei Qian didn’t dare to casually tie it to her waist. She usually only dared to keep it in her sleeve pocket. Now, she held it carefully in her hands, hoping that she could gather some apricot leaves and apricot blossoms.
The millennium-old apricot blossom grove saw few visitors. The native ferrymen of Fengwei Ferry only came here to throw money and pray for blessings during festivals. Most of the ferry passengers were familiar merchants from the mountains, who neither believed in such things nor wished to spend the money. Therefore, only Chen Ping’an and his party were present, along with a few groups of local children playing and riding bamboo horses. Further away, sparse groups of children were flying kites, with a few unfortunate ones entangled and broken on the high branches of the apricot trees.

After observing the faintly flowing spiritual energy of the apricot tree, Chen Ping’an intended to leave, but he noticed the lotus infant emerging from underground, standing at the hollow core of the apricot tree like a doorway, curiously peering out.

Soon, another head popped out from the pile of money, making eye contact with the lotus infant.

The latter climbed out of the money mountain, straightened its back, and placed its hands on its hips, displaying an air of arrogance, yet unable to conceal the curiosity and joy in its eyes.

The little fellow was dressed in lavish yet comical attire, wearing a miniature, adorable bright yellow dragon robe, with an ivory jade tablet hanging from its waist, and a red sandalwood-sheathed saber.

Pei Qian tugged at Chen Ping’an’s sleeve. Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment, then took out a snowflake coin and gave it to Pei Qian, smiling, “Go ahead, remember to speak properly to this Apricot Sprite, and don’t be disrespectful.”

Pei Qian dashed over and squatted down at the “little doorway”.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Pei Qian returned, hopping and skipping, laden with treasures. Chen Ping’an didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and without saying a word, rewarded her with a flick on the forehead.

However, this time the lotus infant surprisingly sided with Pei Qian, waving its arms and babbling.

Feeling a little guilty, Pei Qian honestly turned around, intending to return the handful of soil and the tender pink sapling to the apricot tree spirit. It was a pity, as she had even taken out two snowflake coins for this, making it a losing transaction.

The lotus infant was rather clumsy and couldn’t speak, but the flashy little thing was much smarter. It spoke the elegant language of Treasure Bottle洲 (Zhōu) more fluently than Pei Qian herself. The little thing chattered with the lotus infant for a long time, which Pei Qian didn’t understand at the time. Then the lotus infant tapped Pei Qian’s boots and pointed to the snowflake coins in Pei Qian’s hand. After some back and forth, Pei Qian began to haggle with the apricot tree spirit, also bragging about her home, saying that the spiritual energy there was countless times richer than here, as thick as water, enough to drink until full. Finally, the silly little thing shyly conjured a sapling from the mud in front of Pei Qian, telling Pei Qian to take it back to her hometown, find a place to plant it, and not mistreat it, making sure to give it plenty of that water-like spiritual energy every day. Pei Qian verbally agreed, thumping her chest loudly, but in reality, she was prepared to receive a thorough scolding.

After understanding what happened, Chen Ping’an took the soil and sapling from Pei Qian and squatted down by the tree roots.

The little thing wearing a dragon robe, with a jade tablet and saber, stood in the pile of money, its eyes full of vigilance and wariness.

After some questioning, Chen Ping’an learned the truth. It turned out that it was about to enter the Middle Five Realms, but the spiritual energy here was insufficient. More precisely, it didn’t dare to absorb too much spiritual energy, as this was a gathering place for cultivators, a ferry overseen by immortals. It was able to take root and cultivate here only because of three not-so-official so-called edicts that the Three Kingdoms dynasties didn’t really care about. Moreover, the power behind this ferry was waning, and the decline of spiritual energy was the most taboo thing for immortal sects. Like Du Mao, who forcibly occupied the spiritual energy of the entire Wutong Little Grotto Heaven, although it was more for personal gain, to ascend elsewhere, once he succeeded, according to the rules established by the Sage of Rites of Vast Expanse, the Tongye Sect could gain merit, and the academies would protect the “Sect” name for at least a thousand years. Undeniably, this was also an important reason for Du Mao to risk ascending, otherwise, he could have just hidden in the Wutong Grotto Heaven, as he could break the mountain and water array, but was destined not to break the grotto heaven’s restrictions.

And after Du Mao’s failed ascension, almost all the disciples of the Tongye Sect went from extreme reverence and love for their ancestral founder to extreme resentment, considering him the eternal sinner of the Tongye Sect. What bullsh*t ancestral founder, he was the ancestor of ruin who squandered the ancestral heritage. As for Du Mao’s partial intention, to throw himself into another big cage and seek a way out for the Tongye Sect, very few people would think of this. And the Tongye Sect Master in the purple robe, and the Jade Purity Realm old cultivator who managed the ancestral hall’s genealogy, for whatever reason, did not deliberately suppress, guide, or explain the widespread indignation of the sect. Du Mao’s lineage, such as his direct descendant Du Yan, not only lost the treatment of a Nascent Soul guardian, but was also held accountable, and the Du family’s wealth was almost turned upside down, used to hand over to the sect to fill the gap.

Either this or that, black or white.

Two ends of a ruler.

Especially when it came to matters of their own practical interests, it seemed that this was only human nature.

Chen Ping’an hoped that in the future, if he ever established a sect, he would rather that no one thought of him as a flawless moral saint from the beginning, so that in the end, if there were truly irreparable changes, no one would think of him as an unforgivable villain. Even if people scattered, he would strive for a good parting, trying to achieve a decent beginning and end.

Chen Ping’an squatted on the ground, looking at the ancient apricot spirit, and asked with a smile, “Didn’t you discuss with the immortals of Fengwei Ferry about serving as an honorary guest or something? If you found a place in the Five Peaks and established a mountain alliance, wouldn’t they be happy to have another unmovable Middle Five Realm mountain king?”

The little fellow sat down on top of the money mountain, its face full of worry, and said in a childish voice, “I want to, but can those copper-smelling guys trust me? I can’t trust them. This is a troublesome place. Fengwei Ferry is adjacent to the three kingdoms of Qingluan, Qingshan, and Yunxiao. The forces at the ferry are intertwined, and no one obeys anyone. For money, they secretly try to bash each other’s brains out. Mountain alliance, which country’s Five Peaks do you think I should choose? Even if I stupidly chose one, wouldn’t the other two hate me to death? Maybe they would secretly find someone to split my main body and burn it as firewood, right? Although the incense is bleak now, and I’m full one day and hungry three days, at least I won’t die. Don’t you cultivators all say that it’s better to live poorly than to die well? Oh, and there’s that saying, ‘Better to sacrifice a fellow Daoist than to suffer myself.'”
Chen Ping’an pretended not to hear the last sentence. He deeply understood the little fellow’s hidden worries. As an apricot tree spirit without any backing, it needed to forge a pact with a Qi Refiner to break through its current realm. However, Fengwei Ferry was located at the juncture of three kingdoms, not under the jurisdiction of any single nation, which indeed presented a significant problem. It would be much easier if Fengwei Ferry was dominated by a single, powerful force.

Chen Ping’an felt helpless to assist.

The little fellow pleaded pathetically, “That little dark girl said the immortal master lives in a blessed land, absorbing spiritual energy as easily as commoners drink water. Why not help me out and take this sapling back with you? Once it takes root, it can help stabilize the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers, which benefits both of us. Ordinary Qi Refiners, aside from merchants only interested in money, not to mention farmers and herbalists, would consider this a stroke of good fortune. This passing immortal master, you must cherish this opportunity!”

Chen Ping’an placed the soil and sapling on the ground and chuckled, “Are you going to say, ‘Heaven grants, but if you refuse, you will suffer the consequences’?”

The little fellow hung its head in dejection and scratched its cheek. “The two little ones are easy to fool, but you, the big one, are experienced and cunning, indeed hard to deceive.”

Planting this sapling on Chen Ping’an’s own mountain would indeed help stabilize the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers, but only to a limited extent. It would primarily steal spiritual energy for the ancestral tree, making it a losing proposition.

Chen Ping’an had learned some of the inner workings of these tree spirits during his time on Guihua Island. Because his hometown had an old locust tree, he had chatted with Ma Zhixian, the old sword cultivator serving the Fan family, and gained some insights.

After Chen Ping’an returned the soil and sapling, the apricot blossom spirit, showing some discernment, returned the two snowflake coins to Pei Qian.

The lotus little person looked sickly, and Pei Qian also appeared ashamed. The two little ones felt sorry for Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an placed the lotus little person on his shoulder, held Pei Qian’s hand, and said softly with a smile, “What are you feeling guilty about? It’s the one who should be feeling guilty.”

Inside the “door” at the base of the apricot tree, lying on a mountain of coins, it yawned and thought, “Guess I’ll have to wait for the next fool to take the bait.”

It drifted off to sleep, having a wonderful dream. It dreamt of itself growing into a towering tree, reaching the clouds, on a constantly growing, towering mountain. Each apricot leaf radiated golden spiritual light, and each branch was imbued with golden incense, making it the only top-five realm flower and wood spirit in the Precious Bottle Continent… On its high branches stood two blurry figures watching the sea of clouds, one raising its head to drink wine, the other with swords hanging crisscrossed at its waist…

When the little fellow woke up, it was overjoyed. Even if it was just a dream, it was enough to make it happy for many years. But for some reason, when it wiped its face, it was covered in tears.

It lay dazed in the pile of money, unable to understand, and felt a sense of loss.

The four figures in the painting, thanks to the Lesser Heat coin worth a hundred snowflake coins, each gained something. Zhu Lian, who had been traveling alone, had an extra package on his back when he left Old Dragon City, and now the package was even heavier as they left Fengwei Ferry.

Zhu Lian now considered himself a scholar, so of course, he was traveling to study.

The four still walked towards the capital of Qingluan Kingdom. Of the three countries surrounding Fengwei Ferry, Qingluan Kingdom held a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly the year before last, personally organized by the Tang Emperor. The following year, Yunxiao Kingdom and Qingshan Kingdom almost simultaneously held Taoist Luo Tian Grand Rituals as if competing, dividing up the various Taoist immortals and catching Qingluan Kingdom off guard. The Tang Emperor, not willing to give up, simply organized a Buddhist-Taoist debate this spring to choose one to become the state religion of Qingluan Kingdom, with a higher status than Confucianism. The loser would naturally be at the bottom.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an believed Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia would remain in the capital of Qingluan Kingdom at least until this spring.

Probably due to its proximity to Fengwei Ferry and the numerous Taoist temples, monasteries, and scenic spots within its territory, Qingluan Kingdom, among the three inner kingdoms, was not a “no-man’s-land” with spiritual energy so thin as to be lacking. Compared to Shushui Kingdom, which Chen Ping’an had passed through, it had significantly more spiritual energy. At the time, he was purely a martial artist and did not feel it deeply, only having a rough sense. Now, after refining the Water Character Seal as his Natal Item, he could slowly absorb spiritual energy, and the comparison revealed the mystery.

Among the countries in the central Precious Bottle Continent that Chen Ping’an had walked through, Caiyi Kingdom still had slightly more spiritual energy.

Regarding Caiyi Kingdom, Chen Ping’an now had a white-boned enchantress living in a talisman in his miniature world, with whom he had signed a contract.

However, Chen Ping’an disliked her and had not allowed her to leave the strange talisman that served as her residence since Guihua Island.

But he would release her after arriving at the Fallen Mountain. With the Mountain God stationed to oversee the surrounding mountains and rivers, it would surely be a deterrent to that female ghost.

The orthodox mountain and water deities of the Great Li Dynasty were not comparable to those of any other dynasty in the Precious Bottle Continent. Great Li deities were naturally one grade higher, and now… now that half of the Precious Bottle Continent was already in the hands of the Great Li Song clan, it only needed the nod of approval from a Confucian academy in the Central Earth. Therefore, the Great Li deities and the Precious Bottle Continent deities would probably not be much different in the future.

When leaving the border of Fengwei Ferry, he discovered that travelers entering from the outside, whether Qi Refiners or martial artists, needed to hold a yellow paper talisman sold at the ferry gate. After entering the gate, a rippling door would appear, allowing passage. The talisman was similar to a passport in the secular world. This was a new thing. It was the first time Chen Ping’an had seen it. Other ferries did not have this toll. After leaving Fengwei Ferry without the passport talisman and walking out of the gate, Chen Ping’an asked a fifth-realm Qi Refiner’s gatekeeper for advice, seeking guidance sincerely. The man saw that Chen Ping’an had an extraordinary bearing and had come from Fengwei Ferry, so he smiled and explained to Chen Ping’an. It turned out that Fengwei Ferry had a mountain and water formation jointly built by an Yin Yang master and a mechanic. Golden Core Earth Immortals could walk in directly. Those below the Golden Core realm needed a passport talisman worth five snowflake coins. Forcing one’s way in would alert the patrols of Fengwei Ferry. The talisman was a branch of the Barrier-Breaking Talisman and was custom-made by talisman faction immortals for the formation at the request of Fengwei Ferry.

When Chen Ping’an asked why other ferries did not need talismans to open the way, the Qi Refiner smiled playfully, stomped on the ground, and asked whose territory this was.
The direction of this grand gate leads to the Qingluan Kingdom. Chen Ping’an naturally confirmed it was the Tang family of Qingluan. Before the Qi Refinement cultivator could elaborate, Chen Ping’an suddenly understood, marveling at the Tang Emperor’s talent for making money.

The Qingluan Kingdom’s capital was over sixteen hundred li from Fengwei Ferry, and the upcoming Buddhist-Daoist debate, scheduled to begin around the Grain Rain season, was still more than two months away, so walking there was feasible.

In the days that followed, they passed countless Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries. None of them could be considered devout followers. They entered these places out of curiosity and respect. Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian would offer three incense sticks with utmost reverence, paying respects to the deities. Wei Xian, a non-believer, would wait outside. Zhu Lian, though skeptical, would accompany them. Lu Baixiang was deeply devoted, bowing and praying to every Bodhisattva. Sui Youbian, on the other hand, sincerely offered incense in the Taoist temples.

Chen Ping’an had warned Pei Qian to burn incense, but not to make frivolous wishes. She was not to kowtow and make wishes to every deity in every temple and monastery they encountered.

However, he also told her that if she ever felt a true calling to make a wish, she should do so earnestly, remember the details of her wish, the specific temple or monastery, and the deity to whom she prayed. Once the wish was fulfilled, no matter how far, she must return to repay her vow.

Seeing Chen Ping’an’s solemn expression, Pei Qian was too scared to make any wishes. She only burned incense. The thought of traveling all the way from Dragon Spring County to Qingluan Kingdom to fulfill a vow filled her with dread. She imagined herself either dying of exhaustion or regretting it so deeply that she would cry herself to death.

Furthermore, Chen Ping’an had a rule about the money for “requesting incense.” It had to come from Pei Qian’s own pocket, not borrowed from others.

Fortunately, Chen Ping’an had given Pei Qian errands to run several times, earning the skinny little girl a few taels of silver. After exchanging them for copper coins, she had enough to pay for incense at the Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries.

Pei Qian didn’t think Chen Ping’an was being stingy with the few coins.

She felt increasingly that Chen Ping’an was much more generous to her, his first disciple, than to the other four, including Old Wei.

This made Pei Qian very happy.

Around the time of the Awakening of Insects, in a desolate wilderness within a small county of the Qingluan Kingdom, even from over a hundred li away, Chen Ping’an and his group felt the earth tremble. Dust billowed in the distance, obscuring the sky. A gigantic, vaguely defined demonic creature seemed to be in immense pain, roaring skyward, causing countless birds to take flight from the forests.

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment and asked Wei Xian and Sui Youbian to investigate, to see if any innocents were harmed.

His own injuries were not fully healed, and he was still trying to reconcile the spiritual energy reservoir within his acupoint and the pure true Qi. Although his fifth realm martial arts boundary remained, his actual strength was only at the fourth realm level.

Wei Xian wielded the Sweet Dew Armor of West Peak, and Sui Youbian carried the Infatuation Sword on her back. Their combined offense and defense meant they could retreat safely even if they encountered danger.

Chen Ping’an didn’t deliberately speed up his pace. When Sui Youbian and Wei Xian returned, they reported that it was a so-called “earth dragon turning over.” A large group of wild cultivators had somehow found this earth dragon, which had been dormant here for hundreds of years, and were trying to kill it to obtain the earth dragon’s corporeal treasures. However, two busybodies had intervened: a young Taoist wielding a peach wood sword and a burly man with a saber. They couldn’t reach an agreement, so they began to fight. The strength disparity was huge. The besiegers were determined to succeed, and a Golden Core cultivator was personally overseeing the situation. The outcome was all but certain.

Chen Ping’an patted his sword gourd, leaped high into the air, and the flying swords Initial One and Fifteen shot out. Chen Ping’an stepped onto the flying swords, soaring through the air like an immortal riding the wind.

The four members of the scroll painting group exchanged bewildered glances.

Pei Qian, holding her walking staff, looked left and right, confused.

Sui Youbian vanished in a flash.

Zhu Lian laughed heartily and followed closely behind, “Another fight! Excellent!”

Wei Xian picked up Pei Qian.

Lu Baixiang silently followed.

They found it strange that Chen Ping’an would be so flustered.

Could it be that he knew someone there?

But Chen Ping’an, who came from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven and lived in Mud Bottle Alley, if he had friends, shouldn’t they be experts like the ninth-realm martial artist Zheng Dafeng, the tenth-realm grandmaster Li Er, the sword immortal Cao Xi, or the Celestial Lord Xie Shi?

Chen Ping’an’s hometown was unrealistically full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

Even if a Transcendent Realm old monster suddenly appeared one day, the four members of the scroll painting group wouldn’t be too shocked. However, if a “small fry” from the middle five realms suddenly claimed to be Chen Ping’an’s friend, they would find it unsettling.

Even with the help of two flying swords, Chen Ping’an was still injured and his pure true Qi was somewhat hindering him, so his speed was roughly the same as Sui Youbian and the others on the ground.

Inside a massive ravine filled with broken rocks, a yellow earth dragon, severely wounded and forced to reveal its true form, lay in a pool of blood.

Standing before it were a disheveled young Taoist and a heroic saber-wielder, back to back, surrounded by over twenty Qi Refinement cultivators, like wolves circling their prey.

Before everyone’s eyes, a young man, seemingly flying or riding a sword, descended. He was dressed in white, ethereal and otherworldly, truly a divine immortal.

The white-robed immortal landed gracefully, took five or six light steps, and walked up to the two men, smiling and raising both hands towards them.

The young Taoist and the heroic saber-wielder were stunned, unable to believe it. The young Taoist even rubbed his eyes. Then, a smile spread across his clear eyes.

The young Taoist and the heroic saber-wielder each extended a hand and gave the young immortal a resounding high-five, their dejected expressions replaced with high spirits and joy.

Chen Ping’an looked at the two of them. His gaze at that moment was perhaps even brighter than Pei Qian’s, whose eyes held the sun and moon. Grasping his two friends’ hands, he laughed, “I knew it! Only my two friends, Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia, would be willing to do something so thankless!”