Having arrived at the Chen clan elder’s table, Chen Ping’an took Zhang Shanfeng’s seat and briefly told Xu Yuanxia that Zhang Shanfeng had been taken away by his master. The bearded swordsman, having been a soldier on the battlefield in his early years, was no stranger to life and death, let alone parting. He wasn’t overly sentimental. Chen Ping’an drank a few cups with Xu Yuanxia. Before entering the house to sit at the table, Chen Ping’an had two jugs of osmanthus wine in his hands. He gave one to the long-robed old man and drank the other with Xu Yuanxia.

This old man had been drinking homemade sorghum liquor his whole life, and his impression of wine was probably that it burned the throat and scorched the stomach. Being a straightforward person, he had the village scholar tell Chen Ping’an in the Bao Ping Continent’s refined language that this wine must be expensive, but it was too mild and lacked potency. It was only suitable for the women in the village to drink. Chen Ping’an was helpless. Xu Yuanxia knew the value of osmanthus wine, a true elixir that could prolong the life of ordinary mortals. This small jug of wine was worth more than all the sorghum liquor in the village combined, but the long-robed old man had described it as so terrible that the bearded man almost choked.

After the meal, Chen Ping’an and Xu Yuanxia took a walk around the quiet village. After handing over the short blade, Xu Yuanxia accepted it. After hearing Chen Ping’an’s description of Zhang Shanfeng’s master, he was greatly surprised. “The Qi Refiner’s ‘shrinking the earth to an inch’, is originally derived from Daoist Gang Steps. Zhang Shanfeng is a lay Daoist of Dragon Tiger Mountain, so it’s not strange that his master is proficient in this technique. In the end, it’s still their own skill. The key is how far the divine power can take them in one use. Tens of feet is as different from tens of miles as mud from clouds. But to be able to draw a talisman under one’s feet and take someone away with them is unheard of.”

Xu Yuanxia continued, “Even if that’s the case, what kind of magic is it to be able to retrieve the True Martial Sword and the short blade from a thousand miles away by drawing a talisman on Zhang Shanfeng’s palm?”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “I don’t know.”

Xu Yuanxia laughed, “No matter what, it’s a good thing. Zhang Shanfeng has an omnipotent master, but this kid is dishonest, keeping it hidden. It made me think he was an outer disciple of an insignificant mountain sect in the Northern Entirety Continent. After all, the so-called Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Masters come down the mountain to slay demons and eliminate evil, which is often just rampant fraud. I was worried all the way, repeatedly probing and inquiring to determine if he had entered a sect that swindled money. If he really worshipped a half-baked conman as his master, he should turn back as soon as possible and not return to the Northern Entirety Continent at all. It’s a good thing I wasn’t there at the time, or my eyes would have popped out.”

Chen Ping’an laughed with a hint of schadenfreude.

Xu Yuanxia hesitated for a moment.

The two walked slowly along the bluestone path by the pond. Chen Ping’an said, “If you have something to say, Xu-dage, just say it. Why are we being so polite?”

Xu Yuanxia said, “This trip to the Azure Luan Kingdom, at first Zhang Shanfeng accompanied me to deliver the urn of my fallen comrades, and later I accompanied Zhang Shanfeng to see the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and the Luo Tian Grand Offering. Now that Zhang Shanfeng has gone to the Celestial Master’s Mansion in the Central Earth Divine Continent with his master, I miss home a little.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Then go back earlier.”

Xu Yuanxia stopped, reached out and stroked his beard, “I’ve been wandering outside for so many years. Besides sending back military pay and letters regularly, I don’t know what my hometown has become.”

Chen Ping’an asked softly, “Should I go with you? If you think Wei Xian and the other three aren’t suitable, I’ll just take Pei Qian with me and accompany you on a trip back home, and let Wei Xian and the others go to the capital of the Azure Luan Kingdom to wander around first.”

Xu Yuanxia waved his hand with a smile, “You’re not a beautiful woman, why would I want you to accompany me back home? Just follow the planned route. Don’t disrupt your plans for me.”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “I didn’t have a plan to begin with. What’s wrong? Do you have something you don’t want me to see in your hometown? Are you afraid I’ll see through your secrets?”

Xu Yuanxia sighed, squatted by the pond, and gently tapped the bluestone slab with the hilt of his short blade. “My family is relatively well-off, and can barely be considered a local noble family in the prefecture. I had a marriage arranged early on. Before leaving home, I secretly glanced at that girl. She was quite pretty, and I actually liked her. At the time, I was ambitious and thought I could make a name for myself in three to five years, and then marry her in glory. I didn’t expect that I would wander outside for more than ten years.”

Chen Ping’an squatted beside Xu Yuanxia and comforted him, “Xu-dage, you are a genuine Fifth Realm martial artist, and you are familiar with battle formations. It wouldn’t be difficult to get a position as a general in the imperial court in your hometown, right?”

Xu Yuanxia nodded, “It’s not difficult.”

Xu Yuanxia sighed, “It’s like being afraid to return home after being away for so long. Just thinking about it makes me feel uneasy. I’ve never felt this much anxiety even when fighting for my life on the battlefield when I was young.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment. Since Xu Yuanxia preferred to return home alone, he must have his reasons. He said softly, “I’m going to Qingxia Island in Shujian Lake next, to find a child named Gu Can, who lived with me in Mud Bottle Lane in his early years. His current master is Intercepting River True Lord Liu Zhimao. If all goes well, I will then go to the Great Sui Academy to find some children who also came from my hometown. Xu-dage, if you have something going on back home that you can’t easily resolve on your own, don’t forget that you have two good friends you met in the martial world. Since Zhang Shanfeng is hard to find now, then look for me, Chen Ping’an. It might be a little troublesome, and you’ll need to send two letters at the same time to make sure I don’t miss it.”

Xu Yuanxia patted Chen Ping’an on the shoulder, then pointed to the pond in front of them, “My hometown has a pond just like this. It’s not even a martial world. A Fifth Realm martial artist with two decent magical weapons is enough for me to show off. Even a regional governor of a kingdom will treat me as an honored guest. Do you think everyone is like you, Chen Ping’an?”

Chen Ping’an handed over the Sword Nurturing Gourd and whispered, “Drink some of the wine in here. This is real good stuff. If you like it, take the wine, but the gourd has to stay.”

Xu Yuanxia was dubious, but after taking a sip of the medicinal wine refined from the Golden Core of the Nascent Soul Old Jiao from the “Vermilion Gourd,” his face instantly flushed red. A pure True Qi surged in his body, impacting the Qi storage points along the way like a giant wave hitting a rocky cliff. Xu Yuanxia quickly channeled his Qi to regulate his breathing and barely managed to digest the surge. He let out a burp, exhaled a long-accumulated turbid Qi that he had never been able to purify, wiped his mouth, and his eyes gleamed. “This wine is absolutely amazing for a martial artist to drink.”
Chen Ping’an wasn’t in a rush to reclaim the gourd, instead, he crossed his arms and chuckled, “You think everyone’s like Xu Yuanxia? Able to down the Little Refinement Brew in this wine pot?”

The burly, bearded man roared with laughter, showing no politeness, and took another large gulp of the medicinal wine. He used it to cleanse and purge the mixed impurities within his pure true Qi. Finally, with lingering desire, he took a third gulp and simply sat down cross-legged, remaining still as an old monk for a long while. Upon opening his eyes, he returned the wine pot to Chen Ping’an. “Alright, everything in moderation, even good things. This lifetime, I’ve finally got something to look forward to, a glimmer of hope to reach the Sixth Realm. Three gulps are enough; any more would be excessive. My martial foundation isn’t strong enough to handle this kind of treasure. But let me be clear beforehand, when I break through the final bottleneck of the Fifth Realm, I’ll be back to beg for more wine.”

Chen Ping’an was puzzled. “Then just take the wine, and you can spare yourself the trouble of asking.”

Although Chen Ping’an now needed the Little Refinement medicinal wine to nurture his body and soul, his martial arts cultivation was already on the right track. Without the medicinal wine, it would only slow his progress, unlike the critical aid it had been in Old Dragon City after the devastating blow from the Immortal Soldier Swallowing Sword Boat. It was now merely icing on the cake. However, for Xu Yuanxia, this priceless wine held even greater significance. For a martial artist from a small kingdom on the Treasure Bottle Continent outside the Great Li Dynasty, the difference in treatment between the Fifth and Sixth Realms was like heaven and earth. In a small, isolated kingdom, a Seventh Realm martial artist might even be involved in the nation’s martial fortune, so a Sixth Realm martial artist with the potential for the Golden Body Realm would naturally be a precious treasure in the eyes of the small kingdom’s ruler, a rare commodity.

Xu Yuanxia glanced at Chen Ping’an. “This kind of medicinal wine, capable of boosting cultivation without any side effects, is undoubtedly top-tier. But it might not be a good thing for a martial artist breaking through a realm, needing to hone their mental state. With the wine, one is bound to harbor a sense of luck. In the future, when practicing fists, the hands might never slacken, but the mental state would, and the principles of the fist would naturally become loose. Chen Ping’an, do you think that the martial artists of the world, with their cultivation so close at hand, clearly able to advance with just a sip, could truly resist even a single drop?”

Xu Yuanxia gazed into the distance, sighing, “Even if I knew it would ultimately hinder my breakthrough, I, Xu Yuanxia, admit that I normally wouldn’t be able to resist. Besides, a drunkard, when the craving hits, who cares about bottlenecks? I’d drink first and worry about the rest later.”

Regarding the steadfastness of the mind on the path of cultivation, Xu Yuanxia considered himself inferior to Zhang Shanfeng, and even more so to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Then when Brother Xu ascends to the Sixth Realm, I’ll give you wine as a celebration drink.”

Xu Yuanxia suddenly said, “If you have the chance to pass by the Colored Clothes Kingdom and the Comb Water Kingdom on this trip north, don’t forget to check on Old Sword Saint Song, the children in Rouge County, and of course, the ghostly couple in that haunted house.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Of course. I still need to treat Old Senior Song to a hotpot, see how the children are progressing in their cultivation, and finally go to that old house to taste the old woman’s braised dried bamboo shoots.”

Xu Yuanxia laughed heartily. “That’s right, Chen Ping’an is still the same Chen Ping’an.” He patted the fellow’s shoulder again, his hand with a bit too much force, and said with openheartedness, “Chen Ping’an, you and Zhang Shanfeng must do well. In the future, when you have achievements and fame, let me hear about it back in my hometown. I can boast to everyone and have countless people crying and begging me, Xu Yuanxia, to drink with them, so I can tell them your stories.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in jest. “Brother Xu, may your words bring good fortune.”

Xu Yuanxia stood up. “Alright, before, it was fine. Wandering aimlessly didn’t feel like anything. But once I started thinking about my hometown, it’s like the wine worms in my stomach rebelled. It’s unbearable not to have a drink. Haha, home is like that jar of old wine. I’m going to drink it!”

Chen Ping’an stood up as well. “Then I’ll accompany you to your lodgings to get your luggage and see you off a bit further.”

Xu Yuanxia glared. “Don’t be so sentimental. You need to learn from Zhang Shanfeng. Say you’re going, and then go. So much more carefree.”

Chen Ping’an rolled his eyes. “Him? If Zhang Shanfeng isn’t crying right now, that would be a remarkable feat. Want to bet?”

Xu Yuanxia rubbed his chin. “Then I bet Zhang Shanfeng is secretly crying his heart out, alone, behind his master’s back.”

Chen Ping’an also rubbed his chin. “Would you say we think alike?”

Xu Yuanxia laughed and strode away, refusing Chen Ping’an’s farewell. The burly wanderer suddenly remembered that it was late at night, and the village might already have women and children resting, so he lowered his voice and waved goodbye to Chen Ping’an, without any hesitation.

Chen Ping’an stood there, feeling a bit of parting sorrow.

About two incense sticks later, Pei Qian stumbled over, half-asleep. Running through the alleys at night was a bit scary, so she had the yellow paper talisman stuck on her forehead. She found Chen Ping’an and asked curiously, “Why did the bearded uncle run away? Did he owe Master money he couldn’t repay, and was too ashamed to face him, so he snuck away in the middle of the night?”

This upset Pei Qian a bit, and she stomped her foot, striking her palm with a fist, annoyed. “That penniless bearded guy is really not a good friend. If he didn’t have money to repay, he could have borrowed from me privately. I wouldn’t have revealed his embarrassing situation to Master.”

Although Pei Qian didn’t know the reason, she always felt that after meeting the young Daoist with not much skill and the bearded man with a very loud voice, Chen Ping’an had been especially happy. It seemed even happier than earning a lot of money. But in reality, from the moment they encountered the yellow ox in the mountain gully, her master had been losing money and losing money, all the way. Hadn’t he just given Zhang Shanfeng a cyan wooden box, seemingly some kind of Dharma seal? And from Old Dragon City to the Bee Tail Ferry, where had Master ever been willing to take out Osmanthus Wine and Well Immortal Brew every day?

It seemed that making friends in the Jianghu had no meaning. From beginning to end, it was all spending money.

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a smile. “Your bearded uncle just missed home. We can go find him in the future. One day, when you venture into the Jianghu on your own, you can also look for him. By then, you should be able to drink, too. Remember to bring some good wine.”

Pei Qian shook her head. “The Jianghu is dangerous, and wine is too expensive. I’ve decided not to venture into the Jianghu.”

Chen Ping’an pinched her ear. “At such a young age, you’re talking to me about the dangers of the Jianghu?”

Pei Qian tiptoed, begging for mercy. “Old Wei and Bearded Uncle both said so. I just felt like a Jianghu hero and was saying it casually.”

Chen Ping’an let go of her hand and smiled. “Six steps of post stepping, go back to sleep.”

Pei Qian’s post stepping was now quite decent, but the Sword Furnace Stance still lacked its spirit. As for the Heaven and Earth Stance, Pei Qian really wanted to learn it but couldn’t because she couldn’t even hold the basic posture.
The night passed uneventfully.

The mountain village rooster crowed exceptionally early. After rising, Chen Pingan did not go out for a stroll. In a quarter of an hour, the martial practitioners of the village would gather for their daily martial arts practice, twice a day, year after year, without fail. Every man, whether young or old, participated. Even women who wished to join were not discouraged.

After all, in the business of escorting goods, without solid martial skills, one could not earn a reputable name. According to the teacher at the village school, the Chen family’s reputation in the escorting business in this part of Qingluan Country was quite high, thanks to the reputation of the clan leader, nicknamed “Chen Archway.”

Yesterday, when Chen Pingan passed by the Chen clan’s martial arts training ground, he did not stop to observe as he had done at the martial arts hall near Lotus Root Blessing Land. Instead, he quickly walked away.

Furthermore, he had asked the four from the painting to be discreet, especially Lu Baixiang and Sui Youbian, requesting they avoid carrying weapons while in the village.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

This morning, the group gathered to eat breakfast. After the meal, they would leave the village. Chen Pingan planned to visit the capital of Qingluan Country to witness the Buddhist and Daoist debate organized by the Tang emperor before departing. Besides Honeycomb Ferry, which bordered three countries, Qingluan Country also had an immortal ferry in its eastern territory, said to be slightly larger than Honeycomb Ferry. Previously at Honeycomb Ferry, he had learned that the central part of Treasure Bottle Continent was in chaos, with both the celestial mountains and mortal realms in turmoil. Many ferries to that region had been temporarily suspended. Moreover, there was no ferry on Book Brief Lake, and the two ferries nearest to Book Brief Lake, located in a nation’s capital and on a celestial mountain sect respectively, had both suffered disasters, trampled by the iron cavalry of the Great Li Dynasty, their blood staining the ground. Therefore, Chen Pingan wanted to try his luck at the eastern ferry. Otherwise, traveling to Book Brief Lake on foot would be far too arduous.

As they were drinking porridge around the table, they turned their heads one after another to look at the courtyard outside. A flash of snow-white figure emerged from the shadows of the corridor, catching the eye before coming to a halt. The person wore a bright smile.

It was a young immortal clad in white.

More ethereal than Chen Pingan.

Pei Qian stared blankly at the uninvited guest. For some inexplicable reason, she took out the Demon Suppressing Talisman and quickly stuck it on her forehead.

Chen Pingan put down his chopsticks and sighed.

The four from the painting looked puzzled.

Apart from his striking attire and appearance, they could not discern the depth of his cultivation. It was unclear whether he was a mountain immortal or a mere martial artist.

But the more uncertain they were, the more uneasy they felt.

Chen Pingan stood up, walked to the threshold, and stopped. “Why are you here?” he asked.

The white-clad youth’s eyes welled with tears, his lips trembling, a truly moving scene. Crying, he rushed towards Chen Pingan, seemingly wanting to embrace him and lament their separation. “This student has been slow to the rescue, causing Teacher to suffer so much injustice! This disciple, Cui Dongshan, deserves to die ten thousand times over…”

Chen Pingan directly kicked the nauseating “disciple” back.

Pei Qian’s eyes widened. Where did this guy come from, and was he trying to snatch her Teacher away?

The white-clad youth spun countless times in the air, his sleeves fluttering, as beautiful as a cloud pushed aside by an immortal’s hand.