As the outer walls of the Lion Garden began to exhibit strange phenomena,

Liu Boqi was the first to ascend to the top of a pavilion. She nodded lightly, a rare expression of approval on her face.

Having cultivated at the Sword Hall of the Inverted Mountain, she had witnessed more extraordinary people and events than any other continent under the vast sky. As the Heaven’s Chosen, heavily favored by the Grand Heavenly Master of the Inverted Mountain, and having frequently accompanied her elders on voyages to capture weary old flood dragons returning from summoning rain, Liu Boqi naturally possessed discerning eyes.

Zhu Lian stood by the railing, while Pei Qian sat atop it, curiously asking, “Is it my master?”

Zhu Lian chuckled, “Young Master knows how to use talismans. I witnessed it firsthand during the battle at the border mountain near Great Spring. Three Iron Cavalry Siege Talismans, forming a Three Talents Battle Array, possessed immense power, successfully trapping that great monster of the Buried River. I never imagined Young Master could even draw his own talismans, and with such considerable skill and bold spirit…”

Pei Qian retorted, “Is there anything my master *can’t* do? What’s so strange about it!”

Zhu Lian teased, “Then why were your eyes wide as winnowing baskets just now, secretly grinning like a bloodthirsty beast?”

Pei Qian frowned, refusing to bicker with the old cook. She lifted her head, glanced at the eaves above, then at the ground outside the railing. Taking a deep breath, she leaped with all her might, grabbing onto the eaves, attempting a somersault onto the roof. However, she pulled down tiles along with her as she fell. Zhu Lian was about to reach out and grab her collar, intending to pull her back onto the veranda, but suddenly changed his mind, allowing Pei Qian to fall into the courtyard. During her descent, her mind went blank, acting purely on instinct. A torrent of fiery dragon energy surged within her body, instantly contorting her into an ape-like form, vaguely resembling Zhu Lian’s fighting stance. Then, a foot above the ground, her limbs suddenly unfurled, and she landed with the lightness of a wild kitten.

Zhu Lian leaned against the railing, clicking his tongue, “This young heroine can also walk on walls and fly over rooftops, her lightness skill is truly remarkable.”

Pei Qian plopped down on the ground, her face pale with fright. Regaining her senses, she lashed out at Zhu Lian, who seemed unfazed by her predicament, “Old cook, why didn’t you save me?! What if I had fallen and become half-dead, missing arms and legs? What would I do if Master disliked me? I’m already a burden, and I’m slow enough as it is, always slowing down Master. What if Master got displeased and just abandoned me…”

The thought of such a miserable scene caused Pei Qian to burst into tears.

Her wails grated on Zhu Lian’s ears, and even the maid Zhao Ya hurried outside. Zhao Ya, who had been whispering secrets with her young mistress, was now puzzled, wondering how this quirky little girl had ended up sitting in the courtyard.

Zhu Lian feigned alarm, “Quick, get upstairs, there’s a monster!”

Without a second thought, Pei Qian jumped up, ceasing her wails. She flew up the stairs of the embroidered tower, burst into the unlocked boudoir, turned around to close the door, grabbed her mountain-walking staff, and with a surge of energy, ran back to Zhu Lian’s side. Looking around in all directions, wiping away tears, she patted the yellow talisman on her forehead, asking, “Where, where is it?”

Zhu Lian suppressed his laughter, casually fabricating, “You’re lucky, it seems the monster couldn’t breach the embroidered tower and left.”

Pei Qian fiercely wiped the tears and sweat from her face. Too frightened to notice Zhu Lian’s playful expression, she continued to widen her eyes, carefully searching for any trace of the monster, solemnly stating, “Zhu Lian, if the monster comes to the embroidered tower again, you must protect Young Mistress Liu and Sister Ya’er! Otherwise, when Master returns and sees they’ve been captured by a monster, even if Master doesn’t scold me, he’ll definitely be angry with me inside.”

Zhao Ya turned her head, hiding her laughter behind her hand.

Zhu Lian chuckled, “Aren’t you worried about your own safety?”

Pei Qian pulled out another talisman, sticking it on her forehead, gripping her mountain-walking staff tightly, “Master told me to protect myself, and I must do it!”

Zhu Lian clasped his hands behind his back with one fist clenched, while placing his other hand on his abdomen in front of him, unconsciously exuding the air of a grandmaster. He smiled, “Don’t worry, your master also said I should protect you.”

Up in the library,

The Solitary Young Master laughed, “That sneaky, skulking demon is likely about to be trapped like a dog in a pen.”

Meng Rong asked, “Can it really confine the entire Lion Garden?”

The Solitary Young Master explained, “It might not withstand the demon’s repeated assaults, but as soon as it reveals its true form, it will be the female cultivator’s moment to unleash her sword and slay it.”

Meng Rong then asked, “But what if the demon is determined to hide and not come out?”

The Solitary Young Master pointed towards the spiritual energy anomaly at the edge of the Lion Garden. Ordinary people within the Lion Garden might not notice anything, but to an expert, the golden light flowing like a stream, circling the mountain, was obvious. “This unknown talisman formation, with its spiritual energy liquefying, is far more profound than mere confinement. If all goes well, it will also affect the mountain’s roots and water veins, making it even easier to locate the demon now that the land is freed. Furthermore, since this young immortal master can draw such a vast talisman array, he can continue drawing circles and lines within the Lion Garden, placing talismans on key points for gathering wind and water. Even if the demon isn’t suffocated to death, it will be thoroughly disgusted, like a person trapped in boiling water, very unpleasant.”

Meng Rong disagreed, “Drawing so many talismans to create such a commotion hardly makes him impressive. Your master, with a casual talisman, could summon purple mist to envelop a city of hundreds of thousands of people, or even capture a black cloud and transform it into a soaring serpent, directly suppressing and killing a Golden Core great demon…”

The Solitary Young Master sighed, “I’m praising that young man, and you’re talking about my master’s power, the two are unrelated. You shouldn’t always look down on cultivators and martial artists who aren’t me.”

Meng Rong bluntly stated, “I just can’t stand seeing anyone being compared to you. If that young man surnamed Chen were a woman, even if she were a Sword Immortal, do you think I wouldn’t be jealous?”

The Solitary Young Master smiled, “What if she were a young female Sword Immortal and even more beautiful than you?”

Meng Rong leaned on the railing, “Then I would be so jealous I would want to kill someone.”

The Solitary Young Master smiled faintly, “Narrow-minded and petty. You should learn to restrain yourself.”

Meng Rong gazed into the distance, softly saying, “We sword cultivators are already treading the most treacherous path, as long as our flying swords can pass, that’s all that matters.”
Young Master Du Gu shook his head, “That’s because you haven’t climbed high enough, haven’t gone far enough. But it doesn’t matter, your talent is good enough. Just slowly ascend the path of the sword. Even my parents value you, thinking you are an excellent innate sword embryo. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have bestowed upon you that Night Wandering Deity.”

Meng Long suddenly felt that her young master seemed to have some heartfelt words, holding them back, so she turned her head, her cheek resting against the railing.

Young Master Du Gu was silent for a moment, then laughed, “Are you a worm in my stomach? Alright, I’ll tell you an interesting story. My parents once accompanied that person to Wind and Thunder Garden to visit Li Tuanjing, allowing them to witness the third battle between nascent soul sword cultivators. Of course, we lost. But afterwards, Li Tuanjing brewed tea for his guests and said something very strange. This first nascent soul cultivator of Treasure Bottle Continent jokingly said, where do Qi refiners get the nerve to look down on the mortal world, despising those below the mountains? It’s just by chance that they walked a sunny path. If the earliest rules had nothing to do with ‘nurturing and refining spiritual Qi’, but rather who was best at planting crops, who would be most ‘in harmony with the Dao’, or who was the most skilled at mending shoes, who would be ‘favored by Heaven’? Then what would those high and mighty immortals look like now?”

Meng Long softly said, “Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden is truly a strange person who likes to say strange things and do strange deeds.”

Young Master Du Gu hummed in agreement, “Li Tuanjing is a true immortal of this era. But after his death, even with the Yellow River and Liu Baqiao, Wind and Thunder Garden still couldn’t suppress the soaring sword Qi of Righteous Sun Mountain.”

Meng Long suddenly recalled something, “What about Liu Baqiao and Su Jia? Did they end up with a satisfactory ending like in storybooks, finally becoming a loving couple?”

Young Master Du Gu thought for a while, “Even if their love story were truly a perfect and beautiful tale, we’ve probably only turned to the halfway point of the book.”

Meng Long suddenly lowered her voice, whispering, “Young Master, is it true that novelists gather in that White Paper Blessed Land, and however they write in their books, that’s how the countless beings in the Blessed Land behave? The mistress also said that this Sage from the Hundred Schools of Thought is incredibly powerful. Those with high cultivation can write about the affairs of a country, those with lesser cultivation can write about a state or region, and the junior disciples of novelists, just beginning their practice, can only write about the birth, aging, sickness, and death of a single person. In the end, the characters under the novelists’ pens become more and more numerous, and the territory of that Blessed Land grows larger and larger.”

Young Master Du Gu smiled, “In the vast world, there’s nothing that isn’t strange. Truth and falsehood, who knows?”

Meng Long asked, “Young Master, when we both become Earth Immortals one day, shall we go and see what’s real and what’s fake?”

Young Master Du Gu held his hands behind his head, squinting and smiling, “Alright.”

Inside Liu Qingshan’s study, the black-robed youth looked flustered.

How could that damned sword-carrying young man be proficient in the art of talismans, and carry so many high-quality talismans with him?!

Was he determined to fight it to the death? Wasn’t he afraid that in the end, both sides would be ruined, and neither would gain any advantage? What was this Chen outsider after? The Patrol Treasure on the table was only useful to that old twisted pervert who supported the dragon! Was he really treating himself like a descendant of the Liu family, the God of Wealth of Snowy Continent, by throwing down so many talismans?

It paced back and forth in the study like an ant on a hot pan.

Madmen, they were all madmen.

A mere Fierce Deity, that wretched Auntie from the Sword Workshop made by Jia Zuo, was one thing, but now a virtuous man who didn’t seek repayment for his kindness had appeared. These two unrelated fellows actually knew how to join forces to set a trap for it, one drawing ghost symbols outside the wall, and the other distracting it inside the garden, disrupting its vision.

Could it be that this time, following the general trend to plot against Lion Garden, would it all be in vain? As soon as it thought of that hawk-nosed old pervert and that powerful old man from the Tang family, it felt a little weak.

It almost moved its thoughts, wanting to manifest its true form and smash through the wall regardless. As long as it left Lion Garden, it would be like a bird soaring freely in the sky. With its innate earth-burrowing technique, and the surrounding mountains outside the garden, unless a nascent soul Earth Immortal personally came to search for it, possessing earth-shattering power that could split the surrounding mountains at will, it would fear no one.

But it quickly told itself to remain calm in the face of danger. Lion Garden had temporarily become a prison, and that was a certainty. It couldn’t be hasty, it absolutely couldn’t act rashly in confusion.

It smiled, coming up with an idea, “Then let Old Man Qing test the strength of you lot first.”

On the outer wall of Lion Garden, Chen Ping An was hesitating, wondering if he should ask Shi Rou to request official silver ingots from Azure Luan Kingdom from the Liu family again. They could also be used to draw talismans, but the quality of silver material was far inferior to that of gold ingots ground into gold powder. But there were advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that the effect would be poor, and the power of the talismans would decrease. The advantage was that Chen Ping An could draw talismans easily, without having to expend so much mental energy. To be honest, besides using up all the yellow paper talismans he had accumulated for a long time, he had also nearly squandered most of the spiritual energy he hadn’t had time to refine in his robe and golden liquor.

But these insider secrets were not for outsiders to know.

Try to think positively.

For example, if he really managed to draw talismans all over Lion Garden, that would be a grand event worth telling Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia about in the future… as a snack to go with drinks.

Just as Chen Ping An made up his mind, he squinted and looked.

He saw that in Lion Garden, which occupied a vast area, nearly a hundred black-robed youths appeared almost simultaneously, running wildly in the corridors and paths, or leaping onto the rooftops, skimming the surface.

They were all fleeing towards the outside of Lion Garden.

It was very likely that one of those handsome youths was the true form of the demon.

Once it escaped from Lion Garden, the next time it sneaked back, Chen Ping An would truly have no way to deal with it.

Chen Ping An knew the weight of his talismans. They could barely be considered vigorous, but they weren’t long-lasting. The spiritual energy dissipated very quickly, which was the most fatal flaw of a martial artist drawing talismans.

Chen Ping An decisively said, “I’ll stay here. You guard the wall on the right. Fox demon illusions are not difficult to break. If you discover its true form, just delay it for a moment. The demon-binding rope I lent you…”

Shi Rou thought that Chen Ping An wanted to take back the magical treasure to protect himself, so she calmly handed over the golden rope. Chen Ping An laughed in anger, “It’s for you to use properly! Hurry up and go guard that side!”

Shi Rou was slightly surprised, holding the high-quality demon-binding rope, and flew away.
Chen Ping’an gently patted the Sword Nurturing Gourd, murmuring in his heart, “No need to rush out yet. You are my trump cards. Only after confirming that the demon’s true form is breaking through in this direction, will it not be too late for you to emerge.”

Over at the Scripture Repository, the maid Menglong was eager to try, her eyes burning with zeal, “Regardless of whether it’s a smokescreen or not, young master, allow this servant to act, please? Staying cooped up in this Lion Garden is driving me to distraction!”

The young master of the Du family reminded her, “There are many eyes on Lion Garden from Qingluan Kingdom right now, so you are forbidden from using your natal flying sword. Keeping a jade ring invites thieves, I don’t want to attract a heap of troubles. And don’t break too many buildings in the Lion Garden.”

The maid looked somewhat crestfallen, but it was still better than standing like a wooden puppet in one spot, she lightly tapped the ground with the tip of her foot and floated to the railing to stand, chanting under her breath, one hand forming a hand seal, the other stretched forward, in those bright, intelligent eyes, specks of golden light appeared, and finally, she gently shouted, “Emerge!”

A golden-armored divine warrior, towering three zhang tall, landed with a thunderous crash, sending dust and debris flying.

Besides its towering stature, this deity had five ribbons woven from spiritual energy swirling around its massive frame, wore a coronet on its head, and on one arm’s golden armor, miasma festered, while the other arm’s golden armor was engraved with various grotesque patterns of fiendish faces.

However, the deity’s eyes remained closed.

As if receiving Menglong’s command.

Each time this rare Night Wandering God took a step forward, although its eyes were tightly shut, it still deliberately avoided the various buildings in the Lion Garden, the earth trembled with each stride.

One unfortunate black-robed youth, unable to dodge in time, was kicked into fragments with a single stomp.

The five ribbons, tempered by an immortal master, resembled five flood dragons leaving their pools, no longer than two zhang, but they moved with swiftness, easily piercing the bodies of those handsome youths.

The Night Wandering God swept out an arm, a single palm smashing a demon’s illusion flitting across the rooftop.

Menglong changed her posture, sitting on the railing, disdaining, “So easily defeated?”

The young master of the Du family explained, “That demon has already dispersed a wisp of its divine will, for it to have such a lithe form is quite impressive.”

Having likely witnessed the Night Wandering God’s crushing of the fox demon firsthand, the outcome so lopsided that the danger was presumably small, the master and disciple duo, as well as the Daoist couple, who were observing from other elevated vantage points in the Lion Garden, then coincidentally, with intentional slowness, took action, each displaying their supernatural abilities to slay demons and eliminate evil.

The fiery red little fox on the old man’s shoulder leapt into the air, its body shuddering, abruptly enlarging countless times, when it landed on a rooftop ridge, it was already a fire fox as large as an ox, its body wreathed in dancing flames.

And with a wave of the tall youth’s arm, the snake, verdant as bamboo leaves, coiled around his arm, also lunged forth, transforming into a giant serpent two zhang long.

Each pounced on those black-robed youths frantically fleeing out of the Lion Garden.

That Daoist couple traveled together, choosing a spot near a flower garden, one controlled the longsword unsheathed behind their back, like a swordsman wielding a sword to slay enemies, one formed hand seals with both hands, stepped with the rhythm of the stars, opened their mouth and spat out a dense burst of spiritual energy, scattering into the garden, like mist enveloping the flowers, grass, and trees, and in an instant, a stream of multicolored phantom-like sprites, reaching the height of an arm, emerged from the garden, chasing after the black-robed youths, then exploded into fragments with a bang.

Chen Ping’an, Shi Rou, and the Scripture Repository each guarded a side, adding the master and disciple and the Daoist couple, totaling four people, guarding the west side of the Lion Garden.

Chen Ping’an stood on the wall, throwing punches, Shi Rou used the golden dragon whisker demon-binding rope to resist.

But there were simply too many demon illusions, outside the four sides of the Lion Garden’s outer wall, still nearly forty black-robed youths were constantly crashing into the wall with golden talisman dragons swimming over it.

The young master of the Du family at the Scripture Repository forbade Menglong from using her natal flying sword, while he himself stood idly by.

So, there were quite a few that slipped through the net, but even so, that Night Wandering God was simply too intimidating, many of the demon illusions that had originally rushed towards the high wall near the Scripture Repository temporarily changed their escape routes.

The direction of the Scripture Repository, instead, had the fewest crashes against the wall.

Although the west was “densely populated,” with four cultivators stationed there, it was the most treacherous area with the most crashes against the wall.

And Shi Rou’s side was slightly harried, she was, after all, not the sort of ghost adept at fighting, and the trump card Cui Dongshan had gifted her, how could she dare to use it now, so nearly ten black-robed youths crashed into the wall, then were dissolved by the golden river of light on the outer wall, some illusions that were lucky enough to break free, continued to crash again, as if determined to die.

Fortunately, Shi Rou’s response had no major flaws.

Chen Ping’an’s punches seemed slow, but he blocked with the most ease.

Using the six-step walking stance to move back and forth on the wall, his sleeves fluttering, his fist energy vast and mighty.

But the golden dragon, using the snow-white wall as its river, had already dimmed a bit, and the surrounding walls had been knocked out with countless “small door” holes.

Chen Ping’an, as if drawing talismans, faced with these dazzling black-robed youths once more, his pure true qi failing, he was about to stop and catch his breath.

Just then.

The Liu Clan Ancestral Hall seemed to have an aofish turn over on its back, then earthquakes occurred in all directions, rumbling loudly.

The movement was most intense in the west.

Menglong suddenly stood up, forming hand seals with both hands, closed her eyes, using a secret art to send her divine soul out of her body, attaching to that Night Wandering God, the golden-armored deity opened its eyes, slightly bent its knees, rose from the ground, a large pit appearing beneath its feet, the three zhang tall Night Wandering God flew towards the west.

The Night Wandering God’s feet stepped into the high wall garden in the west, sinking deep into the ground, then squatted down, raised an arm, punching heavily into the ground, mud and earth flying.

Forcibly severing a small mountain root beneath the Lion Garden.

The young master of the Du family hesitated for a moment, but still did not act.

Only to see a handsome youth five or six zhang tall near the Scripture Repository emerge from the earth and float out, an evil spirit almost as tall as the Scripture Depository itself, rushing towards that wall.

That golden dragon circling the wall, like this black-robed youth’s tripping rope, revealing its true form, roared and continued to stride forward, so that the golden light of talismans elsewhere were dragged towards its direction.

It had already broken open the wall, but a golden talisman rope still clung tightly to its knee.

It lifted a foot high, still unable to break free of that pesky rope, so it simply continued to charge forward with its head lowered.

That golden dragon, originally connected end to end, snapped apart with a bang, dragged forward by the black-robed great demon revealing its golden body, swaying along the ground.

Like a large fish that had not come off the hook, but its strength was simply too great, so that even the fishing line and rod were dragged along.

Chen Ping’an reached out to hold the mouth of the Sword Nurturing Gourd, thinking in his heart, “Something’s not right, wait a little longer.”
A slender figure had stood atop the gazebo all along, like a white rainbow spanning the sky. With a deafening crash, the gazebo beneath his feet collapsed as he cleaved downwards with his blade.

Finally making her move, Liu Boqi’s figure had already grown taller than the Scripture Repository. With a single strike, her blade bisected the golden Dharma Image.

Without so much as a glance at the genuine, yet pitiable, golden form, she coldly uttered, “Go!”

From her back emerged a figure wielding a blade. Of ordinary height, his body resembled liquid mercury and thunder, and he gripped a slender, black blade even longer than himself.

In a flash, he was gone.

The next moment, with the tip of his long blade, he pierced a small, inconspicuous doorway in the wall and stood motionless.

Shi Rou swallowed hard and looked down.

At the tip of the blade squirmed a palm-sized, snow-white, slug-like creature.

Liu Boqi swept over to the base of the high wall near Shi Rou and approached the blade-wielding deity. The two merged once more, becoming Liu Boqi alone.

However, the exceedingly long blade remained, suspended in mid-air. Liu Boqi walked to the tip of the blade and chuckled, “Got you.”

She did not immediately pocket this treasure-transforming demon. Instead, she turned to look at the white-robed young man on the distant high wall, whose hand had left the Sword Nourishing Gourd. “What do you say? You have more people, want to try and snatch it?”

Chen Pingan smiled, “Don’t act coy after gaining an advantage.”

Liu Boqi, being “understanding,” said, “I won’t deny that you played a considerable part in capturing this thing, but I’m not in the habit of sharing treasures. I’m afraid you’ll be unhappy, so how about we fight to decide who gets the little thing? I promise not to kill you. Afterwards, you might be secretly relieved to have survived.”

Chen Pingan then walked along the wall towards the female Daoist of the Blade Mastery Hall.

From the embroidered tower, Zhu Lian darted out and stood on the eaves of a nearby roof, just as he had when he first appeared in their courtyard.

Shi Rou took a few steps forward, hovering in the air, first yielding the wall to Chen Pingan. Only after Chen Pingan brushed past her did she follow behind.

Chen Pingan first waved his hand at Zhu Lian.

Liu Boqi also came to the wall and walked towards Chen Pingan.

Liu Boqi left her natal weapon, “Jiazuo,” where it was, only drawing her sheathed saber, “Jing Shen.”

She looked at him strangely and asked, “Just you?”

Chen Pingan reached behind him and continued forward, his hand already gripping the hilt of the “Sword Immortal.”

A female Daoist of the Blade Mastery Hall.

A pure martial artist carrying a semi-immortal weapon.

The two were no more than fifty paces apart.

Suddenly, Liu Boqi turned her head towards the peak of a distant green mountain.

Almost simultaneously, Chen Pingan turned his head and saw an old man’s figure disappearing at that spot.

Liu Boqi retracted her gaze, her peripheral vision catching sight of the Liu clan members running towards them in the distance, including the pitiful scholar with a limp.

Liu Boqi sheathed her blade, “Treasure-transforming demon, I get seventy percent, you get thirty.”

Seeing Chen Pingan’s confusion,

She became somewhat irritated, “What, you don’t want it?!”

Chen Pingan remembered her earlier glance, and an inspiration struck him. He released the sword hilt, put one hand behind his back, and stroked the Sword Nourishing Gourd with the other, smiling slightly, “Fifty-fifty split, and I agree.”

Liu Boqi narrowed her eyes, “Don’t push your luck. Knowing when to stop is a good habit.”

Shi Rou sighed, looking regretful, as if trying to persuade Chen Pingan, or perhaps afraid that Chen Pingan and Liu Boqi would fight. She softly said, “Young Master, why not just let it go? Young Master is ultimately more than just a cultivator. Having a good reputation is also important. Why not let the Immortal gain a great advantage? Once this is settled, Young Master will still be staying in Qingluan Kingdom, watching the Buddhist-Daoist debate, and visiting old friends. Reputation is very important to those scholars who care about face.”

Chen Pingan put one hand behind his back and gave Shi Rou a thumbs-up.

Liu Boqi glanced at Shi Rou, “Aren’t you, a ghost lady hiding in the skin of a decrepit old man, disgusted?”

Shi Rou smiled and remained silent.

The Liu clan was getting closer and closer.

Liu Boqi reached out and grabbed her natal Dharma blade, Jiazuo, then took out an extremely small hand-held gourd from her sleeve, put the slug-like creature into the yellow-skinned gourd, lowered her voice, and said resentfully to Chen Pingan, “We’ll divide the spoils later.”

Chen Pingan smiled and nodded, “Alright.”

Lord Liu and his family were naturally grateful for the joint effort in subduing the demon, especially to Liu Boqi and Chen Pingan.

The lame Liu Qingshan, with red eyes, found an opportunity to first bow to the middle-aged female Daoist, then to Chen Pingan and the others.

Liu Boqi pursed her lips and remained silent.

A banquet was held at Lion Garden in the evening to celebrate their success. Liu Boqi remained expressionless, only occasionally picking at a few dishes. However, even though she found it boring and a waste of time, she remained seated until the end of the banquet.

The next day, Liu Qingshan, for some reason, stood side by side with Liu Boqi and invited Chen Pingan to enjoy the scenery in Lion Garden.

Chen Pingan reluctantly agreed and had to take a stroll with them.

Along the way, Liu Boqi gave Chen Pingan a cold glance.

Chen Pingan ignored it.

Today, the sun was just right. After getting Chen Pingan’s permission, Pei Qian volunteered to single-handedly, like an ant moving house, spread out the books and bamboo slips to dry in an open space in Lion Garden.

After finishing her work, Pei Qian squatted on the ground, satisfied.

Two people approached from a distance. Pei Qian knew their identities. The old scholar was called Fu Sheng, and the middle-aged scholar was named Liu, who was a teacher at the Lion Garden academy.

So Pei Qian didn’t stop them from getting closer.

The middle-aged scholar stopped at a distance.

Only the old gentleman walked to Pei Qian’s side and asked with a smile, “Little girl, may I take a look at the text on the bamboo slips?”

Pei Qian stood up and respectfully bowed, called him Old Mister Fu, thought for a moment, then squatted back on the ground and waved her hand, “Go ahead. It’s not like it’s anything embarrassing. It’s all good stuff, painstakingly copied by my master from books, or things he heard from others during his travels.”

Like the recently randomly fabricated life’s suffering book by Zhu Lian, which was most capable of teaching people how to behave.

It was also meticulously engraved on bamboo slips by Chen Pingan, but Pei Qian disliked this bamboo slip the most, so she placed it on the outermost side, all alone.

Anyway, she felt that this bamboo slip was inferior to all her master’s other bamboo slips.
Pei Qian, with her head held high and a serious expression, said, “Old Mister, let’s make this clear beforehand. If my master gets angry because I showed you these treasures he cherishes, you have to take responsibility! You wouldn’t believe how strict my master is with me. Alas, there’s no help for it; he just loves me. Copying books, practicing stances… Well, you probably wouldn’t understand these things. You scholarly gentlemen in your studies probably don’t even know how much a steamed bun costs!”

Pei Qian earnestly reminded him again, “Old Mister, you can’t let my good intentions be repaid with ill will! Agreed?”

The old man in the green robe smiled broadly. “Agreed!”

So, the little one squatted there, and the old one also crouched down, examining the bamboo slips one by one, gently picking them up and carefully setting them down.

This relieved Pei Qian.

After looking through about half of the bamboo slips, the old man asked with a smile, “Is a big fist the greatest truth in the world? Little girl, do you believe that?”

Pei Qian answered without hesitation, “Of course! Otherwise, why would I, being so small, practice stances and boxing every day, practice saber and sword techniques? The world is dangerous, and there are so many bad people!”

Pei Qian had wanted to say some of those grand words about her lofty ambitions, but she suddenly remembered what Old Wei had said: revealing too much too soon is a great taboo in the martial world. So she held back, keeping those heartfelt words in her own heart. It was enough for her master to know.

In the distance, the middle-aged scholar frowned habitually.

But the old man laughed heartily.

Pei Qian didn’t know what was so funny. She turned over some of the nearby bamboo slips to sun them, working diligently while casually saying, “But my master taught me that to explain this principle clearly, you have to talk about the order. The order cannot be wrong. It’s about being reasonable first, and then, when your fist is bigger, it’s easier to reason with unreasonable people. It’s not about encouraging people to only care about how hard their fist is, and then forget about introspection, self-discipline, and examining their conscience. Alas, my master said I’m too young, so I just need to remember these things. Understanding them is waiting for me in the books.”

Pei Qian concluded, “So what you said, Old Mister, has some truth to it, but it’s not the whole truth.”

The middle-aged scholar’s expression finally eased a little.

The old man didn’t laugh at Pei Qian, nor did he say anything.

Pei Qian’s eyes gleamed. “Old Mister, is my master very learned?”

The old man replied, “Just from these few words of your master, I can’t tell if he’s very learned, but at least… he’s saying the right thing. Yes, he’s unerring. It sounds simple, but it’s actually quite difficult, and putting this principle into practice is even harder.”

Pei Qian raised an eyebrow, blocking the old man’s path to continue looking at the bamboo slips, with her arms crossed. “Then you can look at fewer bamboo slips, Old Mister.”

The old man smiled. “Oh, the little girl is quite vindictive.”

Pei Qian nodded. “Respecting the old and cherishing the young. You’re old, and I’m young, so we’re even. Don’t you dare act old and bossy with a little girl.”

The old man had no choice but to say, “Your master teaches you well. What’s even more commendable is that he’s preserved your spirit. Your master is very impressive.”

Pei Qian first smiled happily, then shook her head and said, “Are you saying this because you want to look at more bamboo slips? Fine, fine, go ahead, go ahead. I’m afraid of you old scholars; you’re always talking in circles. Alas, how vexing.”

Even the middle-aged scholar showed a hint of a smile.

The Sage once compiled a book, and its purpose was simply the four words: “no impure thoughts.”

Later generations had a Great Sage, in order to uphold the Sage’s flawless morality, and not wanting to arbitrarily delete some passages, put in a lot of effort annotating and explaining.

Master Fu often laughed about this.

The middle-aged scholar agreed.

It seemed that the three teachings, the hundred schools of thought, emperors and generals, the entire world, all had this problem.

However, the middle-aged scholar thought that Master Fu was a bit strange today. He was smiling again.

He hadn’t smiled once in all the time he’d been at the Lion Garden.

After turning over all the bamboo slips, the old gentleman stood up, looked at the little coal-black girl still diligently turning over the bamboo slips, and wanted to lend a hand. Pei Qian quickly waved her hand, wiped the sweat from her forehead with her arm, and said with a smile: “I’m very respectful of the old folks, I don’t need your help, otherwise my master will see it and will pull my ears.”

The old gentleman smiled and said goodbye, also reaching out to press down, indicating that Pei Qian did not need to get up and bow, which was considered loving the young.

The two masters walked side by side along the tree-lined path.

The middle-aged scholar hesitated to speak.

The old man named Fu Sheng said calmly, “If I’m not mistaken, that young man is the closed-door disciple of the Old Scholar.”

The middle-aged scholar had a complex expression.

Fu Sheng sighed. “Let’s not interfere.”

The middle-aged scholar nodded and asked, “When will you accept Liu Qingshan as a disciple? I think Liu Qingshan has already passed this big test.”

Fu Sheng shook his head and said, “It’s still early. He has read ten thousand books in the study, and he understands some of the principles, but how to do it? Liu Qingshan still needs to travel ten thousand miles and see more people and things.”

The middle-aged scholar asked, “Is the gentleman preparing to take Liu Qingshan back to the Central Earth Divine Continent? And give those copies of the sacred scriptures that you saved back then to Liu Qingshan?”

Fu Sheng thought for a while, “I may not accompany this child on his travels, that would be too conspicuous, and it may not be a good thing.”

The old gentleman, who was once praised as “renewing the incense for the Confucian scholars of the world,” suddenly smiled: “Although the Old Scholar’s style is different from our literary tradition, it must be admitted that his eye for selecting disciples, from Cui Chan to Zuo You, and then to Qi Jingchun… is getting better and better.”

The middle-aged scholar shook his head and said, “That young man, at least for the time being, is not worthy of Master Fu’s praise.”

Crippled Liu Qingshan took Chen Ping An and Liu Boqi to his study to sit.

Liu Boqi immediately saw the small wooden box, which contained a treasure of the last emperor of a great dynasty on his inspection tour. In the hands of a cultivator who was not on the right path and had no vision, it was just a small gold nugget. At most, it could be sold for a few Small Heat coins.

And she, of course, belonged to the ranks of cultivators who were not on the right path.

She had some ideas.

Afterwards, Young Master Du Gu and his maid Meng Long left the Lion Garden first, carrying only those two secular antiques.

The master and disciple cultivators who continued to travel with them, after having a pile of immortal money that the Liu Clan did not know where they got from, returned fully loaded.
After that, the Daoist couple departed, also reaping a substantial harvest. Their pockets were filled with Lesser Heat Coin, far exceeding their expectations, and they were overjoyed.

Chen Pingan had originally wanted to leave sooner, but Liu Qingshan kept urging him to stay, so he lingered for another three days, exploring every corner of Lion Garden.

Liu Qingshan occasionally displayed a hint of melancholy between his brows, which was why he insisted on drinking with Chen Pingan each time.

Chen Pingan knew it was related to the domestic affairs of the embroidered tower, but these were matters he wouldn’t interfere with.

During these few days, Liu Boqi visited Chen Pingan’s small courtyard twice. Once to inform him that she had beaten the Willow Tree Matron half to death and that she would likely be well-behaved for the next century.

The other time was to split the spoils with Chen Pingan.

A treasure-transforming demon couldn’t simply be split in two with a dharma knife, the 獍神. In fact, any Earth Immortal treasure-transforming demon in the world, if properly nurtured and trained, held great promise on the path of cultivation.

Of course, killing it to seize its treasure, due to the cost of immortal money and opportunity, was also a significant reward.

So, Liu Boqi converted it into a sum of Grain Rain Coin, as a reward for Chen Pingan’s victory.

After Liu Boqi left, Chen Pingan and his apprentice, Pei Qian, faced the small mountain of coins on the table. Pei Qian smiled brightly, and Chen Pingan also smiled, patting Pei Qian’s head, “Then I won’t tug on your ears.”

Pei Qian was bewildered, “Huh?”

Chen Pingan leaned over the table, offering no answer, gazing at the small mountain of Grain Rain Coin.

Pei Qian crossed her arms, standing tall, not dwelling on the previous statement, and happily asked, “Master, am I not a burden this time?”

Chen Pingan sat up straight, smiling, and reached out his hands to rub and pinch Pei Qian’s cheeks.

Zhu Lian sat at the doorway, engrossed in a book, so captivated by the captivating parts that he hesitated to turn the page.

He somewhat missed that old senior, Xun.

Shi Rou glanced at Zhu Lian’s book, nearly exasperated.

On the last day in Lion Garden, as Chen Pingan and his group were about to depart for the capital city, just as dawn was breaking, Liu Boqi came alone, handing Chen Pingan the patrol inspector’s treasure taken from the wooden box. She said expressionlessly, “This is what Minister Liu promised earliest; it’s yours. If you refine it into your Natal Treasure, it will be exceptionally outstanding. Because within this small nugget of gold, besides the remnants of a secular dynasty’s literary fortune, after being stored in Lion Garden for hundreds of years, it also contains the Liu clan’s literary fortune. It’s useless to me, but once you, Chen Pingan, successfully refine it, it will be miraculous for a half-baked scholar like you. Most importantly, even if you already have a Five Elements Metal Natal Treasure, you can still refine and melt it, and it can even help improve the rank of your original Natal Treasure. Naturally, your future cultivation will be much easier.”

Chen Pingan took the small patrol inspector’s treasure, examining it for a moment, then handed it back to Liu Boqi, whispering, “Help me secretly place it back in Liu Qingshan’s study, in a place that’s not too conspicuous.”

Liu Boqi frowned, “You don’t want it? Do you think I’m deceiving you, that this patrol inspector’s treasure isn’t what it’s said to be?”

Chen Pingan was too lazy to explain to her.

He called out to Pei Qian, who had already slung her satchel and was holding her walking staff, and they left the courtyard, walking along the quiet path outside Lion Garden.

Liu Boqi remained in the courtyard, suddenly smiling.

If Chen Pingan had dared to accept it…

She would have drawn her blade and killed him.

So, why did Chen Pingan refuse this rightful gift?

Did he sense her motives and dared not accept it, or did he genuinely just not want it?

Liu Boqi didn’t delve into it. Since the patrol inspector’s treasure was left behind, Chen Pingan’s thoughts were no longer her concern.

Pei Qian skipped along beside Chen Pingan, who was practicing his six-step stance, curiously asking, “Master, why didn’t you want that gold nugget? It looked so pleasing! And that female Daoist said so many good things about it.”

Chen Pingan, while punching and practicing his stance, smiled and said, “The Liu clan’s literary fortune is tied to it. If we take it, what will happen to Liu Qingshan? He even gave you a book.”

Pei Qian thought for a moment, nodding, “That’s right, Cripple Uncle is already so pitiful; we should let him keep it.”

Then, Pei Qian followed Chen Pingan and practiced her stance.

Pei Qian suddenly laughed, “Master, isn’t this called a gentleman not taking what others cherish?”

Chen Pingan continued punching, walking slowly, shaking his head, “I am still far from being a true gentleman.”

“How far? Is it as far as from Lion Garden to our place?”

“Probably farther than from Lotus Root Paradise to Lion Garden.”

“That far?!”

“Indeed.”

“Master, but no matter how far, it’s still reachable, right?”

“That’s right. Provided you don’t go the wrong way.”

Pei Qian suddenly stopped, standing still for a moment, waiting until Zhu Lian and Shi Rou had brushed past her, then she secretly reached her hand behind her buttocks, making a loose fist, ran to Zhu Lian’s side, and asked with a smile, “Want to know what I’m hiding in my hand?”

Zhu Lian’s face darkened, “Get lost.”

Pei Qian reached out to Shi Rou, “Sister Shi Rou, guess! If you guess right, I’ll give it to you.”

Shi Rou rolled her eyes.

Chen Pingan was originally secretly amused, but when he saw Pei Qian smiling at him, before she could speak, he immediately flicked her forehead.