(Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)

All had noticed Chen Pingan’s strange behavior. Zhu Lian and Shi Rou exchanged a glance, Zhu Lian chuckling, “You speak first.”

Shi Rou suppressed the discomfort in her heart. That old scoundrel’s, that old lecher’s gaze, would likely remain repulsive even a century from now. She whispered, “I am an entity of Yin, innately restrained by the capital’s potent energies. Within the Young Master’s vision, something appeared that made me even more uneasy. What about you?”

Zhu Lian nodded, “Just now, the Young Master felt a sensation, turning to look. Miss Shi Rou, your subsequent gaze into the distance, that dazed expression, was quite captivating.”

Shi Rou retorted, annoyed, “Even Pei Qian knows to treat people with sincerity, yet you, shameless old geezer, don’t understand?”

Pei Qian felt wronged, “Sister Shi Rou, what do you mean ‘even’? I’m very diligent with my reading and writing, okay?”

Shi Rou could only offer an apologetic look.

Pei Qian waved her hand grandly, haphazardly stringing together grand principles she’d read in books, “To err is human, to forgive divine; there is no unforgivable person in this world…”

Pei Qian sensed impending doom. As expected, she soon began to tiptoe and whine, as Chen Pingan grabbed her ear and pulled her forward.

Chen Pingan scolded, “Those hard-earned principles of sages in books, you don’t even have a rudimentary understanding of them, yet you dare to flaunt them?”

Pei Qian immediately admitted her mistake.

Her ear throbbed with pain.

After weathering many storms, she now roughly understood the severity of her Shifu’s anger. A flick on the forehead, even a heavy one, was fine; it meant Shifu wasn’t too angry. But if he tugged her ear, it meant Shifu was truly angry. If he pulled hard, that was terrible, a sign of significant anger. However, flicks on the forehead and ear-tugging were nothing compared to Chen Pingan being angry yet silent, doing nothing, neither hitting nor scolding; that was what Pei Qian feared the most.

Chen Pingan found an inn in the bustling marketplace, in the most prosperous Chang Le Ward of the capital, filled with many bookstores.

However, guest rooms throughout the Qingluan Kingdom’s capital were now in high demand, leaving only two scattered rooms available, with prices obviously meant to gouge customers. The young clerk at the counter wore an expression that said, “Take it or leave it, and if you don’t take it, get out!” Chen Pingan still paid for the rooms, of course, after first showing the clerk his travel documents for registration. The capital’s official authorities would later check these. When Chen Pingan presented several household registration documents that Cui Dongshan had prepared in advance, the clerk, confirming their validity, immediately changed his attitude, copying the information respectfully and returning the documents with both hands. The clerk was incredibly attentive, even apologizing, saying that the inn simply couldn’t free up any extra rooms at the moment, but as soon as a guest checked out, he would immediately notify Chen Gongzi (Young Master Chen).

Chen Pingan smiled and agreed. Soon, a fair maiden was summoned by the clerk to lead Chen Pingan and his group to their lodgings.

The clerk immediately went to find the innkeeper, reporting that a group of people from the Great Li Dynasty’s capital were traveling south.

The innkeeper, a bloated fatty with eyes almost invisible in his fleshy face, wore the brocade robes common among wealthy merchants. He was leisurely sipping tea in a secluded and elegant side room. After hearing the clerk’s words and seeing the latter’s idiotic expression of attentiveness, he immediately flew into a rage, kicking him and scolding, “What are you standing there for? Do you want me to pour you a cup of tea to quench your thirst? Since they’re esteemed guests from the Great Li capital, hurry up and serve them! Damn it, the Great Li iron cavalry is almost at the Zhu Ying Dynasty, what if it’s truly a noble young master from a Great Li official’s household… Forget it, I’ll go myself. I don’t trust you to handle this…”

The young clerk, failing to gain recognition and instead receiving a kick, grumbled internally. Then he received a heavy slap from the innkeeper. “Even I could guess with my arse the disdainful look on your face earlier. If it weren’t for you calling me ‘Brother-in-law,’ I would have sent you to the streets to pick up dog droppings long ago.”

The young man, who had secured a position as a clerk in the inn through family connections, only dared to curse under his breath upon returning to the counter. His flower-like sister, serving as a concubine to such a fat pig, was truly… quite fortunate. Living a life free of worries about food and clothing, adorned in gold and silver, she looked like a palace empress whenever she returned to her dilapidated alley home, very glorious, bringing honor to him, her younger brother.

The innkeeper personally stepped forward and managed to free up another room for Chen Pingan. Thus, Pei Qian and Shi Rou shared a room. The latter was suited to nocturnal cultivation and didn’t require sleep, so she let Pei Qian have the bed all to herself. Chen Pingan, worried that Pei Qian might be wary of Shi Rou’s Yin entity status and Du Mao’s former skin, first asked Pei Qian, who didn’t mind. Shi Rou certainly didn’t mind; being in the same room as Zhu Lian would be like entering a terrifying dragon’s den.

Human affairs are as numerous as hairs, and Chen Pingan was long accustomed to being more attentive. His attentiveness allowed those around him to do fewer trivial things and focus on more important matters. This was the approach he had taken when escorting Li Bao Ping and the others while seeking knowledge in the Great Sui.

The two rooms were somewhat far apart, so Pei Qian stayed with Chen Pingan to copy books first.

Chen Pingan practiced the Heaven and Earth Stance, while Zhu Lian, having nothing to do, stood in the corner, maintaining a monkey-like posture.

In truth, both Zhu Lian, already a martial artist of the Distant Travels realm, and Chen Pingan, who had not yet entered the Sixth Realm, knew that skill lay in the daily details. There were different approaches to fist forms when walking, different methods for climbing mountains and wading through water, different breathing techniques when sitting, and even when sleeping, Zhu Lian and Chen Pingan each had their own ways to nurture their martial intent. As for Pei Qian, she was still young and hadn’t reached that level of understanding yet. However, Chen Pingan and Zhu Lian had to admit that some individuals truly possessed exceptional martial arts talent. Even the path of martial arts, famously demanding steadfast effort with no shortcuts, seemed to offer Pei Qian a kind of cheat code. For example, the speed at which she progressed with the Eighteen Sword Qi Stops that Chen Pingan had taught her already made Chen Pingan feel ashamed of himself back in the Dust Medicine Shop in Old Dragon City.

When Chen Pingan finished the Heaven and Earth Stance, Zhu Lian was eager to try something. Chen Pingan understood and allowed Pei Qian, who had finished copying the books, to draw a circle on the ground with her walking staff. He would spar with Zhu Lian within the circle, with the loser being the one who stepped outside. Back on the streets of Colorful Clothes Country, Chen Pingan and Ma Ku Xuan’s “reunion” had used this to determine a subtly significant victory or defeat. If Chen Pingan hadn’t known that Ma Ku Xuan’s Dao Protector from True Martial Mountain was watching coldly from the shadows, the two peers from Mud Bottle Alley and Apricot Blossom Alley would have fought to the death.

Chen Pingan would not be polite with Ma Ku Xuan, whose parents had owned a dragon kiln from an early age. Old scores and new grievances, there would eventually be a day to sort out the truth and settle the accounts.

After drawing a large circle, Pei Qian looked troubled. The immortal art that Cui Dongshan had taught her, she couldn’t learn it no matter how hard she tried.
Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian stood within the circle, a mere square foot of ground, exchanging muffled blows.

Zhu Lian, of course, suppressed his martial arts realm, just like Zheng Dafeng had done when feeding them four painting scrolls with his fists back then.

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Chen Ping’an was sent staggering backward by Zhu Lian’s fist, his feet digging into the ground within the circle. Then, he was struck in the chest by Zhu Lian’s elbow, his body crashing to the ground. Chen Ping’an slammed his palms against the earth, and when his back was only a foot above the ground, his body spun, his wide sleeves fluttering like a spinning top. His feet traced the very edge of the circle, circling towards Zhu Lian’s side, only to be kicked in the chest by Zhu Lian, sending him crashing into the wall.

Chen Ping’an’s palms met the wall before his back, dissipating all the force. Otherwise, with the power of Zhu Lian’s kick, it wouldn’t have just been a matter of breaking through a wall. Finally, he landed gracefully, smiling, “I lost.”

Zhu Lian chuckled and asked, “Young Master’s so many strange moves, did you steal them from that final Jiazi battle in Lotus Flower Blessed Land? Like that Ding Ying who took my Daoist coronet back then?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Ding Ying’s martial arts were a mixed bag, I learned a lot from him.”

After they sat down, Zhu Lian poured Chen Ping’an a cup of tea and slowly said, “Ding Ying is the most naturally gifted martial artist I’ve ever seen. And he was meticulous, showing the makings of a hero from a young age. In that battle in Nanyuan Kingdom, I knew I wasn’t going to succeed. I had accumulated a lifetime of fist intent, but I couldn’t get the Spring Thunder to detonate. At that time, although I was already seriously injured, and Ding Ying painstakingly endured until the end before revealing himself, if I really wanted to kill him then, it would have been as easy as snapping a chick’s neck. So I simply spared his life and gave him that Daoist coronet, a relic of a banished immortal. I never expected that in the sixty years that followed, this young man not only didn’t disappoint me, but his ambition was even greater than mine.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “No wonder Ding Ying is so tight-lipped about that battle that launched his martial career, never mentioning it to anyone. He’s probably too embarrassed to brag about it, and doesn’t want to expose his shortcomings.”

Pei Qian huffed. “You don’t know, that old codger made my Master suffer so much.”

Zhu Lian smiled. “If I had known it would be like this, I should have just killed Ding Ying with a single punch back then. Right?”

Pei Qian, wiser from experience, first looked at Chen Ping’an, then at Zhu Lian’s face, which looked like he was digging a pit for her to jump into so he could bury her. Pei Qian immediately shook her head. “Wrong, wrong.”

Pei Qian knew she had answered correctly when her Master didn’t show any sign of rewarding her with a chestnut flick.

She carefully placed the brush, ink, and paper on the table into Chen Ping’an’s bamboo box, poured herself a cup of tea, and suddenly stood up, whispering in Chen Ping’an’s ear, “Master, I don’t know why, but now when I flip through a book, at first glance, it seems like the words on the page are much prettier.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t take it seriously and asked with a smile, “How so?”

Pei Qian cautiously guarded against Zhu Lian eavesdropping, continuing to lower her voice, “Before, those little ink blots were like me, dark and smudged. Now when I look at them, it’s different, they’re like someone else…”

Pei Qian started counting on her fingers, “Huang Ting, who taught me swordsmanship and saber techniques, the seductress Yao Jinzhi, Fan Junmao, who has a bad temper, Jin Su beside Aunt Gui. Master, I’ll say it first, it was Old Wei who said Jinzhi is foxy and alluring, the kind of beauty who could ruin a nation, it wasn’t me who said it, I don’t even know what ‘foxy’ means.”

Zhu Lian laughed and exposed her. “Give me a break…”

Pei Qian quickly ran over, wanting to cover Zhu Lian’s trap-like mouth, but how could Zhu Lian let her succeed? He dodged left and right, and Pei Qian flailed wildly.

Chen Ping’an watched the old and the young fooling around, reminding them, “After we’ve bought what we’re interested in in the capital, and visited some famous historical sites, we’ll stay for two more days at most and then go to that immortal ferry on the eastern side of the Azure Luan Kingdom, and go directly to the Great Sui Cliff Academy.”

Zhu Lian, while dodging Pei Qian, nodded with a smile. “This old servant certainly doesn’t need Young Master to worry. I’m just afraid this girl will be unruly, like a wild horse off the leash, and then she’ll be like that ox cart that charged into the reeds in one go…”

Pei Qian said angrily, “Zhu Lian, you’re always so negative, I’m really going to be impolite to you!”

Zhu Lian was just about to tease the black-skinned girl, but Chen Ping’an said, “Don’t be so negative.”

Zhu Lian immediately nodded. “Young Master is right to reprimand me.”

Pei Qian sat down, holding her stomach with one hand and pointing at Zhu Lian with the other, finally catching the opportunity to return a blow. She laughed loudly, “You’re still so embarrassed to say I’m opportunistic, old cook, give me a break.”

Zhu Lian said with a straight face, “You’re like a weather vane, I’m someone who recognizes current trends and is therefore outstanding, outstanding as in handsome, as in pretty.”

Pei Qian blinked her eyes and asked curiously, “Master said that in our Lotus Flower Blessed Land, you were once an unparalleled handsome young master?”

Before Zhu Lian could launch into a long-winded account of his glorious achievements, Pei Qian had already clutched her stomach with both hands, hitting her head on the table, “Give me a break, you’re killing me, oh my, my stomach hurts…”

Zhu Lian saw that Chen Ping’an was also holding back a laugh, and he felt a little melancholy.

As the debate between Buddhism and Taoism was about to come to an end, the Azure Luan Kingdom’s Emperor of the Tang family quietly visited a summer retreat on the outskirts of the capital. An important guest had arrived, and although Tang Li was a mortal monarch, he still couldn’t afford to be negligent.

Because the visitor was a highly respected elder from the Yunlin Jiang family, both a pillar of support, an Upper Fifth Realm old immortal, and a great teacher responsible for imparting knowledge to all the Yunlin Jiang family disciples, named Jiang Mao.

In addition, there was also the Jiang family’s direct daughter, who had married into the Fuyu family of Old Dragon City and was returning home to visit her family for the first time, as well as a teaching nanny who had left the Jiang family with her, rumored to be a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator with terrifying killing power.

Tang Li was accompanied by two people, an old member of the royal family, Tang Zhong, whom he could trust to delegate power to. According to seniority, he was actually Emperor Tang Li’s uncle, and had corresponded privately with the old Vice Minister Liu Jingting, arguing. Tang Li had actually read those letters.

Then there was an old man with a hooked nose, the number one spectrum immortal master in the Azure Luan Kingdom, Zhou Lingzhi. Many people had already forgotten that this old immortal was a wild cultivator from the mountains, but he had assisted three generations of Tang emperors. Although his reputation wasn’t very good, Tang Li grew up in an imperial family, and his vision was one of unifying the country and a dynasty lasting for ten thousand years, so he wouldn’t care about these insignificant criticisms.

Upon seeing the old immortal of the Yunlin Jiang family, Tang Li, the monarch of the Azure Luan Kingdom, treated the mountain immortals on his own territory with a bad attitude, but he still had to pay his respects as a junior.

The two sides sat down opposite each other.
It was as if there was a deliberate blurring of host and guest, and certainly no monarch present. The old man lacked the expected air of superiority, his tone amiable.

Tang Li instructed an official from the Ministry of Rites to present Jiang Mao with a large stack of files and some scrolls recorded using immortal rubbings. The official, a handsome and eloquent young man, reported the progress of the Buddhist-Daoist debate to the venerable Jiang, summarizing deftly and highlighting key moments and thrilling details. He spoke with crispness and clarity, maintaining composure before the legendary Upper Five Realms cultivator, answering questions appropriately and bringing honor to His Majesty.

Tang Li was pleased and turned to his uncle, Tang Zhong.

The latter softly introduced, “This is Song Shanxi from the Ritual and Ceremony Department, a member of the Song family of Green Pine Prefecture and a second-place winner in the autumn examinations two years ago.”

Tang Li remarked, “He should be considered for the next metropolitan examination.”

Tang Zhong nodded with a smile.

Tang Li suddenly inquired, “Why is Commandant Wei not present today?”

Tang Zhong explained, “Commandant Wei has a close relationship with a member of the Jiang clan named Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun reunited with his sister here and invited Commandant Wei along.”

The so-called foremost immortal master of the Azure Luan Kingdom, the elder Zhou Lingzhi, subtly twitched his eyelids upon hearing the Emperor refer to Wei Liang as “Commandant Wei.”

In the southeastern territories of Treasure Bottle Continent, people only knew that the central Azure Luan Kingdom had a hereditary Wei family Great Commandant, always a sole heir, yet miraculously continuing the family line smoothly.

Since the founding of the Azure Luan Kingdom by Tang, the founding emperor, many emperors had come and gone, but the Great Commandant Wei remained the same.

This deeply hidden Wei Liang, with profound ties to the Tang family, was the person Zhou Lingzhi feared most in the Azure Luan Kingdom, without exception.

After reading and listening, the Jade Purity cultivator Jiang Mao smiled and asked, “I heard that Liu Qingshan of Lion Garden performed exceptionally well after the impromptu addition of the trial. Besides the written accounts, are there any paintings to view?”

Tang Zhong shook his head. “Reporting to Elder Jiang, we were advised against entering Lion Garden without permission. Even our Zhou protectorate can only observe from afar on the mountain peaks outside. However, according to reports from our spies and the protectorate’s brief Mountain River Palm technique, Liu Qingshan, the second son of Liu Jingting, passed on his own merit, without external assistance.”

Jiang Mao smiled slightly. “Isn’t that the Great Li national preceptor, Cui Chan? What are you all trying to avoid?”

Tang Zhong chuckled. “Indeed, it is Preceptor Cui.”

Emperor Tang Li, however, felt a tinge of discomfort.

The Azure Luan Kingdom, under the pressure of the continent’s power dynamics, had no choice but to cooperate with Cui Chan and the Great Li. As Emperor, he was well aware that he had already lost considerable ground to the Embroidered Tiger. Jiang Mao’s casual use of Cui Chan’s name made it clear that neither he nor the Yunlin Jiang family held the Great Li or Cui Chan in high regard. While currently polite to the Azure Luan Kingdom on the surface, what was the underlying contempt of the Jiang family towards the Tang?

Although Tang Li was displeased, he did not show it on his face.

To put it bluntly, if Jiang Mao were to spit a mouthful of phlegm on his face, the Azure Luan Kingdom’s Emperor would have to accept it with a smile, even asking if the old immortal was thirsty.

Jiang Mao did not continue to embarrass Tang Li. He selected several scrolls depicting two locations and two individuals: White Water Temple, south of the capital, renowned for its clear spring water, and the White Cloud Pavilion, an inconspicuous temple in the capital. One was a young monk in white robes, the other a middle-aged Daoist master. Jiang Mao nodded. “Judging by the current situation, the Buddhist sect has the advantage in public, while the Daoists are winning behind the scenes. Lion Garden’s Liu Qingshan, recommended by your Azure Luan Kingdom’s Confucian scholars, has performed well and might have a chance to fight for second place. But if there is nothing more impressive, is that enough? Is it beneficial for either the Daoist or Buddhist sect to become the Azure Luan Kingdom’s state religion?”

His tone was somewhat aggressive.

As the oldest prominent family on Treasure Bottle Continent, the Yunlin Jiang family was once a first-rate clan in the Central Earth Divine Continent.

Having been one of the guardians of rites before Confucianism became a religion, the Jiang family’s inclination in this unprecedented three-teachings debate in Treasure Bottle Continent’s history was self-evident.

However, if the Azure Luan Kingdom were to elevate Confucianism, which was not even participating in the Buddhist-Daoist debate, to the status of the Tang’s state religion solely out of consideration for Jiang Mao and the Jiang family’s reputation, everyone would know that it was Jiang’s doing. The Jiang family would never tolerate such a flaw.

Therefore, Jiang Mao was notoriously difficult to please. He demanded results while ensuring that all observers could not find fault and that no gossip would be directed toward the Yunlin Jiang family.

Currently, scholars from central Treasure Bottle Continent were migrating south, gathering in the Azure Luan Kingdom. They were already dissatisfied with this Buddhist-Daoist debate, which lacked Confucian participation. These wealthy outsiders were vocal, and many arrogant clans were threatening to leave the Azure Luan Kingdom if either Buddhist or Daoist teachings became the state religion. In fact, the people at the highest echelons of the Azure Luan Kingdom’s court, as well as the real Daoist immortals and Buddhist monks, were aware that the two-teachings debate was about fighting for second place, to avoid being at the bottom.

The Emperor of Celebration Mountain Kingdom was willing to bring his astonishingly beautiful concubines to the Azure Luan Kingdom’s capital to watch the spectacle. He wanted to see just how shamelessly the Tang Emperor would try to please the Yunlin Jiang family and the vast influx of southern scholars and whether he would ultimately become a laughingstock in the continent, pleasing no one – Confucianism, Buddhism, or Daoism.

Emperor Tang Li wore a slight smile, running a finger across the tea table in front of him.

Tang Zhong spoke up. “In fact, the person Preceptor Cui Chan truly supported was Liu Qingfeng, the elder son of Liu Jingting, a Confucian disciple who studies the Legalist school of thought.”

Jiang Mao narrowed his eyes. “Oh? What makes him different? I would like to see.”

Tang Zhong stood up and took out two old, yellowed books that had been prepared in advance: a Confucian sage’s book and a Legalist work.

Tang Zhong intended to walk over and present the books.

Without Jiang Mao making any movement, the two books flew out of Tang Zhong’s hands and appeared on the table in front of Jiang Mao. He casually placed the Confucian text in the corner, deeming even a glance a waste of time. How many on Treasure Bottle Continent were qualified to discuss “rites” before the Yunlin Jiang family? This was not arrogance on the old immortal’s part, but rather a confidence supported by his family’s foundation and his own scholarship, standing firm like a mountain.
Jiang Mao opened the Legalist text annotated by Liu Qingfeng and read it with great speed, sometimes disapproving, sometimes nodding slightly. Finally, his gaze settled on a certain page, next to a particular sentence. Judging by the handwriting, the annotations had been added three times. The original words of the author were, “To love without partiality, to hate without harm, to love and hate according to what is right, this is the pinnacle of governance.” Closest to this sentence, Liu Qingfeng had first written, “‘Pinnacle’ is inappropriate, too lofty, should be amended to ‘foundation.'”

Jiang Mao examined the other two sets of scholarly insights and smiled. “Not bad. This can be used to test the measure of that White Cloud Temple Daoist.”

This old immortal, ostensibly the most powerful in the Yunlin Jiang clan, casually tore out the page stamped with Liu Qingfeng’s personal seal, returned the two books to the table in front of Tang Zhong, and said with a smile, “Find an opportunity to have that White Cloud Temple Daoist coincidentally obtain this book in the near future, and then we’ll see what this Abbot has to say.”

Tang Zhong agreed.

In contrast to the undercurrents in Jiang Mao’s location,

Within a secluded pavilion surrounded by green bamboo in the summer palace, the atmosphere was much more harmonious and joyous.

Jiang Yun, the tall youth who had once obtained the iron chain opportunity from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, and who lived at the end of the Fengwei Ferry alley, was chatting with an elder sister who had married into Old Dragon City.

Grand Commandant Wei Liang sat to one side, also chatting idly with a dispirited tutor.

Jiang Yun looked at his sister’s appearance and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Judging by appearances? I think I’m quite beautiful.”

Jiang Yun laughed. “Sister, I have to be honest, you don’t look beautiful at all right now.”

The plump woman rolled her eyes. “I’d like to see what kind of fairy you’ll marry in the future. I’ll help you size her up, lest you be deceived by a fox spirit.”

Jiang Yun clasped his hands together in supplication. “No, please. I’m afraid your temper will scare my future wife away with just a few words.”

Just as the woman was about to nag him, Jiang Yun tactfully changed the subject. “Sister, what do you think of Fu Nanhua as a person?”

The woman shook her head. “He’s alright, good enough. We don’t bother each other, treat each other with respect, it’s fine.”

Jiang Yun laughed heartily. “Then I must find an opportunity to have a drink with this poor brother-in-law, pour out our grievances, and talk for days and nights. Maybe we’ll become friends.”

That Jiang clan direct descendant said indifferently, “Do whatever you want.”

She remembered something and asked in a low voice, “Did your master succeed in his treasure hunt with his close friend? If they did, I’ll sneak off with you to Fengwei Ferry. I haven’t seen a Glazed Golden Body of a deceased Ascension Realm Great Cultivator with my own eyes. The family does have a piece, but the ancestor is hiding it away. I haven’t been able to find it all these years.”

She whispered, “If you let me see that thing, your sister will give you a very special gift, guaranteed to make all the young cultivators in the continent envious.”

Jiang Yun waved his hand. “Forget it. My master has a bad temper too. If I dare to take matters into my own hands regarding something as important as fragments of a Glazed Golden Body, it won’t matter how friendly he usually is, he’ll definitely skin me alive. I’m not joking. Master said in the past that I should either go to the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven or the blessed land of the Divine Edict Sect for training, I had to choose one. But after I came back, Master started to regret it, saying that training in the blessed land was also necessary. Since I’ve already been to the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, it’s good to double down, and that since my luck has been good the last couple of years, having obtained a treasure in the Grotto-Heaven, I might be able to abduct a fair-skinned wife in the blessed land…”

Jiang Yun frowned, complaining, “It’s impossible to reason with such a rogue of a master.”

The woman chuckled. “You really don’t know how good you have it. In the history of the Treasure Bottle Continent, how many people from humble origins have been able to reach the upper Fifth Realm? To be so admired by someone as high-minded as Li Tuanjing? To become bosom buddies with that eccentric old gang leader? You should be content, and find some time to burn incense for the ancestors back at the family and thank them for their blessings.”

Jiang Yun looked indifferent and shook his head. “Don’t persuade me to go back. I really don’t have the enthusiasm for it.”

The woman sighed and flicked Jiang Yun on the forehead. “You’ve been stubborn like this since you were a kid. Now you’re a mountain immortal, can’t you let go of those early years?”

Jiang Yun didn’t reply.

He glanced at the tutor, and the woman gently shook her head, indicating that Jiang Yun should not ask.

During their silence, Grand Commandant Wei Liang happened to be chatting with the tutor about the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven and the Azure Goddess.

Wei Liang looked around, his eyes filled with emerald green bamboo, and joked as if it were true, “Wise men and scholars all like this green bamboo. I want to chop down ten thousand bamboo stalks.”

The Jiang clan direct descendant teased, “Master Wei, if you chop bamboo here, leaving our ancestor, who wants to spar with you, hanging, that wouldn’t be good, would it?”

Wei Liang smiled. “Me sitting there would be too eye-catching, contrary to the duty of a subject.”

She was about to retort.

Wei Liang smiled. “Little Jiang, I held you when you were little. Time really flies. In the blink of an eye, the dark little girl in swaddling clothes has grown into a married woman.”

She glared at him, took out a piece of ginger, a childhood favorite, and took a big bite.

Wei Liang laughed heartily.

Jiang Yun was full of admiration.

Many people had recently left the Lion Garden on the outskirts of the capital. With the removal of the malevolent spirits, the outsiders left, and so did the family.

The eldest daughter, Liu Qingya, who had been stuck at her parents’ home for a long time, hurriedly left with her husband. Once bitten, twice shy. Her husband had been thoroughly frightened this time.

Next were the two Liu clan schoolteachers, who left together.

Then came the second son, Liu Qingshan, and the female Daoist, Liu Boqi. They prepared to travel far on horseback, heading north all the way to visit the Guanhai Academy.

Immediately afterward was Liu Jingting’s youngest daughter, Liu Qingqing, who, along with her maid Zhao Ya, went to a certain immortal sect. Her elder brother, Liu Qingfeng, took leave from the court to personally escort this younger sister. The mountain estate was not close to the capital of the Azure Luan Kingdom, over six hundred li away. When the old Master Liu was in office, he had a good relationship with the person in charge of that sect, so in addition to a generous apprenticeship gift, he also wrote a letter for Liu Qingfeng to bring. The general content was nothing more than that even if Liu Qingqing’s aptitude was poor and she was not talented in cultivation, he implored them to take in his daughter as a nominal disciple, to practice for a few years under their name on the mountain.
In truth, even if Liu Jingting were no longer the Vice Minister of Rites, as long as he still lived, it wouldn’t be difficult for his daughter, Liu Qingqing, to enter any Immortal Sect within the Azure Luan Kingdom. This letter was almost unnecessary.

Along the way, the two carriages traveled slowly. Liu Qingqing smiled more often, and her maid, Zhao Ya, naturally followed suit, feeling joyous.

Liu Qingfeng mostly remained inside the carriage, immersed in his books. Upon reaching the post stations along the route, he would dismount and handle the necessary arrangements, attending to people with grace and consideration. It wasn’t merely the refined etiquette of a scion of a noble family; even the petty officials and clerks, regardless of their faction, were all shrewd and perceptive. They could instantly discern whether Liu Qingfeng, the magistrate of a county, was being falsely polite and aloof or genuinely treating them with respect. Thus, Liu Qingfeng, unlike what one might expect of the eldest son of Liu Jingting, the leader of the literati of the Azure Luan Kingdom, left a good impression on everyone. It became a widely circulated anecdote among the post stations.

Liu Qingqing, being a woman and of a young age, couldn’t discern all the nuances of her elder brother, Liu Qingfeng’s behavior. However, Zhao Ya, being more observant, was astonished. She felt that the young master within the Lion Garden and Magistrate Liu outside of it were two entirely different people.

Arriving at that celestial abode nestled amidst verdant peaks, Liu Qingqing’s quest to visit immortals and seek a master went smoothly.

After settling Liu Qingqing in, Liu Qingfeng didn’t immediately descend the mountain. He was led to a tall pavilion on a cliff, where he saw an old Confucian scholar in a blue robe gazing at the scenery, along with a dashing and elegant young master.

Liu Qingfeng sighed inwardly, composed his complex emotions, and bowed respectfully. “Liu Qingfeng greets National Preceptor Cui.”

Cui Chan, the National Preceptor of the Great Li Dynasty.

He had actually come to the Azure Luan Kingdom in person.

Cui Chan smiled and gestured for Liu Qingfeng to dispense with the formalities. Then, he pointed to the person beside him. “Li Baozhen, from Dragon Spring County, is now the person in full charge of the Green Ripple Pavilion in the southeast of the Treasure Bottle Continent. You two will be dealing with each other often in the future.”

The handsome youth bowed to Liu Qingfeng. “Greetings, Master Liu.”

Liu Qingfeng had no choice but to return the greeting.

Li Baozhen spoke in fluent Azure Luan Kingdom Mandarin, “Master Liu, this trip south to the Azure Luan Kingdom has opened my eyes. There are so many remarkable individuals. Take that White Cloud Temple Daoist, for example. With such meager cultivation, he dared to attempt Dao Harmonization, stealing secrets of Heaven. He actually managed to cross the chasm that even Nascent Soul Earth Immortals find difficult to overcome. However, he’s too conspicuous. Whether it’s a blessing or a curse depends on the Yunlin Jiang Clan’s intentions.”

Liu Qingfeng smiled, but remained silent.

A show of power?

Truly, young and vigorous, with an overflowing of confidence.

Li Baozhen waited for a response, but seeing Liu Qingfeng remain reticent, he smiled as well.

Cui Chan glanced at Liu Qingfeng and said with a smile, “Liu Qingfeng, in the future, you two don’t need to worry about the major affairs of the Azure Luan, Celebration Mountain, and Cloud Soar Kingdoms. As for the minor ones, you should teach Li Baozhen more.”

Liu Qingfeng nodded.

Li Baozhen remained composed, smiling as he bowed deeply. “I shall trouble Master Liu.”

***

At the River God Temple where Chen Pingan had once inscribed characters on the wall.

Recently, a group of generous patrons had arrived, and they were staying at the temple.

Two people and a yellow ox.

Causing the temple keeper to receive so much incense money that he was trembling with apprehension.

A white-robed youth with a mole between his eyebrows liked to wander through the stone tablet corridors.

It was Cui Dongshan, who was still inexplicably lingering in the Azure Luan Kingdom.

That night, under the bright, full moon, Cui Dongshan asked the River God Temple for a bamboo basket and fetched a basketful of river water. That the water didn’t leak was already miraculous, but even more wondrous was that the full moon reflected in the water of the basket swayed along with the water, and even when he walked into the shadows of the corridor, the moon in the water remained bright and lovely.

Cui Dongshan walked to a section of the corridor, sat on the railing, and placed the bamboo basket beside him, looking up at the moon.

Only the bamboo basket filled with water and the moon within kept him company.

Cui Dongshan’s thoughts drifted far away.

The Buddha worried about the suffering of all living beings. The most holy Confucius worried that Confucian learning would ultimately become merely the learning of those who were not hungry.

And what about the Dao Ancestor?

It was said that he was watching the One.

Perhaps Wang Zhu, trapped at the bottom of the well, was the One. Perhaps the old man in the Yang Family Pharmacy was the One.

Or perhaps, in the eyes of the Dao Ancestor, whose Dao was so high as to be boundless, everyone was the One?

Cui Dongshan rubbed his cheeks and took out two ordinary jujube wood scrolls from his sleeve. He unfurled the two small paintings, suspending them in front of him.

One painting:

An old scholar in worn clothes sat in the middle of a long bench. Cui Chan, at the age of twenty, sat on one side, and the two youths, Left and Right, and the youth Qi Jingchun sat on the other side.

Four people sat on the long bench, slightly crowded.

A head poked into the painting that should have been solely for the four disciples, tilting its head, smiling brightly, and holding up two fingers.

Elsewhere, in a corner, there was a squatting, robust figure, with its back to everyone.

The second painting:

The fellow who was peeking in the first painting was now standing boldly in the center of the painting, spreading his arms. The two youths, Left and Right, and Qi Jingchun hugged the man’s arms, bending their knees and pulling their legs up, suspended in the air. The two youths grinned widely.

The young scholar Cui Chan stood behind the man, smiling more reservedly, but also very sincerely.

Cui Dongshan wondered when he, Chen Pingan, and that little black charcoal girl would also leave behind such a painting.