Over the next two days, Chen Ping’an took Pei Qian and Zhu Lian around the capital’s shops, while Shi Rou stayed at the inn to guard the place.

The liveliness was genuine. Due to the grand Buddhist-Daoist debate, this prime location in Qingluan Kingdom was a melting pot of all sorts of people. Some sought fame, others profit, and of course, there were those like Chen Ping’an who simply came to enjoy the scenery and buy some local specialties.

Pei Qian and Zhu Lian, perhaps too close to the candle to see clearly, didn’t notice anything peculiar about Chen Ping’an’s fondness for bookstores. However, the meticulous Shi Rou detected a few clues. Chen Ping’an would browse through the various bookstores, but he almost never touched the newly printed books with exquisite carvings. He wasn’t particularly interested in the classics of the Hundred Schools of Thought either. Instead, he showed some interest in unofficial histories, local gazetteers of various countries, and even obscure genealogies that were relegated to the corners. He would flip through each one, but after reading half, he wouldn’t buy them.

This earned him quite a few glares.

Fortunately, Zhu Lian, who liked to spend money lavishly as soon as he had it, helped out, preventing them from being verbally abused by the bookstores.

Pei Qian probably felt that Chen Ping’an had already spent a lot of money in the capital, first buying a dozen reams of Qingluan Kingdom’s most famous and expensive Xuan paper, then buying the pair of celadon royal chess jars for Lu Baixiang, and finally buying her a hand-carved gourd. His expenses had far exceeded the usual. Even when she saw something she genuinely liked, she would only steal a few glances. Besides, the treasure box that Yao Jinzhi had given her was already full, with no room for more items. Should she ask her master for a brand new treasure box? After some consideration, Pei Qian dismissed the idea. She felt that although her master had earned some Grain Rain money this time, she had also bought a trinket. She would wait until the next time he earned money to ask him.

Ultimately, she was still poor.

Pei Qian was a little sad, wondering when she would be able to accumulate treasure boxes, all filled with treasures. The old chef had said that something even better and bigger than a treasure box was the display shelf found in wealthy families, filled with objects that were truly dazzling, making people’s eyes pop out.

During the past two days of shopping, they had heard some gossip that was tangentially related to Chen Ping’an and his group.

According to Zhu Lian, the Qing Mountain Kingdom’s emperor had a very “unique” taste, which he admired greatly. This monarch, whose word was law in Qing Mountain Kingdom, didn’t like slender, graceful beauties. His only preference was for plump women. The emperor’s most favored concubines, four in total, could no longer be described as voluptuous. Each of them weighed over two hundred pounds. The Qing Mountain Kingdom’s emperor affectionately called them Enchanting Pig, Enchanting Dog, Enchanting Bear, and Enchanting Sparrow.

And the leader of the Four Enchantments, Enchanting Pig Yuan Ye, had an even more famous identity: one of the four martial arts grandmasters in the southeastern part of Baoping Continent, encompassing more than a dozen countries.

Qing Mountain Kingdom’s Emperor Zheng Kui was currently staying at the Qingluan Kingdom’s capital guesthouse, accompanied by the Four Enchantments.

The day before yesterday, Zheng Kui, dressed in plain clothes, toured the capital’s temples and Taoist temples with Enchanting Sparrow, the “slenderest” of his concubines. While burning incense, they had a conflict with a group of aristocratic young masters. Enchanting Sparrow made a fierce move, directly beating them half to death, causing a great uproar. Officials from the Qingluan Kingdom’s Ministry of Rites and the yamen in charge of the capital’s security showed up. After all, it involved relations between the two countries. It was finally appeased. The troublemakers were young masters from a prominent family in the capital and several fellow Southerners who had recently migrated. After learning of Qing Mountain Kingdom’s Emperor Zheng Kui’s identity, they calmed down. However, before the dust could settle, that very night, several of the troublemakers who had just settled into their new residences in Qingluan Kingdom died violently, their deaths tragic. It was said that even the yamen coroner was nauseated.

Soon, concrete news spread throughout the capital that the murderer’s methods were those commonly used by Qing Mountain Kingdom’s Grandmaster Enchanting Pig, removing the limbs and leaving only the head on the body, silencing them with acupuncture, and even helping to stop the bleeding, causing them to die in agony.

The Qingluan Kingdom’s court had quickly mobilized personnel from all sides to investigate the matter. A team composed of experienced criminal officials from the Ministry of Justice, court-appointed immortal masters, and famous figures from the martial arts world entered Zheng Kui’s guesthouse at the first opportunity.

However, it couldn’t stop the public’s outrage. Countless scholars and students surrounded Emperor Zheng Kui’s guesthouse. If it hadn’t been for the yamen constables stopping them, and Grand Commandant Wei Liang personally dispatching two hundred elite armored soldiers to keep a close watch and prevent the situation from deteriorating, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Those powerless scholars could only be beaten to death on the spot by one of Zheng Kui’s concubines, one of the Four Enchantments.

Enchanting Pig Yuan Ye had declared that she would have a duel with Zhu Fengxian of the Great Marsh Gang, who was also one of the Four Grandmasters. If she lost, Qing Mountain Kingdom would admit to the accusations. But if she won, the Qingluan Kingdom’s scholars who had been shouting nonsense outside the guesthouse would have to kneel outside the guesthouse and kowtow in apology one by one.

And the old demon Zhu Fengxian, who had once driven a scarlet carriage and caused bloody storms in several countries’ martial arts worlds, was indeed in the capital recently, staying at a certain Taoist temple.

Then yesterday, Zhu Fengxian, whose infamy had resounded thirty years ago, reappeared in the martial world, but this time as the number one hero of Qingluan Kingdom, arriving as promised at the guesthouse to engage in a life-and-death battle with Enchanting Pig Yuan Ye.

From the moment Zhu Fengxian left the Taoist temple in his carriage, countless Qingluan Kingdom capital residents and martial artists cheered for him along the way.

However, the Tao was one foot high, and the Devil was ten feet high. Zhu Fengxian, who had been highly anticipated, was actually defeated by the Enchanting Pig. In the end, he was seriously injured and lost to Yuan Ye, the second-ranked of the Four Grandmasters. Yuan Ye, covered in blood but unharmed, grabbed Zhu Fengxian’s neck and swaggered to the entrance of the guesthouse, surveying the silent crowd around her. She threw the limp and unconscious Zhu Fengxian onto the street, leaving a sentence: “Don’t forget to kowtow tomorrow.”

Zhu Fengxian was tearfully placed into a carriage by Great Marsh Gang disciples and returned to the Taoist temple for treatment.

Outside the guesthouse, it was deserted. Outside the Taoist temple, there were endless curses.

Having overheard the entire process of this turmoil in the bookstore, Chen Ping’an continued to look for books.
Péi Qián, ever carefree, simply thought that Zhú Fèngxiān was truly pitiful. Lacking in true skill, yet always eager to show off, why couldn’t he just hide in his Daoist temple? Now, he was beaten half to death by that two-hundred-odd-pound Enchanting Boar, losing his reputation in the process. According to the romances, in the martial world, losing one’s reputation was akin to losing one’s life. Péi Qián only felt a pang of regret. Back when they climbed Golden Osmanthus Mountain, they had stayed in the opulent mansion Zhú Fèngxiān built for his granddaughter halfway up the mountain. He was a wealthy and generous fellow, just her type. Alas, now it seemed that even if the old man survived in the Daoist temple, she probably couldn’t freeload off him next time they met.

That time, the two groups had a chance encounter, first sheltering from the rain together, then climbing the mountain together. Eventually, the old man’s granddaughter, Zhú Ziyáng, and the Rouge Pavilion maiden from Cloud Radiance Kingdom, Liú Qīngchéng, both became disciples of the Golden Osmanthus Mountain’s immortal, Zhāng Guǒ.

Péi Qián and Chén Píng’ān had witnessed the disciple acceptance ceremony, which was filled with rituals and formalities, lasting nearly an hour. By the end, Péi Qián’s head was pounding, and she had to stand there like a wooden statue, feeling more exhausted than copying books.

Chén Píng’ān walked out of the bookstore, standing on the steps at midday, lost in thought.

Zhū Liǎn asked softly, “Young Master, what do you say?”

Shí Róu’s heartstrings tightened, silently pleading, *Don’t get involved, please don’t wade into this mess.*

Chén Píng’ān’s answer was bittersweet for Shí Róu.

Chén Píng’ān said, “Let’s go see Zhú Fèngxiān. If he’s badly injured, I happen to have some elixirs that I can give him. After delivering the medicine and seeing him, we’ll leave the Daoist temple.”

Zhū Liǎn praised, “Young Master is both compassionate and prudent.”

Péi Qián glared, “Why are you stealing my lines? What am I supposed to say now, old cook?”

Zhū Liǎn retorted rudely, “What are you supposed to do? Go eat shit! It won’t cost you anything. If you’re not full, just let me know, and wait for me outside the latrine when we get back to the inn. I guarantee it’ll be piping hot.”

Péi Qián rolled her eyes, “Disgusting.”

Chén Píng’ān ignored the daily bickering between the old man and the child, asked for directions, and headed towards the Daoist temple that had become famous overnight in the capital.

After walking for about half an hour, they approached the Daoist temple. A few people milled around outside the walls. Some threw stones and cursed before running away, while others were simply there to watch the excitement, content with taking a stroll around the temple. Some martial artists had also come after hearing the news, likely descendants of those who had suffered at the hands of the Great Marsh Gang. However, they didn’t dare to curse or foolishly beat a drowning dog. After all, the old devil Zhú Fèngxiān’s life and death were uncertain, and several notorious disciples were still in the Daoist temple. Even a single one of them was enough to give ordinary martial arts experts from Azure Luan Kingdom a heavy dose of trouble.

The Daoist temple wasn’t large and was closed to visitors today. Chén Píng’ān knocked on a side door for a long time before a Daoist priest opened it, looking wary. Chén Píng’ān said that he was an old acquaintance of Master Zhú and asked the temple to inform him that Chén Píng’ān was visiting.

The young Daoist nodded, asked Chén Píng’ān to wait a moment, and closed the door. About half an incense stick later, the Daoist priest who had gone to report, along with one of Zhú Fèngxiān’s accompanying disciples who had sent Zhú Ziyáng up the mountain to become a disciple, recognized Chén Píng’ān. This close disciple of Zhú Fèngxiān breathed a sigh of relief and led Chén Píng’ān to the depths of the Daoist temple’s backyard. The disciple didn’t say much along the way, only offering polite words of thanks to Chén Píng’ān for remembering their past acquaintance.

As they approached a house, the smell of medicine was extremely strong. Zhú Fèngxiān’s disciples stood respectfully in the corridor outside the door, all with solemn expressions. They nodded to Chén Píng’ān but remained vigilant. After all, their trip to Golden Osmanthus Mountain had only been a brief encounter. You could never truly know a person’s intentions. If Zhú Fèngxiān, who was lying on his sickbed, hadn’t personally requested that Chén Píng’ān and his companions be brought in, no one would have dared to open the door.

Chén Píng’ān told Zhū Liǎn and the others to stay at the corner of the corridor, not allowing them to approach the house.

After one of Zhú Fèngxiān’s direct disciples opened the door, Chén Píng’ān, with his sword on his back and his bamboo box in hand, walked into the room alone.

Zhú Fèngxiān leaned against the pillows, his face pale. Covered with a quilt, he smiled weakly, “After our farewell on the mountain, we meet again in a different place. I, Zhú Fèngxiān, am in such a pitiful state, it’s quite the spectacle for Master Chén.”

His injuries were extremely severe.

Inside the room, besides Zhú Fèngxiān on the sickbed, there was also a stoic old Daoist priest. After the disciple who opened the door closed it, he brought a chair for Chén Píng’ān and stood aside, not leaving in case Chén Píng’ān suddenly turned violent.

Chén Píng’ān took off the bamboo box and placed it by his feet, sitting down on the chair. He asked softly, “Did Old Master conceal his presence when he entered the capital?”

Zhú Fèngxiān coughed a few times, forcing a smile. “How could I not conceal it? It’s just that the court has sharp ears and eyes, and I couldn’t hide well enough. This Daoist temple in the capital is a branch painstakingly built by the Great Marsh Gang over the past thirty years. It might have already been targeted by the court. But it doesn’t matter. Our Azure Luan Kingdom’s Emperor Táng, when he was young, had always yearned for the martial world. After ascending the throne, he has treated the martial world kindly. Most of the grievances and feuds, as long as they aren’t too excessive, the government doesn’t bother to interfere.”

“In fact, back when I dominated the martial arts world of several countries, invincible wherever I went, Táng Lí, who was then still a prince living in obscurity, was said to admire me greatly. He declared that one day he would personally summon me, this martial man who brought glory to the Azure Luan Kingdom. So this time, being unexpectedly targeted by that Enchanting Boar, although I knew someone was trying to harm me, I really couldn’t bear to leave the capital quietly.”

Seeing that Zhú Fèngxiān was speaking with difficulty, intermittently, Chén Píng’ān decided not to ask any further. He bent down to open the bamboo box.

As he made this movement, both the old Daoist priest and the man in the room tensed up, ready to act. Chén Píng’ān stopped, explaining, “I have a few bottles of elixirs refined on the mountain. Of course, they can’t regrow bones or quickly repair damaged meridians, but they are quite nourishing and invigorating, and can patch up a martial artist’s physique.”

Zhú Fèngxiān wanted to raise his arm but was too weak to do so. He simply rested it on the quilt, shaking it gently, and smiled at his two confidants, “You don’t need to be nervous. My ability to judge people is better than my martial arts. In this capital city, anyone could be here to scavenge for scraps, but Master Chén is definitely not one of them.”

On the way, Chén Píng’ān had chosen a secluded alleyway and taken out three bottles of elixirs from his dimensional storage, moving them into the bamboo box. Otherwise, conjuring things out of thin air would have been too conspicuous.
Chen Ping’an produced three porcelain bottles, then reached out and handed them to the old Daoist priest, “I trouble the True Immortal to first identify the medicinal effects and see if they are suitable for healing the Old Gang Leader.”

Zhu Fengxian couldn’t help but laugh, “Young Master Chen, to be so reluctant to offer medicine and save a life, you must be one of a kind in this world.”

The old Daoist priest took the three porcelain bottles, still unsmiling, went to the table, poured out a pill from each, and took out a silver needle from his sleeve, breaking the pills into fine pieces.

Chen Ping’an was not annoyed at all for having his good intentions taken for granted. On the contrary, he felt that this was how true Jianghu practitioners behaved.

Zhu Fengxian’s complexion was poor, but he was in a good mood. After all, he had the foundation of a Seventh-Realm martial artist. Ignoring the eye signals from the disciples in the room to see them off, Zhu Fengxian asked with a smile, “Young Master Chen, do you think that enchanting boar is the real culprit?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I haven’t seen it, and I don’t know its true nature, so it’s hard to say. Under normal circumstances, that Imperial Consort of the Qingshan Kingdom wouldn’t be so foolish as to kill several people in a foreign capital with a unique technique. However, if this is used as a smokescreen to clear herself, the possibility is small, but it still exists. It is possible that in the end… it will still be a struggle between the national strengths of the two countries, a struggle for the situation in the southeast of the Treasure Bottle Continent. Whether Yuan Ye committed the murders is not important. So the Old Gang Leader’s fight was not worth it. The mastermind behind the plot against the Old Gang Leader is quite brilliant. The Old Gang Leader needs to be extra careful about how to leave the capital next.”

Zhu Fengxian nodded, “Indeed.”

The old Daoist priest, who had been concentrating on examining the pills, couldn’t help but raise his head and glance at the young man in white with a sword on his back when he heard this.

Chen Ping’an chatted with Zhu Fengxian for a few more words, then got up to take his leave.

Zhu Fengxian was unable to get out of bed, so he had to reluctantly clasp his fists in farewell, but this action aggravated his injuries, and he coughed incessantly.

Chen Ping’an and his party left the Daoist temple and returned to the inn.

Inside the Daoist temple, the man who had escorted Chen Ping’an and the others out of the room and the temple returned, hesitant to speak.

Zhu Fengxian smiled, “What, are you still thinking of asking Chen Ping’an to help us leave the capital?”

The man honestly replied, “If he is willing to help, of course, that would be good. Since he is willing to come here, it shows that he is friendly to our Great Marsh Gang. If we persuade him, maybe…”

Zhu Fengxian scoffed, interrupting his disciple’s wishful thinking, and said coldly, “Fool, a man who is never contented is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. You pretended not to hear the implied meaning in Chen Ping’an’s words that we should be careful when leaving the city? That already made his attitude clear. Giving medicine is because of that little bit of friendship from a Jianghu encounter in the past. Visiting and delivering the medicine is already the limit of his benevolence and righteousness. Don’t mistake his kindness for stupidity.”

The man knew the ins and outs of this, and lowered his head, “The current situation is too dangerous.”

Zhu Fengxian sighed, “Fortunately, you held back and didn’t overdo it. Otherwise, if something happens to Ziyang while she’s cultivating at the Golden Summit Temple, then even if Chen Ping’an encounters it again, do you think he will save her?”

The man remained silent.

He understood the principles, but the current life-and-death crisis of his master Zhu Fengxian and the Great Marsh Gang was likely insurmountable. The road from the Daoist temple to the capital gate and then out to the Great Marsh Gang might be a road to the Yellow Springs.

Zhu Fengxian laughed indifferently, “Alright, in the Jianghu, one is responsible for one’s own life and death. Is it only permissible for others to die under my Zhu Fengxian’s fists because they are unskilled, but not permissible for me, Zhu Fengxian, to die in the Jianghu? Could it be that this Jianghu belongs to me, Zhu Fengxian, alone, is it the pond in the backyard of our Great Marsh Gang?”

The man smiled, “Thirty or forty years ago, in our Azure Luan Kingdom, it was indeed like that.”

Zhu Fengxian closed his eyes.

The old Daoist priest said, “There is no problem with the pills. Their quality is extremely high and destined to be expensive. They will help your injuries recover. They are not just icing on the cake, but truly sending charcoal in the snow.”

The man was overjoyed, “Really?”

The old Daoist priest glanced sideways, “Don’t believe me?”

The man grinned, “I wouldn’t dare.”

This old Daoist priest was the old strategist who had worked diligently and made suggestions for the Great Marsh Gang for decades, and Zhu Ziyang’s early entry into the path of cultivation was also thanks to the old Daoist priest’s discerning eye.

Zhu Fengxian suddenly opened his eyes, first told that disciple to leave the room, and after closing the door, slowly said, “Tell me, what are you plotting after helping me for so many years and then screwing me over this time? No matter what the outcome is, I won’t blame you. I only hope that you and the mastermind behind you will take care of Ziyang in the future and try not to involve her in it. Let her be a mountain cultivator in peace.”

The old Daoist priest stood up and sat on the chair Chen Ping’an had previously occupied, answering irrelevantly, “Old Zhu, I think that Chen Ping’an, despite his young age, has an old soul.”

The old Daoist priest sighed, “It seems that we old Jianghu practitioners are becoming less and less popular. Nowadays, young people like to beat their masters to death with random punches in order to rise to the top. They don’t care about any rules.”

Zhu Fengxian turned his head and asked with a smile, “How old are you exactly? When I met you, you had this same face. Almost sixty years have passed, and you haven’t changed much.”

The old Daoist priest thought for a while, “I spent exactly half my life wandering around my hometown and half my life in your Azure Luan Kingdom.”

Seeing that this old friend was unwilling to answer, Zhu Fengxian no longer pressed for an answer, it was meaningless.

The aristocratic children and the Southern Crossing scholars started a dispute in the temple. The Imperial Consort Mei Que beside Jiang Kui took action to teach them a lesson. Several people died violently that night. The people of the capital were panic-stricken and united against the enemy. The large families who migrated south to the Azure Luan Kingdom were furious and provoked a conflict between the Azure Luan Kingdom and the Qingshan Kingdom. The enchanting boar named Zhu Fengxian, who was also a Grandmaster of martial arts. Zhu Fengxian was seriously injured and defeated. No one at the courier station kowtowed. Yuan Ye, the enchanting boar, openly ridiculed the integrity of the scholars of the Azure Luan Kingdom. The capital was in an uproar. For a time, this matter overshadowed the debate between Buddhism and Taoism. Many Southern Crossing powerful families contacted local aristocratic families to put pressure on Emperor Tang Li of the Azure Luan Kingdom. Emperor Jiang Kui of the Qingshan Kingdom was about to swagger out of the capital with four Imperial Consorts, causing all the Jianghu practitioners of the Azure Luan Kingdom to be extremely resentful.

In just a few days, the situation changed rapidly.

Everything was interconnected.

Just as Chen Ping’an and his party were leaving the capital.

Lion Garden in the suburbs of the capital, a carriage was traveling on a small road in the night.
The coachman was, in reality, a disguised elder who was the foremost of the four Grandmasters. Possessing an exceedingly tall frame, he had stealthily entered the Qingluan Kingdom from the Cloud Vault Empire. His martial cultivation had already reached the Great Grandmaster stage of the Distant Wanderer Realm, far surpassing the seventh-realm Mei Zhu Yuan Ye of the Qingshan Kingdom and the Daze Gang’s Zhu Fengxian.

After reading an intelligence report from Green Wave Pavilion, Liu Qingfeng stated, “It’s time to cease operations.”

A handsome young lord sitting opposite him smiled and said, “Cease operations now? I originally intended to abuse my position and meet with someone, but it seems they haven’t taken the bait.”

Liu Qingfeng remained impassive. “It’s sufficient.”

The person sitting across from Liu Qingfeng in the carriage was none other than Li Baozhen of Longquan Prefecture. After exchanging a glance with Liu Qingfeng, he chuckled and said, “Very well. Since Mr. Liu says the heat is enough, I will follow the National Preceptor’s instructions and learn more from Mr. Liu. In any case, this… is just a small appetizer that I, upon assuming my post, am giving to your Qingluan Kingdom’s Emperor Tang Li. It will keep him from thinking he can rest easy relying on the great tree that is the Yunlin Jiang Clan. After all, some ill winds and drizzle can also cause chills and damage to the bones.”

Liu Qingfeng remained silent.

Approaching the Lion Garden, Li Baozhen suddenly smiled and said, “I won’t enter the garden. I’ll wait for Mr. Liu in the carriage until you’ve finished explaining things to the old Vice Minister. Then we can return to the county yamen together.”

Liu Qingfeng stepped down from the carriage and walked alone into the Lion Garden shrouded in night.

Li Baozhen exited the carriage, but did not dismount. He sat behind the coachman. The young man, who like Chen Pingan was from the former Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, idly swung his legs and said with a smile, “Just the thought of my precious little sister calling Chen Pingan ‘Little Martial Uncle’ fills me with rage. What should I do? As her older brother, I can’t bear to say a harsh word to Xiao Baoping, so I’ll just have to tease that mud-legged peasant from Mud Bottle Alley. If it weren’t for the favor of escorting Xiao Baoping, Yuan Ye and Zhu Fengxian wouldn’t have ended up killing each other like this. But the thing I admire most about the National Preceptor is his scheming. Everyone is planting chess pieces in other people’s yards, but in the end, the National Preceptor always benefits the most. This is truly terrifying.”

Li Baozhen muttered to himself for a long while before smiling at the coachman and asking, “Even I can’t access your file at the moment. Can you tell me why you’re willing to serve the Great Li?”

The old coachman said indifferently, “I hope you don’t stumble in your official career, or I’ll be the first to kill you.”

Li Baozhen didn’t care in the slightest. “You really need to change this terrible habit of speaking your mind to everyone. At least wait until the day you seize the opportunity to kill me before saying these things.”

The old coachman sneered. “Very well, I’ll repeat myself then.”

Silence descended for a moment.

Liu Qingfeng had not yet returned.

Li Baozhen asked casually, “Is the Jianghu fun?”

The coachman said in a deep voice, “It’s not fun. People die easily.”

Li Baozhen said “Oh” and then stated, “I’ll be careful then. New to the area, I’ll familiarize myself with the local customs. I’ve always been timid. There are so many experts in my hometown that I’m afraid to even fart on the street, lest I disturb a Land Immortal or a Martial Dao Grandmaster living next door.”

Li Baozhen lightly patted his knees. “They say old friends from the same hometown are always tearful when they meet. I wonder who will be crying next time I meet that Chen fellow. Alas, when that stupid girl Zhu Lu found me in the capital, she cried so much that my heart almost broke. I almost slapped her to death for it. How could she fail at such a simple task, incurring the Empress’s wrath and costing me my future in the Great Li officialdom? Otherwise, I wouldn’t need to come to this wretched place and climb my way up step by step.”

The old coachman chuckled. “A bad seed like you will suffer terribly when you fall from grace.”

Li Baozhen sighed. “Look, you’re speaking your mind again. Why don’t you ever listen to advice? It’s not good.”

The night deepened.

Li Baozhen looked towards the Lion Garden and smiled. “Our Mr. Liu is much more miserable than I am. At most, I have a bellyful of bad intentions, and the number of people who fear me will only increase. He, on the other hand, has a bellyful of bitterness, and he’s constantly being cursed.”

A small post station on the outskirts of the Qingluan capital.

The atmosphere was extremely tense.

The small post station concealed dragons and crouching tigers this night.

Inside a room.

Eyes locked.

A young man in white pointed at the nose of an old man in green robes, jumping up and down in anger. “You old bastard! We agreed to gamble fairly, no underhanded tactics! You actually sent Li Baozhen to the Qingluan Kingdom at this juncture! With that guy’s character, won’t he seek personal revenge? Do you have any shame?!”

The old man in green robes was expressionless and said calmly, “You little brat, secretly sending a message to Chen Pingan, telling him to block the path to the Lion Garden, do you have any shame?”

The handsome young man with a mole between his eyebrows continued to curse, “You old thing! You broke the rules first, scheming to harm Chen Pingan, which damaged the foundation of my Great Dao! Aren’t I allowed to scratch you in return?”

The two people in the room.

Were none other than Cui Dongshan.

And Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan.

In truth, they were one and the same.

Cui Chan remained indifferent, raising his hand to wipe away the saliva on his face. “Amusing yourself by cursing yourself?”

Cui Dongshan grinned fiendishly. “Very enjoyable!”

Cui Chan sneered, “Seeing you in such a pathetic state now, I understand why our highest realm back then stopped at the twelfth-realm pinnacle.”

Cui Dongshan plopped down in a chair. “If I had known you were such a wimp, I would have strangled myself to death back then.”

Cui Chan smiled. “It’s not too late to die now, but remember to leave behind this body and your storage pouch.”

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes, spread his hands out, and slumped on the table, his face pressed against the surface. He said in a muffled voice, “His Majesty the Emperor is dead? Song Changjing will oversee the country in the meantime?”

Cui Chan nodded.

Cui Dongshan didn’t even raise his head. “Then who will become the new Emperor? Will it still be those two candidates, each taking half?”

Cui Chan ignored him.

Cui Dongshan raised his head, changing from lying on the table to leaning back in the chair. “So boring.”

Cui Chan said, “I think you find it quite interesting being someone’s student and disciple.”
Cui Dongshan continued to roll his eyes heavenward.

Finding joy in bitterness, was it?

Cui Chan was somewhat puzzled. When he was younger, he didn’t seem to behave this way, did he?

Cui Dongshan ceased his eye-rolling, hesitating for a moment, “How’s the old geezer doing in the bamboo building on Fallen Phoenix Mountain?”

Cui Chan remained silent for a long time, finally replying, “Lu Chen has completely shattered his path to the Eleventh Realm, but his state of mind is currently not bad.”

Cui Dongshan sat cross-legged on the chair, asking, “If Chen Ping’an slays that Li Baozhen, what would you do?”

Cui Chan shook his head, “Chen Ping’an once promised Li Xisheng that he would spare Li Baozhen once. After that, life and death are his own responsibility.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly looked up, staring directly at Cui Chan.

Cui Chan calmly stated, “Yes, it was my calculated scheme. Li Baozhen is too green now. If he’s to be of great use in the future, he needs to suffer a little.”

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, jumping off the chair and massaging Cui Chan’s shoulders, his face plastered with a playful grin, “Old Cui, you truly are one of us! I wrongly suspected you this time. Don’t be angry, calm down, calm down!”

Cui Chan remained unmoved, “If we had known there would be someone like you in the end, we should have strangled ourselves back then.”

Cui Dongshan lightly smacked Cui Chan on the head, “Don’t speak such ill-omened words! Spit, spit, spit! No matter how different our paths may be, we’ll both strive to live a thousand years of mischief!”

Cui Chan retorted, “If you spit on my head again, you can forget about living a thousand years of infamy.”

On a small path through the reeds, connecting Lion Garden to the main road.

A carriage slowly came to a halt. The old coachman looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy. Li Baozhen lifted the curtain, and after seeing the person, his face was filled with disbelief. Could this be? A fellow townsman encountering a fellow townsman?