Cui Dongshan casually put down his chopsticks, lowered his head to arrange them neatly, then looked up and smiled, “It seems you’re confident I won’t start a massacre here?”

Cui Dongshan clapped his hands and laughed, slowly rising to his feet. “You bet correctly. I certainly won’t indulge in indiscriminate killing, since I still need to return to Cliff Academy. Oh well, descendants have their own destiny; this old ancestor can only help you this far.”

Cai Jingshen raised a hand, gesturing for Cui Dongshan to sit back down. He asked, “How do you prove that your words carry weight, both in the Great Sui court and among the officials of the Great Li?”

Cui Dongshan leaned back lazily in his chair, reaching up to twirl his hair. “Hard to prove.”

Cai Jingshen was forced to concede a step. After a moment’s hesitation, he said in a low voice, “Then how will you extricate Cai Feng, and in a way that leaves no future troubles, that won’t affect his future career? I must remind you, you cannot let Cai Feng betray his friends or turn against his own side. That would hinder his path to being enshrined as a deity after death. For the next hundred, even a thousand years, Cai Feng will be intimately connected to the Great Sui’s national fortune, literary merit, and feng shui. Committing such a vile act might bring him glory in life, but after death, he’d be rejected by the Great Sui’s incense offerings.”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “I have my own ingenious plans. Rest assured, I guarantee Cai Feng will rise to the rank of Minister in five of the six ministries – excluding the Ministry of Rites, as that position is too important. I’m not the Great Li Emperor, after all. As for after his death, within a hundred years, he’ll become the City God Elder of a major province, excluding Gao Yang, the Dragon Rise location of the Gao Clan, how does that sound?”

Cai Jingshen tentatively asked, “What about the choices and reputation of my Cai family?”

Cui Dongshan chuckled. “I’ll have you and the Cai family perform a couple of ‘bitter stratagems.’ Everyone will give you, Cai Jingshen, a thumbs-up. Future history books will certainly speak well of you.”

Cai Jingshen seemed about to speak, then stopped.

Cui Dongshan sneered. “You and I, signing some kind of earth immortal mountain and water covenant? Cai Jingshen, I advise you not to bother.”

Cai Jingshen recalled the pair of vertical golden pupils and felt a chill in his heart. Although he and the Cai family were at their mercy, he felt stifled and aggrieved. However, compared to the unbearable consequence of dragging the entire family into an abyss for the sake of Cai Feng alone, even endangering his own cultivation as an old ancestor, this current distress was not so difficult to endure.

Now that they were temporary allies, Cai Jingshen wanted to express some sincerity. “Back when Mr. Cui was at the academy, he was attacked with golden thread and escaped with a substitute charm. Doesn’t Mr. Cui want to know who was behind it? Or do you think it was the same group?”

Cui Dongshan glanced sideways at Cai Jingshen.

Cai Jingshen felt uneasy under that gaze, unsure what he had said wrong.

Cui Dongshan stood up and grabbed a jar of unopened aged wine from the table. “Back then, I was so bored at the academy that I was about to hang myself from the mountaintop. I finally got something interesting happening, so look at what I did afterward. I waited for ages, but they didn’t try to assassinate me again, so I had to go to Azure Crossing and stick my neck out. And what happened? No one dared to attack! So, I hauled several cartloads of Azure Crossing’s green bamboo back to the academy to pave the floors, paying the full price for everything. Why? I was grateful that they relieved my boredom! I planned so many contingency measures for the second assassination attempt, and although I didn’t get to use them, the process of racking my brains was still a good way to pass the time.”

Cui Dongshan walked around the table and patted Cai Jingshen’s shoulder. “Little Cai, you’re still too young. You don’t know my temper. You’ll realize you’ve recognized a good ancestor once we’ve been around each other for a while. Take a look at your ancestral graves when you have the time, I guarantee you’ll see auspicious smoke rising from them. If any Cai family ancestor appears in your dreams, weeping tears of gratitude for me, tell them they don’t need to thank me. Practicing good deeds and spreading joy is the very foundation of my learnings.”

Cai Jingshen kept a straight face, turning a deaf ear.

The yellow ox demon, a being of the Earth Ox constellation, had already gone to rest in its “ox stall.”

Wei Xian, however, remained seated at the table with Cui Dongshan and Cai Jingshen, silent except for the occasional drink.

Wei Xian followed Cui Dongshan to his lodgings.

After they were both seated, Cui Dongshan used the golden flying sword to create a Thunder Pool, isolating them from Cai Jingshen’s prying eyes.

Cui Dongshan kicked off his boots and sat cross-legged on the chair, smiling as he asked, “Come on, sum things up with a sentence or two.”

Wei Xian slowly said, “A bird that flies too high dies for delicious food. A fish that dwells in deep waters dies for fragrant bait.”

In Wei Xian’s eyes, the likes of Cai Jingshen were insignificant weasels, not worth mentioning.

Under the tides of fate, even a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Before entering the city, Cui Dongshan had shown Wei Xian a wealth of intelligence about the inner workings of Great Sui. Cai Feng’s conspiracy in the capital was a minor matter compared to the secrets hidden by the Gao Clan’s elder guardian, Cai Jingshen, himself.

Back then, the Great Sui Gao Clan was able to join forces with the Lu Clan Dynasty to suppress the rise of Great Li, which possessed the National Preceptor Cui Chan and Cliff Academy, delaying it for decades.

It wasn’t as simple as the Great Sui Emperor Gao Zhan being far-sighted.

In the beginning, Great Li had a branch of the Mo Clan and a master of the Yin-Yang School, Lu Clan, helping to create the replica of the White Jade City. Back then, Great Sui and the Lu Clan also had figures from the various schools of thought, hiding behind the scenes, issuing directions.

Cai Jingshen was a relatively deeply buried and important chess piece.

Don’t be fooled by Cai Jingshen’s timid behavior tonight, as if the whole situation were under Cui Dongshan’s control. In reality, Cai Jingshen’s very “resignation in anger” and family relocation away from the capital, seemingly unable to bear the humiliation, was likely instructed by a master.

Now, Great Sui and Great Li had formed a mountain alliance of the highest order, with the Cliff Academy’s location, Donghua Mountain, a place of dragon veins and imperial aura, and the newest dynasty’s Northern Peak, Pinyun Mountain, as the sites for the alliance’s sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. It seemed like a win-win situation; Great Sui didn’t have to confront the Great Li’s iron cavalry head-on, earning a hundred years of respite, just by ceding the vassal states like Yellow Court Country. Great Li, meanwhile, could conserve its strength and advance south with overwhelming force, reaching the borders of the Vermilion Glory Dynasty.

However, behind this peaceful facade, both the Great Li Song Clan and the Great Sui Gao Clan naturally had their own agendas.

Especially after the death of the Great Li Emperor Song Zhengchun, even though the Great Li central government kept it a secret, Great Sui likely already suspected something, hence this restlessness.
Although the Great Li iron cavalry now advances irresistibly, seizing half of the Jewel Bottle Continent, its position is not secure. Once the Great Li and the Great Sui both face internal strife, coupled with sudden offensives from the Lake Gazing Academy and the Vermilion Glow Dynasty, the seemingly advantageous situation for Great Li would instantly be destroyed, leaving the entire northern territory trampled by the Great Li cavalry a tempting morsel for the hidden mastermind, ripe for the taking.

Cui Dongshan frankly stated to Wei Xian that his trip had no fixed purpose. Depending on the circumstances, it could be recruitment, suppression, or even serving as bait, all contingent upon how the God Cai Jing responded.

Wei Xian dared not say that Cui Dongshan could certainly defeat those behind-the-scenes powerhouses.

But a mere God Cai Jing was no match for him, easily manipulated by Cui Dongshan.

Hence, Wei Xian’s comment about birds and fish greedily taking the bait.

Cui Dongshan shook his head and extended two fingers, writing the same sixteen characters in the air.

“The tiger crouches low, preparing to strike. The fox shrinks back, preparing to pounce.”

Wei Xian frowned, “Does Great Sui truly intend to break the alliance and make a desperate gamble, hoping to supplant Great Li?”

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, pointing at himself.

Wei Xian was taken aback, then cupped his fist in salute, “National Preceptor, your foresight is beyond the comprehension of ordinary men.”

Cui Dongshan complained, “Just call me Mister Cui from now on. Constantly calling me National Preceptor makes me feel like you, the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, are taking advantage of me.”

Wei Xian sighed, “Little Southern Garden is but a few provinces of Great Li. In the past, a banished immortal left behind a few words, so I ordered the Southern Garden alchemists to seek hermits in the mountains and immortals across the seas. But without truly visiting the Vastness World, one cannot imagine the true immensity of heaven and earth.”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “In the Central Earth Divine Continent, there is a very learned scholar who once lamented the insignificance of a grain of rice in the ocean and the vastness of the land compared to a mustard seed. I’ll take you to meet him someday, and then your frog-at-the-bottom-of-the-well lament will be very fitting.”

Cui Dongshan grasped the armrests of the chair, rocking back and forth, making the chair “walk” along. Cui Dongshan looked as if he was riding a bumpy horse, which seemed extremely comical and ridiculous.

However, Wei Xian had spent so much time with Cui Dongshan recently that he had long grown accustomed to it. Wei Xian and Yu Lu adapted to this much earlier than Xie Xie.

This was probably the breadth of mind of an emperor and a crown prince.

Cui Dongshan slowly said, “Having told you the answer, both the mastermind behind Great Sui and Great Li are competing with their hidden cards. The life and death of pawns like Cai Feng, and the allegiance of those like God Cai Jing, won’t cause any real waves. The reason I’m staying in the state capital and not going to the capital academy isn’t as complicated as you think. My teacher cherishes Little Jewel Bottle the most, and Mao Xiaodong can’t keep a secret. He’ll definitely tell him about Great Sui’s shameful conspiracy. If I barge in now, I’ll definitely be blamed for neglecting my duties.”

“It’s even less pleasing to talk to my teacher about affairs of state. I might not even be able to remain his student. But things still need to be done. I can’t very well tell my teacher to rest assured that Li Huai and the other children of Jewel Bottle will be fine. My teacher’s learning is becoming more and more complete, from the sequence of intentions to the goodness or badness of the final goal, and the choices of paths in between, all have a general outline. My cold-blooded and mercenary rhetoric is very difficult to deal with.”

“So it’s better for me to hide here, make amends by performing meritorious service, help sever some connections, and then go to the academy to accept punishment. At worst, I’ll just get a beating, which is better than my teacher developing a knot in his heart. If that happens, I’m done for. Even the Old Scholar’s intercession might not work.”

Wei Xian pondered for a moment, about to speak.

Cui Dongshan, who had already moved himself and the chair to the window, turned his back to Wei Xian and waved his hand, “You, Wei Xian, are not qualified to comment on my relationship with my teacher, so watch more and say less.”

Cui Dongshan murmured, “Wu Yuan, the prefect of Dragon Spring County, Wei Li of the Yellow Court Kingdom, Liu Qingfeng of the Blue Luan Kingdom, Grand Commandant Wei Liang, and you, Wei Xian, are all good seedlings chosen by me… by us. Among you, you and Wei Liang have the highest starting points, but your future success still depends on your own abilities. Let’s not talk about Wei Liang, a solitary cloud crane, not a true pawn in the strict sense, belonging to Great Dao complementarity. But Wu Yuan and Liu Qingfeng were carefully cultivated by him, while you and Wei Li were chosen by me. In the future, you four will be competing for us.”

He spoke somewhat vaguely, and Wei Xian silently kept it in mind.

Cui Dongshan suddenly slapped the chair armrest, “That idiot Shi Rou probably still doesn’t know that the words on the paper folding in the brocade pouch were my heartfelt words, sincere and earnest, a most precious piece of experience from someone who’s been there. Next time I see her at the academy, if she hasn’t improved at all, see how I deal with her! Hmph, Du Mao’s immortal remains don’t need to eat, drink, excrete, or sleep, so she can endure the disgustingness. I’ll make her eat, drink, excrete, and bathe all at once! And I’ll let her know what a real man is!”

Wei Xian took his leave.

Cui Dongshan waved his sleeve, removing the thunder pool restriction with a circle of golden light.

Wei Xian sincerely admired and revered this man.

The admiration came from the fact that Great Li’s current momentum, from a vassal state of the Lu Dynasty, could achieve such a state in less than a century, relying on the four words “creating something from nothing.”

But these were not enough to make Wei Xian revere the National Preceptor Cui Chan. While conquering the world, he was already racking his brains for how to defend it.

Wei Xian felt that this was true chess playing.

After Wei Xian left, Cui Dongshan flicked his wrist, controlling the pot of wine on the table into his hand, taking small sips.

During his adventurous journey, he had seen too many people and things, read even more books, and seen countless mountains and rivers.

In that breathtaking battle of the three and four in those years, a seemingly insignificant civil official had a sentence that probably no one paid attention to, but it had always moved Cui Chan and remained etched in his memory.

“Heaven and earth grant life, and life must have death. Grass and trees have spring and autumn, flourishing must have withering, this is the law of nature! You Qi refiners who disregard the law and treat human lives like dirt, you mountain immortals who see the common people as ants, what difference is there between you and the demon race?!”
Cui Dongshan pinched the wine pot with two fingers, leaning lazily against the chair, muttering to himself in a voice as faint as a mosquito, fragmented: “I was once a banished immortal, drinking celestial nectar and spring water from the heavens, composing colorful poems between the walls of Baidi City… I saw that iron-faced judge, and was ultimately displeased… Penniless, eating clouds and drinking dew, the cool breeze sufficed. Lighting lamps and drinking wine, one could withstand the elements of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning… The teacher, drunk, shook his head, raising an empty cup, asking the heavens who comes first, reason or humanity. The boy could not answer, lowering his head to sleep, only the chirping of insects could be heard from the four walls, harmonizing with the teacher’s smacking sounds… The teacher took off his clothes to clothe the boy, stumbled, and fell inside the dilapidated hut, sleeping on the floor, snoring like thunder, in a thousand-year dream of the mortal world…”

Cui Dongshan suddenly reached out and scratched his cheek, “Not interesting, change it, change what? Hmm, got it!”

He began to hum an unknown folk tune, “One frog has one mouth, two frogs have four legs, splashing and jumping into the water. The frog doesn’t drink the water, a year of peace, the frog doesn’t drink the water, a year of peace…”

The Cai family mansion in the capital.

Carriages and horses arrived silently, distinguished guests gathered, and talents assembled.

Cai Feng, the second-place scholar now serving in the Imperial Academy, was already considered a brilliant figure.

Unexpectedly, tonight, among the seven or eight people present, Cai Feng held the lowest official position.

Guo Xin, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites; Tao W鹫, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War; Miao Ren, the Dragon Bull General, a descendant of a founding meritorious official; Song Shan, the Deputy Commander of the Infantry Command responsible for the security of the capital…

Most were young and middle-aged officials of the Great Sui capital, not too old. The elder, like Tao W鹫, was only forty-five.

Cai Feng was a tall and handsome young man, with a majestic bearing, not losing in aura even when facing these high officials.

This stemmed from his self-confidence in his talent and learning, and also from the surname of this mansion. Cai Jing Shen, the old ancestor of the Cai family, even if he became a laughingstock, was still a Nascent Soul immortal who had protected the Great Sui capital for many years.

Everyone was either drinking tea or wine, having already planned thoroughly. The future trend of the Great Sui, and even the future trend of the entire Treasure Bottle Continent, was likely to be decided tonight in this Cai mansion.

The Emperor’s Thousand Old Men Banquet was in half a week, and actions could be taken around that time!

Cai Feng stood up and said loudly, “Studying the sages’ books is to protect the mountains and rivers, to prevent the people from being humiliated, to safeguard the imperial surname, and to prevent it from being surpassed by foreign names. It is now that we scholars should sacrifice ourselves for righteousness!”

Another newly appointed Number One Scholar, still in the Hanlin Academy, suddenly stood up and threw the wine cup in his hand to the ground, shattering it into pieces, and said in a deep voice, “A son has no two fathers, a subject has no two rulers. Better to be a broken jade than a complete tile! Most of the thirty-six founding generals of my Great Sui were Confucian scholars!”

The crowd was incensed, full of impassioned spirit.

Someone raised his arm and shouted, “Swear to kill the literary demon, Mao Xiaodong!”

Someone burst into tears, repeatedly slamming his palm on the armrest of the chair, “How can my Great Sui bow and scrape to that barbarian Song clan, cede territory and seek peace, lose without a fight, a most grievous shame!”

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Cai Feng did not see anyone off, as it would be too conspicuous.

Although Song Shan had arranged everything properly, and the night curfew near the Cai family had been cleared, filled with the confidant captains and soldiers of this Deputy Commander of the Infantry Command, it was still best to be careful.

Cai Feng remained alone in the deserted banquet hall, still filled with the aroma of wine.

Cai Feng’s eyes were burning with fervor.

To turn the tide and save the situation, who but Cai Feng?!

Miao Ren and the newly appointed Number One Scholar, Zhang Dai, left together in the same carriage.

The two sat facing each other in the carriage.

Miao Ren looked at the calm young man and felt somewhat self-deprecating, realizing that he was not as composed as a junior of twenty, truly deserving of the reputation as a young man with the qualities of a prime minister. Together with Li Changying, the future gentleman of Shanya Academy, Chu Dong of Nanxi, and Cai Feng, they were known as the Four Spirits of the capital, the leading figures of the younger generation of the Great Sui. In addition, there were the Four Heroes, including Pan Yuanchun, the son of the late General Pan Maozhen, but these were all sons of military families. After the youngest Pan Yuanchun left the academy to join the army at the border, the Four Heroes were all serving in the military.

These Four Spirits and Four Heroes, eight in total, descendants of powerful families and meritorious officials, such as Chu Dong and Pan Yuanchun, numbered four. Striving from humble and common origins, there were also four, such as Zhang Dai and Li Changying before him.

Miao Ren knew that among these promising young people, destined for smooth careers, at least three had been drawn into this plot.

Therefore, Miao Ren believed that all the spirits of Great Sui would protect them and ensure their success.

Miao Ren lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out. The night was deep, and it would be a long time before dawn.

On the way back, Chen Pingan was still pondering the matter that Lin Shouyi had mentioned, but no matter how he thought about it, he didn’t feel that he had done anything that deserved Lin Shouyi’s heartfelt gratitude.

If it were Li Bao瓶 and Li Huai who were thinking about it, Chen Pingan would not be surprised at all, as they were children.

But Lin Shouyi was different, probably due to his sensitive background, he had always been thoughtful, extremely independent, and had high aspirations. Therefore, he had stepped into the path of cultivation early in his studies, which did not surprise Chen Pingan.

Zhu Lian, with his keen intuition, did not return directly to his own guest house, but followed Chen Pingan into the house and asked softly, “Is there a situation?”

The master and servant, in name only, had developed a tacit understanding through countless battles and desperate fights.

Chen Pingan did not hide anything from Zhu Lian. After pouring two bowls of wine, he nodded and said, “The Master of Maoshan told me that recently, someone in the Great Sui capital intends to target the students of the academy, hoping to take advantage of the critical time when the Great Sui Emperor is holding the Thousand Old Men Banquet, with envoys from Great Li participating in the grand event. Once something goes wrong with the academy, it could provoke public anger between the two countries, and then break the delicate balance, possibly igniting border warfare. In the past two years, the imperial court and the public in Great Sui have been harboring resentment towards Emperor Gao’s initiative to bow down to the so-called barbarians of Great Li. From the aggrieved civil and military officials to the indignant scholars and literary circles, and the puzzled common people, as long as there is a trigger, it will…”

Zhu Lian continued, “Like a spark igniting a prairie fire, it will be unstoppable. Great Sui will have no way back, and even Emperor Gao will be forced to break his oath.”

Chen Pingan said calmly, “I understand these major court affairs, seeking benevolence and obtaining it without resentment. That’s why I wouldn’t have interfered originally. Not being in that position means not seeking its governance, the same principle as taking your own risks in the world of Jianghu, but it involves Bao瓶 and them…”

Chen Pingan drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp and stopped talking.

Zhu Lian was slightly surprised.

Such heavy killing intent.

A fierce aura stirred within the lake of his heart.

Zhu Lian hesitated to speak.

Chen Pingan’s expression was calm, “I know.”
Chen Pingan poured himself a bowl of wine. “The more I practice swordsmanship, the more I’m influenced by Sword Immortal Wei Jin’s sword that split the night sky, and your overwhelming display of power at Jiao Dragon Ditch. I’m a timid person and I dare not do whatever I want. But after being severely wounded by Du Mao’s Swallow-Sword Boat piercing my abdomen, and then meeting my enemy Li Baozhen, I’ve become increasingly aware that there’s a problem with my state of mind. It might even be greatly related to the shattering of my natal porcelain back in the day. In short, it’s a lot of trouble.”

Zhu Lian said worriedly, “Then how should you deal with it, Young Master? This seems to involve a knot in your heart… or perhaps a cultivator’s inner demon?”

Chen Pingan raised his wine bowl, clinked it against Zhu Lian’s, and smiled. “Read more books.”

Seeing Zhu Lian’s bewildered expression, Chen Pingan forced a smile. “I’m not joking with you.”

Zhu Lian took a sip of wine and shook his head.

If this wasn’t a joke, what in the world was?

Chen Pingan said softly, “Before I even arrived at the Eastern Blossom Mountain Academy, I had already begun to consciously and unconsciously delve deeply into the books of sages and virtuous men. Why did I read Legalist texts in Green Luan Country? Because I discovered that reading only Confucian books didn’t seem to perfectly align with certain indescribable aspects of my original heart, and the effect wasn’t significant. That’s why, on Cui Dongshan’s advice, I wanted to mutually verify Confucian moral essays with the fundamental learning of the Legalists. Looking back, it was indeed somewhat helpful. When I arrived at the academy and saw the Mountain Master’s ruler at his waist, with the inscriptions on it, I suddenly understood that I was on the right path. It’s just that I was previously acting vaguely, relying on intuition, and I didn’t really know where I was going. You might not know, but I, Chen Pingan, am most afraid of that kind of…”

Chen Pingan began to search for the right words.

Zhu Lian tentatively said, “Drawing your sword and looking around with a bewildered heart.”

Chen Pingan laughed. “That’s somewhat the idea. As long as I see… someone standing in the distance, or on high, no matter how far or high, I won’t be afraid.”

Chen Pingan lightly wrote characters on the table with his finger, slowly saying, “The Sage said: ‘Follow your heart’s desires, without overstepping the bounds.’ This is the right medicine for the ailment.”

Zhu Lian held his wine bowl, feeling like he shouldn’t drink, but also like he shouldn’t not drink.

Chen Pingan laughed heartily. “Do you need a reason to drink wine? Let’s go!”

The two of them emptied their bowls.

Chen Pingan thought that since martial arts training, and facing life-and-death enemies, could most benefit cultivation, then could his own Qi Refiner path benefit from using this to sharpen his disposition, finding joy in hardship, and treating it as a Dragon-Slaying Platform for cultivation?

Just like back then in Middle Peak of Bearing Heaven Country, on the ferry ship, Zhu Lian delivered a punch to Pei Qian, which Pei Qian dodged.

Shi Rou wasn’t a pure martial artist and didn’t know the wonder of Pei Qian relying on “instinct” and breaking through a boundary to dodge a Fourth Realm punch.

Zhu Lian was also the same, because he wasn’t a cultivator, he didn’t understand the terror with which Earth Immortals regarded inner demons as mortal enemies. Therefore, he didn’t understand how high Chen Pingan’s desired realm truly was.

After drinking the wine.

Zhu Lian began his habitual calculations. “I heard Shi Rou say that last time on the wall of the Lion Garden, you almost fought with that woman Liu Boqi from the Sword Testing Hall, and were on the verge of drawing your sword. But Shi Rou, who was behind you, noticed that even just holding the hilt, your palm was burned and injured afterwards? You had to hide your hand in your sleeve to avoid Liu Boqi discovering the truth?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “There’s no helping it. A Semi-Immortal Weapon is just that difficult to handle.”

Zhu Lian looked puzzled.

Chen Pingan had explained the battle in Lotus Flower Blessed Land against Ding Ying in detail, as a sort of re-evaluation of the game between master and servant.

Chen Pingan explained, “That sword ‘Long Qi’ that I mentioned to you before, although it’s of a higher grade, had most of its restrictions broken by that Old Sword Immortal. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to draw that sword even to my death. And the Fu family of Old Dragon City, as an apology, sent the ‘Sword Immortal’. On one hand, they were harboring a wish to watch a spectacle, knowing that sending it to me meant that the so-called Semi-Immortal Weapon would only be a burden for a long time. On the other hand, it was also in accordance with the rules. If they helped open all the restrictions, it would mean that this Sword Immortal Sword was like a mansion without a key to the main door, falling into my, Chen Pingan’s, hands. I could use it, but if it accidentally fell into someone else’s hands, they could also freely enter and exit the residence, which would actually be a move with ulterior motives.”

Chen Pingan reached out and grabbed the Sword Immortal Sword on the bed, taking it into his hand. “I’ve been using the Small Refinement Method to unravel those secret techniques and restrictions, slowly but surely. I probably need to reach the Seventh Realm of martial arts before I can break all the restrictions one by one and use it freely, as easily as an arm and a finger. Drawing it now is akin to hurting myself eight hundred for every thousand enemies I kill. Unless absolutely necessary, it’s best not to use it.”

Zhu Lian understood. He took a sip of wine and then slowly said, “Li Bao Ping, Li Huai, Lin Shouyi, Yu Lu, Xie Xie. All five are from Great Li. Assassinating Yu Lu wouldn’t be very meaningful. Xie Xie has already revealed his identity as a remnant of the Lu clan. Although he was once a cultivation genius from the Lu clan’s premier immortal family mansion, this identity determines that Xie Xie doesn’t carry enough weight. The first three are all from Azure Radish Grotto-Heaven, and they are also direct disciples whom Qi Xian carefully taught in the past. Among them, Little Bao Ping and Li Huai have the best status. One has a family patriarch who is already a Nascent Soul enshrined by Great Li, and the other has a father who is an End-Realm Grandmaster. If anything happens to any one of them, Great Li wouldn’t let it go easily. One is unwilling, and the other doesn’t dare.”

Chen Pingan hadn’t mentioned Li Xisheng to Zhu Lian, so Zhu Lian attributed the “doesn’t dare” to Li Huai, whose father was Li Er.

Back in Mud Bottle Alley, Li Xisheng, with a Sixth Realm Qi Refiner’s cultivation, confronted a Ninth Realm sword cultivator with a natural sword embryo, defending flawlessly without being at a disadvantage.

Later, when he drew talismans in the bamboo building of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, each character carried immense weight, causing the entire Fallen Phoenix Mountain to sink.

But actually, none of this was important.

For Chen Pingan, Li Bao Ping’s safety was the most important thing.

Chen Pingan poured another bowl of wine for Zhu Lian. “Why does it feel like you haven’t had a single day of peace since you started following me?”

Zhu Lian took a big gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and smiled. “Young Master, if you had entered Lotus Flower Blessed Land earlier and met your servant at his peak, you wouldn’t say that. Life and death have always been like a flick of the fingers.”

Chen Pingan laughed. “The reason I was able to defeat Ding Ying back then also had something to do with his complacency. If I had encountered someone like you, who doesn’t care about the demeanor of a Grandmaster, I estimate I would have been the one to die.”

Zhu Lian quickly finished the wine in his bowl, licked his face, and held out his wine bowl. “Just for that sentence, Young Master, this old servant should drink another bowl as punishment.”
Chen Pingan truly poured Zhu Lian another bowl of wine, with a touch of sentiment, “I hope you and I, whether it be ten years or a hundred, can often have such opportunities to drink together.”

Zhu Lian grinned, “What difficulty is there in that?”

Chen Pingan drank quite a bit of wine tonight, far exceeding his usual intake.

After the two parted ways, Chen Pingan went to Mao Xiaodong’s study. Discussing the matter of refining his natal artifact could never be too detailed.

In the night.

Chen Pingan walked alone.

Before the academy’s dormitories lights out.

Pei Qian blushed and said, “Sister Baoping, I’m not a good sleeper.”

Li Baoping thought for a moment and went to move the small mountain of copied books that occupied one bed, stacking it on top of the other small mountain of books.

The two lay in their respective bedding. Li Baoping lay ramrod straight and, after saying “Sleep,” instantly fell into a deep slumber.

Pei Qian cautiously tossed and turned, falling asleep very late.

When she woke up the next day, she found herself like a rice dumpling, wrapped in the warm bedding with tucked corners. Pei Qian turned her head and saw that Li Baoping’s bedding was neatly arranged, as if cut from a block of tofu. Pei Qian, thinking of her own casual, all-in-one way of making her bed, felt a little guilty and comfortably went back to sleep. She needed to be well-rested to continue fooling that blockhead Li Huai, and those two even dumber fellows.

As for arm-wrestling with Li Baoping, Pei Qian thought she would wait until she was the same age as Li Baoping. Anyway, she was younger, so losing to Li Baoping wasn’t embarrassing.

Next year, she would be twelve, and Li Baoping would be thirteen. Naturally, she would still be a year older. Pei Qian didn’t care. Next year and the year after, there were many years to come; it was all good.

Li Baoping got up early and went to find Chen Pingan, but there was no one at the guest house, so she rushed to the courtyard of the Academy Head Mao.

She waited at the gate.

Mao Xiaodong, as a Confucian sage presiding over the academy, could observe everything within its walls with perfect clarity, if he so wished. So, he told Chen Pingan that Li Baoping was waiting outside.

Chen Pingan left the study to bring Li Baoping back, telling her on the way that touring the capital of the Great Sui was not possible today.

Li Baoping learned that Chen Pingan would be staying at the academy for at least a month, so she wasn’t in a hurry. She just wanted to visit some places she hadn’t been to yet, or maybe take Pei Qian with her first. But Chen Pingan suggested that she first take Pei Qian to tour the academy, including the Hall of Sages, the library, and the Flying Bird Pavilion, all famous scenic spots of Donghua Mountain. Li Baoping thought that was fine. Before even reaching the study, she ran off like a whirlwind, saying she was going to…

accompany Pei Qian for breakfast.

Mao Xiaodong smiled, “Worried about encountering an assassination attempt on the road, yet unwilling to disappoint Li Baoping, do you find it troublesome?”

Chen Pingan nodded, “It is a dilemma.”

Mao Xiaodong asked, “Won’t you ask if I know which powerful clans and dignitaries of the Great Sui are plotting this?”

Chen Pingan shook his head, “Even this academy is still within the territory of the Great Sui.”

“The current priority is still your refining matter.”

Mao Xiaodong waved his hand, “Cui Dongshan spouts nonsense, but he did say something sensible: The foundation of our academy, our lives, and our scholarship, all lie in one word: Action.”

Mao Xiaodong stood up and walked slowly, “The Buddhists say to let go of attachments, and the sufferings of this life will not seem so bitter, which is a great freedom. The Daoists seek purity, avoiding the mundane world like a flying boat crossing the void, which is true transcendence. Only we Confucians face difficulties head-on, neither escaping nor avoiding the sufferings of this life. On the road ahead, the books of sages guide us like lanterns.”

Chen Pingan couldn’t help but softly say, “Though I face ten thousand, I shall go.”

Mao Xiaodong stopped, deeply agreeing, and sighed, “Precisely so!”

In just two hours, Li Baoping had completed a tour of the academy with Pei Qian. If she didn’t have to patiently explain everything to Pei Qian, Li Baoping could have finished it in an hour.

Finally, Li Baoping even took her to the towering tree on the summit of Dongshan. One after the other, they climbed onto the branches, taking Pei Qian to gaze high into the distance. Then, she pointed out all the fun and delicious places in the capital of the Great Sui, as if she knew them like the back of her hand. Her air was as if… the entire capital was her family’s courtyard.

Pei Qian stole a glance at Li Baoping.

She could imagine Baoping, dressed in a red skirt or padded jacket, standing here all these years, waiting for her Junior Uncle.

The two sat on the branches. Li Baoping took out a red handkerchief, revealing two soft, glutinous pastries. They each ate one.

Pei Qian said she could explore on her own in the afternoon.

Li Baoping nodded in agreement, saying that an old scholar from outside the academy, a man of great renown, was coming to give a lecture. He was said to be an expert in the exegesis of a certain Confucian classic, and since Junior Uncle was busy today and didn’t need to tour the capital, she wanted to listen to the old scholar from the distant south, to see if he was truly so knowledgeable.

Pei Qian, who didn’t even know what exegesis was, timidly asked, “Sister Baoping, can you understand it?”

Li Baoping nodded and shook her head. “The books I copy actually have explanations, but I have many questions I can’t understand. The teachers at the academy either advise me not to aim too high, saying that only Li Changying in the academy can ask such things, and even if they told me now, I wouldn’t understand. But I don’t quite understand; how do they know I won’t understand if they haven’t even explained it? Never mind, they are teachers, so I shouldn’t say such things. I can only keep these words bottled up inside. Or, some teachers beat around the bush and never give a straight answer. Only Teacher Qi was always able to give me an answer. And only Junior Uncle would tell me what he knew, and if he didn’t know, he would honestly say he didn’t understand either. That’s why I like to run around outside the academy. You probably don’t know, but the first head of this academy was Teacher Qi, who taught Li Huai, Lin Shouyi and me our elementary studies. He said that all learning must be put into ‘action.’ What does ‘action’ mean? It has two meanings: one is to travel ten thousand miles to broaden one’s knowledge, and the other is to integrate and apply what one has learned to cultivate oneself, manage one’s family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. I’m still young, so I can only run around more.”

Speaking of these things, Pei Qian noticed that Li Baoping was rarely frowning.

Pei Qian sincerely exclaimed, “Sister Baoping, you think about so many things.”
Li Baoping saw that Pei Qian hadn’t finished her pastry yet, nibbling at it like a little mouse on corn, and laughed. She patted Pei Qian’s shoulder, “Little Martial Uncle has so much more to think about.”

Li Baoping swung her feet, and said with a serious face, “Cui Dongshan once said that one day, my Little Martial Uncle will meet the girl he likes most, and I can only be ranked second in Little Martial Uncle’s heart. Maybe someday I will meet someone I like more, and Little Martial Uncle will also be ranked second in my heart. I think Cui Dongshan is talking nonsense. I don’t mind if Little Martial Uncle has a girl he likes, but how could I like someone more than Little Martial Uncle, right, Pei Qian?”

Pei Qian nodded quickly.

Li Baoping was very satisfied with Pei Qian’s attitude, patted her shoulder, and said earnestly: “In the future, when you travel the world with Little Martial Uncle, you have to work harder and be more sensible. Being naughty is okay, but don’t always be naughty, making Little Martial Uncle worry. My Little Martial Uncle, your master, didn’t fall from the sky. Little Martial Uncle will also have troubles and sad things that need to be drowned in alcohol, so you have to be sensible, can you do it? Look, Little Martial Uncle didn’t drink alcohol in the past, but now he drinks alcohol, which shows that you, as the first disciple, haven’t done enough, right?”

Pei Qian nodded again, sincerely convinced.

Regarding lending her the silver gourd and the narrow saber talisman, Li Baoping told the words that Master Chen Ping’an and Zhong Kui said at the beginning, roughly the same meaning.

At that moment, Pei Qian admitted that Li Baoping calling Chen Ping’an Little Martial Uncle was justified.

The two slipped down the big tree one after another.

Li Baoping was going to listen to the lectures of the out-of-town teacher, and ran away. Among a group of old teachers and young scholars, Li Baoping was undoubtedly the youngest, and a bright red color, extremely eye-catching.

Pei Qian went to their study hall when Li Huai and the other two were dismissed from school.

The three were still together.

Liu Guan asked, “Ma Lian, tell me, if someone in the family is an official and receives an imperial decree, is it really like what Pei Qian said, there are so many rules just for placement?”

Ma Lian nodded vigorously, “There are some small differences, but in general, it’s really like what she said.”

“And Pei Qian said that the canopy bed she slept in when she was a child was so big that it could hold so many messy things?”

Ma Lian nodded again, “Yes, my sister has one!”

Liu Guan said helplessly, “Okay, she really is a princess of noble birth! Then how should we salute next time we meet? Is it enough to give her a deep bow? We can’t kneel and kowtow, can we?”

Ma Lian said with an embarrassed face: “His Majesty the Emperor and the princes and princesses have been to my house, but I was too young at that time and had no impression at all.”

Li Huai said happily: “What’s wrong with the princess, she’s still Chen Ping’an’s disciple, it’s okay, when you see her, just like me, everyone will treat it as an encounter in the world, sit on an equal footing, and salute with cupped fists.”

Liu Guan nodded and said, “That’s good, anyway, she herself said that she is a Jianghu person, so we don’t have to lose our status.”

They saw Pei Qian at the door.

The three clasped their fists together.

Pei Qian raised an eyebrow and returned the salute with cupped fists.

They entered the study hall.

Pei Qian quickly began to vividly describe a Jianghu conflict to the three of them.

A group of reckless and ignorant highwaymen, jumped out from both sides of the grass, dozens of burly men, with knives, spears, sticks, and all kinds of weapons.

The leader, holding a Xuanhua axe, raised his arm and pointed the axe blade directly at my master, and shouted, his voice as loud as a thunderbolt in a clear sky, ‘This road is opened by me, if you want to pass, leave your money to buy your life!’ If you were in their shoes, wouldn’t you be afraid?!”

Ma Lian nodded.

Liu Guan smiled and said, “Anyway, with your master protecting you, what’s there to be afraid of mountain bandits?”

Pei Qian crossed her arms and glared at Liu Guan, “My master just asked, what if you don’t pay? You don’t know, my master at that time, what a great chivalrous demeanor, the mountain breeze was blowing, even if my master didn’t move a step, he already had the master demeanor of ‘taking the head of a general from the midst of a million troops as easy as taking something out of a bag’, looking at the vast number of bandits, it was simply… such juniors, chickens and dogs, just waiting to be slaughtered!”

Pei Qian couldn’t help admiring herself, those few romance novels about battlefields and Jianghu were indeed not read in vain, and they came in handy now.

Liu Guan couldn’t wait to say, “We’ve heard a lot about your master’s awesomeness, unparalleled boxing skills, invincible swordsmanship, both a sword immortal and a martial arts grandmaster, I know it all, I just want to know how the situation developed next? Is it a bloody battle?”

Pei Qian glared and said, “Do you think Jianghu is just reckless and crude fighting and killing? Jianghu people, whether they are Robin Hoods or gentlemen on the beam, whether their cultivation is high or low, are all living people! And no one is stupid!”

Liu Guan was scolded and didn’t retort for once.

Pei Qian jumped off the stool and walked to the side, “The leader of the mountain bandits was furious, lifted the giant axe weighing seventy or eighty pounds, became angry and asked my master, ‘Boy, are you tired of living?! Don’t you want to live anymore?'”

Pei Qian took a few steps and turned around and said, “I only heard my master say lightly, ‘Yes.’ For a time, the situation changed, and the bandits clamored and were aggressive.”

Liu Guan and Ma Lian listened intently.

Li Huai cracked melon seeds.

He had seen the world with Chen Ping’an, and even dealt with the ghost in the wedding dress, a group of small bandits, Li Huai didn’t care about them.

Pei Qian ran forward again, pretending to have a ferocious face, and turned around and said, “I only heard that guy say sternly, ‘Good boy, do you know how to write the word death?!'”

Pei Qian ran back the same way, “My master said two words again, ‘I know’.”

Then Pei Qian immediately used her fingers as a pen and wrote the word death in the air, turning her head to the three of them and said, “I did such an action at that time, how was it?”

Ma Lian’s eyes were dull.

Liu Guan clapped his hands and applauded.

Pei Qian walked to the table, Ma Lian had prepared tea, and she took a sip to moisten her throat, and continued, “The bandits were so angry that they screamed, beat their chests and stamped their feet, like drumming on the battlefield, the leader roared to the sky, his eyes widened bigger than copper bells, and issued orders to his subordinates, ‘Brothers, take up your weapons and kill this guy who likes to play dumb! Especially that little girl with the knife and sword on her waist, don’t look at her young age, she looks like an old Jianghu, her cultivation is unfathomable, don’t underestimate her…'”

Pei Qian suddenly stopped “storytelling”.
A warm hand was gently pressing down on her head.

Pei Qian turned her head, smiling sheepishly, “Master, you’re here! I was just chatting with Li Huai and them…”

Pei Qian originally intended to honestly admit that she was just spouting nonsense.

However, Chen Ping’an had already chuckled, “Alright, Li Huai and the others are still students of the academy. Don’t talk about these matters of the martial world too much. If you become friends in the future, you can travel with them when Li Huai, Liu Guan, and Ma Lian are on their scholarly journeys. Then, you can tell them all the details.”

Pei Qian nodded vigorously, her face beaming.

Chen Ping’an told Li Huai to eat with his friends first and find him at the guest house later. Chen Ping’an then led Pei Qian to find Li Bao Ping.

On the way, Chen Ping’an softly reminded her, “If you really have the chance to travel with Li Huai and the others in the future, remember one thing: you must clearly tell them the extent of your martial arts cultivation and how deeply you’ve ventured into the martial world. Don’t just boast and make grand promises, misleading them into thinking that the so-called martial world is nothing much. That can easily lead to trouble, understand?”

Pei Qian nodded, “Got it!”

Chen Ping’an said solemnly, “Keep it in your heart.”

Pei Qian grinned, “I’ll carve every word onto a bamboo slip later!”

Walking along a secluded path in the academy, Chen Ping’an felt a sense of contemplation and said softly, “Why venture into the martial world? It’s not just to chase after those beautiful landscapes, nor is it only about practicing martial arts to become stronger. You must also see more martial artists who are better than yourself.”

“Like your master, on the ferry at Dazao Mountain, I saw Zhang Shanfeng, who was hungry. I saw Xu Yuanxia, whose chivalrous spirit led him into a haunted house. I saw the old Sword Saint of the Shushui Kingdom appear in a dilapidated ancient temple, that seemingly terrifying but loving pair of ghostly creatures, Fan Er of Old Dragon City, Liu Youzhou of Ape Swaying Manor in Upside-Down Mountain… Your master also has various feelings of shame, admiration, envy, and even occasional jealousy.”

Pei Qian was surprised, “Master would feel that way?”

Chen Ping’an rubbed her little head, “What did you think? Your master also has the seven emotions and six desires, and many bad habits. There are always people who dislike or disapprove of your master. But seeing someone better, you can’t just ignore it. You must look up to them with reverence, and though you may not reach their level, your heart should aspire to it…”

Pei Qian’s pace slowed down.

Chen Ping’an walked ten steps ahead, then turned around and saw the little black charcoal girl standing still. He asked with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Qian smiled, “Sister Bao Ping said that her Little Martial Uncle didn’t fall from the sky, but I think Master did fall from the sky back then.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Dare to say those words to your Sister Bao Ping?”

Pei Qian quickly ran towards Chen Ping’an, “I’m not that foolish!”

She had been looking at her master’s back.

Pei Qian suddenly felt a bit emotional.

Walking through mountains and rivers, on a long journey.

They had encountered a pile of fallen rocks on a muddy mountain road during a heavy rain.

Pei Qian thought they could just go around it.

But her master stopped in the rain and moved the rocks one by one from the road.

In the dark rain, her master, clad in white, was busy at work.

They had also stopped by a wooden bridge that was being repaired for a long time on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Her master foolishly stared at the wooden bridge for a long time, then ran alone into the deep mountains, chopped down a large tree, carried it back, split it into planks, discarded his wood-chopping knife, replaced it with a hammer, and hammered away, repairing the bridge.