The old scholar who visited Donghua Mountain had been invited by a deputy headmaster of Cliffside Academy to lecture at the Persuasion Hall this afternoon.

Carrying Pei Qian, Chen Pingan weaved through corridors, arriving at the entrance of the verdant Persuasion Hall just as the lecture was concluding. He saw Li Baoping nimbly dart through the crowd like a little koi carp, first to dash out of the hall and courtyard. Once outside, Li Baoping clenched her fist in self-congratulation. Soon spotting Chen Pingan and Pei Qian, she quickened her pace. Pei Qian, watching Li Baoping speeding through the academy, was filled with admiration. Sister Baoping was truly fearless.

After the three met, they headed towards the guesthouse. Li Baoping regaled Chen Pingan with many amusing anecdotes, such as how, during the old scholar’s lecture, a snow-white elk had sat coiled beside him. It was said that when this old scholar had first founded his private academy, there had been a celestial response, and a white elk had guarded the master. Only then had the academy, built deep in the mountains, been safe from the depredations of wild beasts and the mischief of mountain spirits.

Li Baoping concluded by saying that the white elk beside Old Scholar Zhao didn’t seem as spiritually vibrant and beautiful as the one brought into the Blessed Land of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven by that Sister He from the Divine Edict Sect.

Chen Pingan’s head ached at the thought of He Xiaoliang, and his subsequent plans only made his headache worse. He only hoped he would never see that former female Daoist, once blessed beyond compare in the entire continent, again in his life.

Back then, by the stone cliffs along the Dragon Beard River, Chen Pingan had first met He Xiaoliang of the Divine Edict Sect, representing the Daoist lineage. He had seen that elk, radiant with spiritual energy. Afterward, casually asking Cui Dongshan about it, he learned that the elk was no simple beast. Its snow-white appearance was merely an illusion cast by Dao Lord Qi Zhen; in reality, it was a five-colored deer coveted even by cultivators of the Upper Five Realms. Since ancient times, only those with great fortune and destiny could keep such a creature by their side.

Back then, Sect Leader Lu Chen had used supreme Daoist arts to build a bridge of destiny between him and He Xiaoliang, so that after the Blessed Land of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven shattered and sank, Chen Pingan could share He Xiaoliang’s fortune equally. Of course, this involved Lu Chen’s far-reaching plans against Qi Xian’s literary lineage. This kind of mental tug-of-war was extremely dangerous. Anyone else would have likely ended up somewhere in the Jade Capital of the Azure Sky, one of the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, seemingly glorious but in reality a mere puppet.

Therefore, Chen Pingan felt deeply about the saying, “Misfortune and fortune are intertwined.”

However, although Chen Pingan’s heart hadn’t been pulled to Lu Chen’s side in the Jade Capital, he had nonetheless unconsciously acquired many “underlying ailments.” For example, Chen Pingan had always harbored a strong aversion to exploring shattered Blessed Lands and secret realms. Only after a trip with Lu Tai and Zhu Lian’s unintentional words did he begin to seek change, making his resolve to journey to the Northern Majestic Continent all the more firm.

That place, known for its abundance of sword cultivators and the most martial place in the Great Bright World, was where even the Confucian Sage of the academies would get annoyed and violently beat an Earth Immortal just to get his point across.

Chen Pingan wanted to go there to practice his swordsmanship.

Alone.

To practice swordsmanship in its purest form.

Chen Pingan asked with a smile, “How was the master’s lecture?”

Li Baoping considered for a moment and said, “There are admirers of this Old Master Zhao in some books, who say that when the master lectures, it’s like a lone crane, flying eastward across the river, suddenly letting out a cry, and the river surges with moonlight. I listened for a long time and felt that there was some truth to it, but it wasn’t as exaggerated as the books say. However, what this old master is most skilled at is his enlightenment from climbing towers and viewing the sea, advocating for ‘meeting’ sages and ancients through poetry and prose, achieving resonance across centuries, and then further elaborating and introducing his philosophy of Heavenly Principles. However, this time, the old master spoke in detail, only selecting one Confucian classic as the object of exegesis, and didn’t bring out the signature skills of their lineage. I was a little disappointed. If I weren’t in a hurry to find Little Uncle-Master, I would have wanted to ask the old master when he would lecture on those Heavenly Principles and the human heart.”

Chen Pingan thought for a moment and asked, “Is this old master from the lineage of Sage Lu of Goose Lake Academy in the Southern Jambudvipa Continent?”

Li Baoping smiled brightly and said, “Little Uncle-Master, you know so much! Indeed, this Old Master Zhao’s grandmaster is precisely that Sage Lu who is praised for having ‘the world in his heart and the sea in his gaze.'”

Chen Pingan recalled the records in the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” that he had given to Yu Lu, which stated that Sage Lu had a good relationship with the Chen family of Pure Scholars. He wondered if Liu Xianyang would have the opportunity to meet him.

Pei Qian had been wanting to interject, but from beginning to end, she had been listening as if in a fog. Afraid of revealing her ignorance and making a fool of herself in front of her master and Sister Baoping, she felt a little dejected.

Fortunately, Chen Pingan tugged at Pei Qian’s ear and admonished, “See, your Sister Baoping knows so much about schools of thought and their essential principles. Although you’re not an academy student, and studying isn’t your main job…”

Pei Qian stomped her foot and said aggrievedly, “Master, she’s Sister Baoping! How can I compare? Compare me to someone else, like Li Huai? He’s been studying at the academy for so many years. Comparing me to him is unfair.”

Chen Pingan stopped nagging, laughed heartily, released her ear, and patted Pei Qian’s head. “You’re just quick-witted.”

Back at the guesthouse, Yu Lu was already waiting there, standing under the eaves alongside Zhu Lian, seeming to be having a pleasant conversation with Zhu Lian.

With Yu Lu around, Chen Pingan felt much more at ease.

Back then, during that academy storm, it was Yu Lu who quietly and decisively settled the matter, even striking the Worthy Li Changying in the face of a sword cultivator, forcing the man to be carried down Donghua Mountain.

After eating, Chen Pingan went to Mao Xiaodong’s study to discuss the matter of refining his natal item, asking Yu Lu to help keep an eye on Pei Qian. Yu Lu smiled and agreed.

After Chen Pingan left, Li Baoping said that she was going back to the academy to take notes on today’s lecture. Pei Qian made an excuse not to go with her, and then went to Chen Pingan’s guesthouse, moved out the bamboo chest, and took out the treasure box. She and Li Huai had a secret master-level battle scheduled on the summit of Donghua Mountain.

Yu Lu accompanied Pei Qian up the mountain, while Zhu Lian had already silently left, secretly protecting Li Baoping according to Chen Pingan’s instructions.

At the summit of Donghua Mountain, Li Huai was already sitting upright, with that unusual yellowish-brown wooden box placed in front of him.

Pei Qian grinned and placed the treasure box on the table.

Yu Lu squatted on a stone stool, watching the two children facing off, finding it rather amusing.

Li Huai, seeing the treasure box, felt as if facing a formidable enemy. “Pei Qian, you make the first move!”

Pei Qian scoffed.
With a soft sound, the treasure box given by Yao Jinzhi back then was opened. It was a nine-compartment design, inside which were exquisite miniature wooden carvings of spiritual mushrooms, along with several rare and peerless coins purchased by Yao Jinzhi, veritable famous springs of currency, and an ancient Taoist talisman, its surface covered with a thick layer of patina. It was engraved with the image of a red-faced, bearded, golden-armored, red-robed spirit official of the Taoist faith, with a heavenly eye opened between his eyebrows. After Master Chen Ping’an’s appraisal, apart from the spirit official talisman and the wooden mushroom, most of the items were secular treasures, not worthy of being called immortal artifacts.

Pei Qian gently took out the talisman and placed it on the table, “Prepare to face my attack!”

Li Huai opened a delicate yellow box and took out a mud figure of a wandering swordsman, arms crossed over his chest, “I have a Sword Immortal to defend me and even slay enemies, what can you do?”

Pei Qian immediately produced the delicately textured, quaintly shaped wooden mushroom, “Even if your general’s Sword Immortal lands a blow, this mushroom is a great tonic that can prolong life! Your turn!”

Li Huai grumbled and pulled out a second mud figurine, a watchman with a gong and drum, “I’ll beat a gong and drum and annoy you to death!”

Pei Qian sneered and placed the several famous coins on the table, “Money makes the world go round! Be careful your minions betray you and beat their drums outside your window! It’s your turn!”

Li Huai presented his third mud figure, a statue of an armored general, “This general is utterly loyal to me! Your money will only be like throwing meat dumplings to a dog, gone without return!”

Then Li Huai took out a mud figure of a Taoist with a whisk, “This is an immortal master living in a Taoist temple on the mountain. With a sweep of his whisk, he can overturn rivers and seas! Do you admit defeat?”

This time, Pei Qian did not take out a treasure from the treasure box, but carefully took out the scented sachet purse given by Lady Gui from her sleeve. She first turned around to pour out her private money and cassia twigs, hiding them carefully, and then placed the sachet, which emitted a refreshing fragrance, on the table, “This Qiankun pouch of mine can hold any immortal arts or magical treasures! What’s the whisk of a smelly Taoist priest?”

Then, Pei Qian placed the translucent, adorable cassia twig on the table and began to boast, “This is a branch from the cassia tree in the Moon Palace! If you throw it on the ground, it will grow into a cassia tree taller than a building tomorrow!”

Li Huai quickly took out his last mud figure, a fairy riding a crane, “This maid’s steed is a crane, which can secretly steal your cassia branch!”

Pei Qian drew the bamboo knife and bamboo sword from her waist and slammed them heavily on the table, “One sword will slice off the crane’s claws, and one blade will chop off the maid’s head!”

Li Huai finally brought out his number one general, a painted wooden puppet, half an arm’s length tall, far exceeding the mud figures given by Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple, “One hand will seize your sword, and the other will grip your knife!”

After that, the two began to use every means at their disposal.

The small, refined hiking staff, and the other secular objects in the treasure box that were merely valuable but not helpful for cultivation.

Li Huai then took out the book “Breaking the Great Cliff,” even mentioning the spirit that used to live inside, whom A-Liang once slapped into the book.

However, generally speaking, Pei Qian had the upper hand.

On the stone table, a dazzling array of items were laid out, filled with Pei Qian’s and Li Huai’s belongings.

Yu Lu watched the two little fellows’ intrigues with great interest.

Finally, Li Huai sighed and cupped his fist, saying, “Alright, I lost. My skills are inferior, a step behind. I, Li Huai, a man of integrity, can afford to lose!”

Pei Qian crossed her arms and nodded, looking at Li Huai with an admiring gaze, “It’s alright. This is called glorious defeat. In the martial world, there are only a few heroes who can compete with me for so many rounds!”

Li Huai turned his head and said to Yu Lu, “Yu Lu, you are fortunate to have witnessed this peak battle. Consider it your good fortune.”

Pei Qian said in a mature tone, “I’m not the kind of martial artist who likes empty fame, so Yu Lu, just remember it yourself. There’s no need to spread it around.”

Li Huai and Pei Qian looked at each other and grinned in unison.

A sense of mutual appreciation.

Pei Qian thought that when Li Huai went off to study, she must let him know what a true martial arts master was and what were the ultimate swordsmanship and domineering saber techniques in the world.

Li Huai thought that when he left the academy for distant travels, he must take Pei Qian with him to explore the martial world together. Since they could chat, he would feel more at ease.

Yu Lu squatted silently to the side, amazed.

He was amazed both by the fact that the two little fellows possessed so many valuable objects and by the thickness of their skin and their shared affinity.

Because Li Huai had skipped class to come, there were no students or visitors on the mountaintop at the moment, which saved Yu Lu a lot of trouble, allowing the two to slowly pack up their belongings.

As the Crown Prince of the Lu Dynasty, which was once known throughout Baoping Continent for its “abundant treasures,” Yu Lu, apart from Chen Ping’an, probably had a better eye than even the cultivators on the mountain. Therefore, Yu Lu knew that the two little fellows’ possessions were almost comparable to those of a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator, or even some rogue Golden Core Earth Immortals. If one didn’t consider innate treasures, they might not have such a rich foundation.

Yu Lu jokingly said to Pei Qian, “Pei Qian, aren’t you afraid I’ll be tempted by your wealth?”

Yu Lu understood Li Huai’s nature very well. He had a grand ambition, so he would not ask this question.

Pei Qian rolled her eyes at Yu Lu, somewhat disgusted, feeling that this fellow named Yu Lu seemed to be a bit slow-witted, “You’re my master’s friend. How could I not trust your character?”

Yu Lu was speechless.

In the study, after the two of them had worked out all the details of the refining process together, Mao Xiaodong slapped his ruler against his waist, and one by one, the heavenly materials and earthly treasures used to refine the golden literary courage floated out of the ruler and landed on the table. There were a total of eighteen kinds, of varying sizes and prices. Currently, there were still six missing. Four of them could be delivered to the Cliffside Academy soon, but two of them were more troublesome. They could not be replaced, but they would more or less affect the final grade of the golden literary courage after it was refined. After all, Mao Xiaodong had extremely high expectations for it, hoping that Chen Ping’an could refine a perfect innate treasure in the Eastern China Mountain, where he was stationed, and be stationed in the second Qi Palace.

Mao Xiaodong had some words bottled up in his heart that he did not say to Chen Ping’an, one was to give Chen Ping’an a surprise, and the other was to worry that Chen Ping’an would become overly concerned and uneasy as a result, which would be unfortunate.

Once the golden literary courage was successfully refined, it would be like a powerful nobleman building a mansion, or like that on the battlefield
The lead general erected a grand standard, capable of accelerating the absorption of spiritual energy at specific times and locations, such as the “metal” branches of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches – Geng, Xin, Shen, and You. Suitable locations for drawing upon this energy were the west and southwest flanks of auspicious spiritual mountains and rivers. Furthermore, metal embodies righteousness and governs slaughter, so those who cultivated and embodied chivalry, possessed a steadfast character and a potent aura of carnage, would find their efforts doubly effective. Thus, it was praised as “The autumn wind rises, ringing like bells and drums; worry not that great fame shall evade the court.”

However, these arcane principles were largely inherent in all metallic natal artifacts. Chen Ping’an’s golden literary courage possessed an even more hidden layer of opportunity.

It was from a particularly obscure and esoteric ancient text that Mao Xiaodong learned of these inner workings, knowledge that even Cui Dongshan would remain oblivious to.

To refine a golden literary courage of exceedingly high quality as one’s natal artifact was fraught with difficulty, as it was nearly impossible to come by the necessary materials and conditions. And even if one succeeded in the refinement flawlessly, and this was of utmost importance, the refiner had to be more than simply a cultivator with good fortune and a propensity for slaughter. Their temperament had to be perfectly aligned with the literary energy contained within the courage. Only by using supreme refinement techniques, with each step flawlessly executed, could the final golden literary courage attain a state of profound mystery, a state where “moral virtue resides within, and thus one is not swayed by external objects.”

When entering filthy, Yin-infused lands, one could not guarantee complete immunity to evil, nor that all spirits and specters would flee in terror, but at the very least, one could innately suppress and overcome those entities not recognized as orthodox by the Great Harmony World.

This effect was akin to the dragons living in the ancient rivers and seas, who possessed the innate ability to command and awe myriad aquatic creatures.

Mao Xiaodong collected his thoughts. While Chen Ping’an carefully examined the various treasures, he slowly said, “In the next few days, we should avoid the crowded and watchful eyes of the daytime as much as possible. At night, we’ll visit the Literary Temple of the Great Sui capital and several other places rich in literary fortune. I need to retrieve and advance some of the literary fortune from those deities, some of which is essentially ‘stored’ with them by our Cliffside Academy… to put it bluntly, it’s like profit-sharing in a business deal. The Gao imperial family of the Great Sui and the Ministry of Rites will turn a blind eye to this, as it’s merely for me to retrieve what belongs to Eastern Flower Mountain, which, as you said, is still part of the Great Sui’s territory after all.”

Mao Xiaodong cautioned, “During this time, you only need to stand by my side and say nothing. The reason I’m bringing you along is to test whether there are unique opportunities related to your own literary fortune. What’s wrong? Do you find it awkward? Chen Ping’an, you’re misunderstanding things. Your understanding of the conflict within the Confucian lineage is still superficial, you only see the surface but not the underlying meaning. In short, you don’t need to consider these things for now, just do as I say. It’s not as if I’m asking you to recognize a certain lineage as your ancestor, so don’t be nervous.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Understood.”

Mao Xiaodong then spoke frankly, “Currently, a demonic wind and rain is brewing in the Great Sui capital, making it very uneasy. There’s another reason why I’m taking you away from the academy, which is to help you escape a dilemma. However, it will be dangerous, and not just a little. Do you have any thoughts on this?”

Mao Xiaodong was clearly intending to use himself as bait.

Chen Ping’an said with concern, “Of course I’m willing, but if Headmaster Mao leaves the academy, it’s like leaving a sage’s world. If the enemy is prepared, their first target will be Headmaster Mao, who is in the academy. Wouldn’t that be extremely dangerous for you?”

“To deal with me, even if I leave Eastern Flower Mountain, they would need at least a Jade Purity realm cultivator to be certain.”

Mao Xiaodong laughed heartily, “Do you think the Upper Five Realms cultivators of Treasure Bottle Continent are like those trinkets that Pei Qian and Li Huai collect, something you can just casually take out and show off? The only Jade Purity realm cultivator in the Great Sui is an old ancestor of the Geyang Gao family, a storyteller who isn’t even good at fighting, and he’s already gone to your hometown’s Cape Cloud Mountain. Besides, with the death of that Ascension realm grand cultivator from Willow Leaf Continent, and fragments of his Glazed Golden Body scattered across Treasure Bottle Continent, those thousand-year-old turtles vying for them, such as Divine Edict Sect’s Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen, the Jiang family ancestor rumored to have secretly entered the Immortal realm, and that Jade Purity realm cultivator who originated as a wild cultivator from Bee Tail Ferry, those fellows are surely busy with their schemes and battles. Otherwise, those who are left, like Wind and Snow Temple’s Wei Jin, have gathered in the central part of Treasure Bottle Continent, preparing to clash with Northern Reed Continent’s Heavenly Lord Xie Shi.”

Mao Xiaodong lamented, “Treasure Bottle Continent has more than two hundred kingdoms and tributaries, big and small, but how many local Upper Five Realms cultivators are there? You can count them on your fingers. Before Cui and Qi Jingchun came to Treasure Bottle Continent, when luck was bad, there were even fewer, perhaps only enough for one hand. So it’s no wonder cultivators from other continents look down on Treasure Bottle Continent, we simply can’t compare to them in any aspect, well, except for martial arts, perhaps. After all, the successive appearances of Song Changjing and Li Er, and at such a young age, are quite shocking.”

Chen Ping’an then spoke about the news he heard at Upside-Down Mountain’s Sword Forging House regarding the bounty on Song Changjing’s head.

Mao Xiaodong smiled, “The Great Harmony World is accustomed to belittling Treasure Bottle Continent. When you travel to other continents in the future, if you say you’re from the smallest Treasure Bottle Continent, you’ll often be looked down upon. Speaking of the early days of Cliffside Academy, do you know the only thing Qi Jingchun managed to accomplish in those twenty or thirty years?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I don’t know.”

Mao Xiaodong smiled subtly, “It was to painstakingly cultivate batches of scholarly seeds for the Great Li Dynasty, but each of them was determined to study at the more renowned Lake-Viewing Academy. Qi Jingchun didn’t stop them, and what’s most ridiculous is that Qi Jingchun even had to write letters of recommendation for those young scholars, saying good things about them so they could successfully stay at Lake-Viewing Academy.”

Chen Ping’an was stunned.

Mao Xiaodong’s expression was indifferent, “At that time, almost all scholars in the Great Li Dynasty felt that even a virtuous gentleman from Lake-Viewing Academy could expound the sages’ teachings of your Treasure Bottle Continent better than the Headmaster of Cliffside Academy.”

Silence filled the study for a long time.

Mao Xiaodong turned to look out the window, mocking himself, “So from our teacher, to Qi Jingchun, and finally to me, Mao Xiaodong, none of us has a clear answer about who counts as a proper direct disciple, how many are truly disciples of the inner sanctum, and who is the real closed-door disciple. Chen Ping’an, don’t you find it funny? In contrast, the other major lineages are so well-ordered in their transmission, with strict rules and regulations.”