The city was deep in verdant spring, yet in the entire northern territory of the Shihao Kingdom, one could scarcely find a royal scion or young master venturing out for a spring outing.

The three riders, proceeding at a leisurely pace, had been traveling north, and before they knew it, summer had arrived.

On this day, on a small mountain path near a border pass of the Shihao Kingdom, the three riders halted to rest. Zeng Ye was busily preparing a meal, while Ma Duyi, in good spirits, was humming a tune as she preened before a mirror. The small, green-lacquered bronze mirror in her hand was a spiritual artifact acquired by chance, a rare “sunlight and moonlight linked arc mirror.” She had bargained it down for less than two taels of silver from a pawnbroker with poor eyesight. According to the old cultivator, Ghost General, who appraised items at the immortal ferry, it could fetch at least forty or fifty snowflake coins.

Chen Ping’an sat nearby, reviewing his ledger. Most of the names were lightly marked with a stroke of vermillion, signifying wishes fulfilled. However, the unfulfilled desires of some Yin spirits and ghosts had to be temporarily set aside. In fact, both Chen Ping’an and they were aware that these wishes were likely to become “karmic debts” in Buddhist terms, difficult to achieve in this lifetime, whether in the Yin or Yang realm. Some Yin spirits’ knots of the heart had become deadlocks, filled with grief and indignation, their resentful energy surging, almost transforming them into vengeful ghosts. Only the few heart-clearing talismans pasted in the Yama Palace in the underworld could maintain their remaining sanity.

The “frugal” Ma Duyi had not once complained about Master Chen repeatedly writing heart-clearing talismans, which would lose their spiritual energy and need replacing, constantly consuming immortal money, like a bottomless pit.

Along the way, they had encountered many defeated and scattered soldiers of the Shihao Kingdom, scattered in the mountains and forests, becoming bands of roving bandits, gathering and dispersing unpredictably, frantically plundering the Great Li’s rear supply lines. Some, in order to survive, driven by a sense of righteous indignation, had turned their spears against the local counties and people of the Shihao Kingdom. The previous year’s three consecutive heavy snows, coupled with the ravages of war, had left the northern territories of the Shihao Kingdom desolate. Even though these soldiers, numbering no more than three or four hundred, only sought a small amount of grain, the scattered and impoverished counties along the border, where every household depended on their meager reserves to last until the next harvest, could not afford to satisfy the Shihao soldiers’ hunger. Inevitably, conflicts arose, and as they escalated, with one side fighting to avoid starvation and the other for the sake of their country, the clashes became increasingly fierce.

Chen Ping’an’s three riders encountered a conflict that almost turned into a bloody slaughter. A young soldier in tattered armor was about to strike a thin old man on the shoulder with his blade. Chen Ping’an intervened, grasping the Shihao-made saber. Instantly, dozens of Shihao deserters swarmed towards him. Chen Ping’an stamped his foot, sending men and horses tumbling. He tossed the saber back into the young soldier’s sheath, the force of the impact causing him to stagger backward.

Chen Ping’an said nothing afterward, but simply stood with his horse on the town street. The hungry soldiers silently withdrew from the town.

Chen Ping’an’s group of three riders also slowly departed.

Behind them, the local people began to loudly berate the native soldiers, using all sorts of harsh words. They accused them of being incapable of fighting the Great Li barbarians but being quick to bully their own people, saying they should have died on the battlefield once and for all, saving them from harming their own. Some even suggested informing the Great Li iron cavalry in a nearby large county, hoping to earn a bounty.

After the cavalry left the town, the young soldier suddenly burst into tears.

An old officer, appearing to be a centurion, stopped his horse, his heart filled with sorrow. The entire cavalry, their faces gaunt and thin, almost all wounded, also halted, lost and bewildered.

Chen Ping’an had Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye wait where they were, and rode off alone.

This old-established border cavalry of the Shihao Kingdom, which at its peak had over two thousand elite riders, had now dwindled to less than eighty, each one as if facing a formidable enemy.

Chen Ping’an threw a heavy bag, saying in increasingly fluent Shihao official speech, “Disperse. Take off your armor, remove your horse armor, and use this money as travel expenses and resettlement funds.”

The old officer caught the bag and opened it, finding it filled with official gold ingots. He looked up, his face filled with confusion.

Chen Ping’an said, “If you’re unwilling to give up just like that, you can choose a few shrewd brothers to pose as merchants and buy grain in the counties that have become stable. Try to avoid the Great Li spies and scouts, and buy a small amount of grain each time, otherwise it’s easy to arouse the suspicion of the local government. As for who is on your side now, I believe you know it better than anyone.”

The old officer asked, “Is that all? Are you asking for something in return?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “You have no choice now. Since you’re already in the worst possible situation, why not give it a try? Besides, if I wanted to claim rewards from the state and county governments who’ve already surrendered to Great Li with your dozens of heads, I wouldn’t need to go to such trouble. Your soldiers may not see it, but as a fourth-realm pure martial artist, you should be very clear about that.”

The old officer hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.

Chen Ping’an waved his hand. “I’m only helping this much. I’m not some charitable saint. Don’t think of me as a sucker.”

The old officer felt embarrassed and had to abandon that not-so-kind thought. He generously accepted the bag of life-saving gold ingots and bowed his thanks to the thin man in the green cotton robe, saying, “Sir, your righteousness is admirable!”

Chen Ping’an returned the bow and left. As for what decision the Shihao cavalry ultimately made, he didn’t watch it from beginning to end, like he had with the young helper in the dog meat shop in the state city.

The old officer felt a little deflated; he hadn’t even asked for his name.

Ma Duyi saw Master Chen returning on horseback at that time and joked, “You say you’re not a charitable saint, but really?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “To see through but not expose is a very good habit of dealing with people.”

Ma Duyi was about to retort when Chen Ping’an had already spurred his horse, and she and Zeng Ye had to hurry to catch up.

The horses’ hooves lightly trod on the vast earth of blooming spring.

At this moment, Ma Duyi put down her bronze mirror and turned to look at Chen Ping’an, who had already closed his ledger, asking, “Master Chen, can we return to Shujian Lake before autumn?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “It should be about right.”
Ma Duyi stretched languidly, accidentally bumping into the large bamboo chest behind her. She quickly reached out to steady it. Inside, packed tightly, were treasures acquired at low prices from the recent three cities. Even wrapped in silk and padded with cotton, she still worried about damaging those particularly delicate items. According to the old ghost who resided in the imitation glazed tile pavilion, these were mostly trinkets favored by wealthy families. In times of chaos, they were far less valuable than real gold and silver, but once peace returned, even a tiny bird feeder could fetch two or three hundred taels of silver. If a wealthy enthusiast took a fancy to it, the price could easily double.

These objects could have been placed in Mister Chen’s miniature world, but Ma Duyi liked to open the chest and rummage through its contents whenever they stopped, like that beloved small bronze mirror. She took it out to admire, then burdened herself by carrying it.

Zeng Ye was now a genuine Fourth Realm cultivator, while Ma Duyi, with her superior comprehension and talent, was even a Fifth Realm Yin creature.

However, Zeng Ye possessed a better foundation in cultivation. This was the importance of inherent talent.

One wasn’t impatient, the other wasn’t hasty. Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi got along better and better, developing a certain understanding.

While eating, Chen Pingan still chewed slowly and deliberately. Zeng Ye squatted beside him, shoveling rice into his mouth, and casually asked, “Mister Chen, how’s my stance practice going?”

Chen Pingan smiled faintly, “Sporadically.”

Zeng Ye sighed in dismay. He had originally thought that his six-step stance should at least be smooth and skillful.

Ma Duyi added fuel to the fire, “You’re just not cut out for martial arts. Even an amateur like me can see it clearly. Your stance is loose and empty. You haven’t even scratched the surface. Zeng Ye, do you actually think you’re doing well?”

Chen Pingan comforted Zeng Ye, “Since martial arts isn’t your main focus, it’s enough to strengthen your body and help you stretch your tendons and nourish your bones. Otherwise, pure Qi might be generated, conflicting with the spiritual energy in your Qi Sea, which wouldn’t be good.”

Zeng Ye said dejectedly, “I either fail at everything I try, or I’m just slow. Mister Chen, why aren’t you worried?”

Chen Pingan was amused. “If worrying was useful, I’d be anxious with you.”

Ma Duyi, harboring mischief, was about to speak.

Chen Pingan raised his hand, “Quiet. Don’t make fun of Zeng Ye’s cultivation. Besides, how could you possibly understand whether Zeng Ye’s stance is good or bad? A senior casually commented, and you’re just borrowing their words, right?”

Ma Duyi smiled, her long eyes crinkling, not speaking, tacitly admitting it.

The three continued onward, walking along the border of the Stone Mill Country.

They arrived at a mountain sect named Eagle Fall Mountain in the Northern Territory. The green mountains stretched endlessly, the scenery was beautiful, and the spiritual energy was quite abundant. Both Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye felt refreshed and took several deep breaths after entering the territory.

In many places barren of spiritual energy, common people might never encounter a cultivator in their entire lives. This was the reason. Merchants rushed about seeking profit, and cultivators, when traveling among mortals, would subconsciously avoid places with sparse or nonexistent spiritual energy. After all, cultivation was demanding and required patience. Especially for cultivators below the Fifth Realm, and immortals below the Earth Immortal stage in the Middle Five Realms, spending precious time in places where there was no spiritual energy for thousands of miles was a waste.

Previously, constant warfare had affected the mountains of the Stone Mill Country. Later, somehow, many smaller mountains had gathered together, vaguely taking Eagle Fall Mountain as their leader. Eagle Fall Mountain occupied a large area and had previously followed a single-lineage inheritance, the kind of mountain sect with a large estate but few people. Therefore, it had divided many of its mountain peaks and leased them to those low-level Stone Mill Country cultivator sects that had come to seek refuge.

In just two years, Eagle Fall Mountain had gained considerable momentum.

It was said that many immortal shops had opened here, which was why Chen Pingan was traveling here. Since they were passing by, he would allow Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi to see if they could sell the dozen or so miscellaneous spiritual artifacts they had found at a good price. All the immortal money they earned would belong to them. Chen Pingan wouldn’t interfere with how they “split the spoils,” but he estimated that Zeng Ye would inevitably suffer a significant loss. Ma Duyi’s calculations were so sharp that three Zeng Yes wouldn’t be her match.

Chen Pingan thought that if he ever opened a shop, Ma Duyi would be a good assistant.

When they reached a mountain peak outside the boundary of Eagle Fall Mountain, Chen Pingan discovered that it had gathered many refugees. A market had been built in a decent manner, with a bustling crowd. Along the way, many places were under construction, with great enthusiasm. Besides relatively strong young men, there were also many women and children who had managed to walk to Eagle Fall Mountain, all contributing their strength. What surprised Chen Pingan the most was that a Stone Mill Country martial temple had already been completed. Although crude, all the necessary imperial court rites were present. In addition, there were also cultivators building a mountain protection array, busy at work.

This was probably the earliest prototype of an immortal ferry or a mountain sect.

Two cultivators saw Chen Pingan and his companions leading a horse. Facing these three unfamiliar faces, their eyes were somewhat wary. They secretly contacted each other, and fellow disciples gathered from all directions, uniting to intimidate these outsiders.

Chen Pingan no longer wore the Azure Gorge Island token, and there was nothing he could do about it. He asked one of the cultivators for directions to the mountain peak where the Eagle Fall Mountain Patriarch Hall was located.

The group of disciples, led by an old cultivator in the Cave Realm, gave directions. Only after Chen Pingan and his companions left the market did they breathe a sigh of relief and continue to build the mountain and water array.

They couldn’t help it. They were just a low-level sect. Even though they had moved to Eagle Fall Mountain to seek refuge, compared to the other wealthy immortal residences, they couldn’t scrape together much immortal money, so the Eagle Fall Mountain Patriarch Hall had thrown them here to act as gatekeepers for the eastern gate of Eagle Fall Mountain. If any trouble arose, such as the Great Li cavalry disliking Eagle Fall Mountain and attacking, they would naturally be the first to suffer. They could only grit their teeth and shield Eagle Fall Mountain from disaster.

The creation, rise, and transmission of any mountain sect inevitably involved hardship, suffering, humiliation, and danger.
That old cultivator, an “ancestor” of the sect with a cultivation base at the Cave Realm, stood upon a high platform. His gaze paused on a refugee child helping his parents wipe sweat. A knowing smile graced the old cultivator’s face. A good seedling, indeed. The Ancestral Hall of the Gullfall Mountain, belatedly realizing this, planned to pay a Small Heat Coin and gift a mountain peak spanning several miles to relocate the family and register them as residents of their mountain. However, he had staunchly opposed this, refusing the Gullfall Mountain’s generous offer. Instead, he intended to personally take the child as his direct disciple. Perhaps in sixty years, or a century, his sect would gain another Cave Realm cultivator. Maybe even reaching the Ocean Gazing Realm of that ancestral founder who revitalized the sect in its history wouldn’t be a mere dream. Thinking of this, the old cultivator felt immensely gratified. Although his fellow disciples in the Ancestral Hall had initially argued fiercely – after all, a Small Heat Coin, especially with the added mountain peak, held significant value these days – they had rallied together after he rejected the Gullfall Mountain’s proposal. Even the most frugal junior brother had decided to present a treasured spiritual artifact to his grand-disciple on the day of the apprenticeship ceremony.

—

After leaving the market, Chen Ping’an suddenly turned back for a distant glance, then asked, “Did you two see anything?”

Zeng Ye and Ma Duyi were both bewildered.

Chen Ping’an shook his head and said, “Never mind. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me.”

Ma Duyi joked, “Chen *xiansheng*, leaving a sentence unfinished isn’t good, is it?”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “When you are leading the way on your own, you will know that leaving half of the truth unsaid is a skill worthy of deep study.”

Ma Duyi tsked, “Chen *xiansheng*’s way of boasting about his abilities is becoming more and more refined.”

Chen Ping’an turned in his saddle and clasped his fist. “You flatter me, you flatter me.”

Ma Duyi chuckled with annoyance, “Chen *xiansheng*, if you keep this up, you’ll really become *the* Chen *xiansheng* in my mind!”

Zeng Ye shook his head and swayed, “Not at all, not at all.”

It was clear that this lad still leaned towards Chen *xiansheng*.

As a result, he received a sudden and unrestrained sleeve strike from Ma Duyi, which stung his face.

Zeng Ye said with irritation, “A gentleman uses words, not violence.”

Now it was Ma Duyi’s turn to shake his head and sway, “Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with, the sage said. Don’t you even understand that?”

Chen Ping’an said with a wry smile, “That’s not the way to interpret the sentence, but since you’re willing to belittle yourself, I think it’s fine too.”

Laughing and joking, the three riders arrived at the true mountain gate of Gullfall Mountain.

Compared to the two immortal peaks they had passed along the way, this place had a solemn and imposing air, a world of its own, and its spiritual energy was even richer than Yellow Fence Mountain.

At the foot of the mountain was a peaceful town nestled by the mountain and the river, or rather a larger village, with houses that seemed to house over a thousand people.

The so-called grandeur of the mountain peaks, devoid of mortal affairs, would eventually become a castle in the sky, a stream without a source.

However, many immortal masters who have yet to reach the summit are too lazy or disdainful to think in such terms.

To reach the mountain from the village at the foot, one had to cross a river. Not with an arched bridge, but with something that resembled a slender serpent quietly lying in the river. On its back, villagers led oxen, presumably to go to the nearby fields for work. Behind the young man and the water buffalo, there was a child riding a green bamboo stick, shouting “Giddy up, giddy up,” as if driving a horse.

Chen Ping’an took the lead in stopping his horse to give way to the villagers and the water buffalo with its curved horns.

After the villagers and the water buffalo walked off the small bridge, they, being worldly, did not pay much attention to the three strangers. However, the child riding the bamboo horse, seeing the real horses, was very curious. Chen Ping’an smiled at the child, and the child shyly grinned back, following his father and the water buffalo on their way.

Zeng Ye found it amusing.

Above the cloud-shrouded Gullfall Mountain, sword lights and rainbow lights often streaked across the sky.

But the child was clearly unperturbed by this. Instead, he was more curious about the horses beside them, and the child riding the bamboo horse often looked back.

Chen Ping’an took the lead in leading his horse onto the low stone bridge, which was not much higher than the river’s surface.

Halfway there, villagers who needed to cross to the other side were waiting quietly.

After walking off the stone bridge, Chen Ping’an nodded to them in thanks, and the villagers smiled and nodded in return.

Zeng Ye seemed thoughtful.

Ma Duyi was the same.

Just then, Chen Ping’an suddenly turned to look at the sky.

The Wooden Box Small Sword Mound and the Cyan Gorge Island Offering Jade Talisman in his sleeve heated up almost simultaneously.

Regarding this matter, Liu Zhimao did not hide it back then. He could use them to track Chen Ping’an’s trail.

Chen Ping’an had no objection to this.

A streak of snow-white rainbow light, a cultivator rapidly riding the wind, broke through the sky from outside the Gullfall Mountain and landed with a bang.

It was Zhang Ye, the old cultivator from Cyan Gorge Island who was in charge of the secret vault and fishing. His expression was haggard, and his spiritual energy was chaotic.

This secret journey north had almost exhausted the spiritual energy reserves of several of Zhang Ye’s natal acupoints. This was a reckless act that damaged the foundation of the Great Dao, just like an express courier service transmitting messages at eight hundred miles per hour, inevitably harming the horses, even to the point of running a succession of steeds to death.

Zeng Ye was initially overjoyed, after all, Zhang Ye was the benefactor who had personally pulled him out of the fiery pit of Mao Yue Island. However, when the young man saw Zhang Ye’s face and expression, he immediately fell silent.

Chen Ping’an supported the staggering Zhang Ye and asked softly, “Has there been a change in the Lake of Scrolls?”

Zhang Ye said miserably, “The sky has changed!”

Chen Ping’an sighed. He had actually anticipated the emergence of this situation, but because it was not the worst-case scenario, Chen Ping’an had not taken too many measures. In fact, he could not take too many effective measures.

After all, human power has its limits.

Very simply, either the Great Li’s General Su Gaoshan had made a move, or the person behind Liu Laocheng of the Willow Palace Island had begun to enter the game.

Or, it could simply be a joint effort by both parties.

It was normal for Tan Yuanyi of Grain Millet Island to defect, seeking only self-preservation and betraying his alliance. It was also normal for Liu Zhimao to be unwilling to give up the Cyan Gorge Island’s foundation and be caught in a trap.

However, this was definitely not good news for Chen Ping’an at the moment.

Chen Ping’an had already grasped the trajectory of the original situation in the Lake of Scrolls, and the chessboard he had painstakingly operated might have already been overturned by later chess players.

Zhang Ye knelt down with a thud, “I implore Mr. Chen to save the Island Lord!”
Chen Ping’an shook his head and directly inquired, “Are Gu Can and his mother already being secretly detained by Senior Zhang?”

Zhang Ye, kneeling on the ground, raised his head. “The matter arose suddenly. Qingxia Island is incapable of such an act. Even if we could, I would not do so, for I know it would be counterproductive. Only Mister Chen can save the Island Lord.”

Chen Ping’an helped Zhang Ye to his feet, speaking slowly, “Senior Zhang, please rise and speak. Let me hear what you have to say. However, rescuing Liu Zhimao is virtually impossible. I believe Senior understood this long before arriving. This trip is merely a matter of doing one’s best and leaving the rest to fate.”

Zhang Ye nodded lightly, offering a wry smile, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Chen Ping’an, however, felt a throbbing headache.

In front of Zhang Ye, certain words were like the jokes he had shared with Ma Duyi, spoken only halfway, seeing through the situation without explicitly stating it.

Zhang Ye was naturally doing his best, but it was highly likely that he was fully aware that his movements had already been observed by certain individuals with malicious intent, perhaps overlooking this very spot from somewhere on Gu Luo Mountain.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an did not kick a man when he was down, nor deliver a fatal blow.

This could already be considered the height of benevolence and righteousness.

Chen Ping’an said, “Let us speak as we walk.”

Zhang Ye steadied his mind. His first sentence caused Ma Duyi and Zeng Ye, who were listening intently, to experience a jolt in their hearts. “Our Island Lord was no match for a cultivator of unknown identity. He has been severely injured and is being held in the water prison of Gongliu Island. Furthermore, Su Gaoshan, the main general of the Great Li Iron Cavalry, has personally arrived at Yunlou City on the shores of Shujian Lake. He has cast his whip into the lake, proclaiming that all unruly rogue cultivators of Shujian Lake will be utterly annihilated within ten days.”

Chen Ping’an’s first thought was that the great cultivator capable of forcefully suppressing Liu Zhimao was either the Mohist chivalrous hero Xu Ruo, or the Sage Ruan Qiong.