Ding Tong gripped the railing, utterly lost as to why he was there, muttering blankly, “Am I going to die?”

The scholar in white took out his folding fan and, with a long reach, tapped the railing all around.

Ding Tong turned his head. From the viewing platform on the second floor of the ferry terminal, he saw Wei Bai of the Ironclad Prefecture, the Azure Mistress of Spring Dew Garden, the frightful old crone, and all the other esteemed immortal masters of noble lineage who usually didn’t mind his martial status and were willing to drink merrily with him – every one of them wore an indifferent expression.

Downstairs, on the first floor, some were watching the spectacle, while others secretly smirked at him. One person, in particular, even gave him a thumbs-up.

Ding Tong turned back, feeling a wave of despair followed by numbness. He lowered his head, staring at the sea of clouds below.

With a flick of the white-robed scholar’s wrist, a streak of golden sword light shot out from the window and soared into the sky.

He chuckled, “Do you know why I never laid a hand on you, even though you’re a useless piece of trash and the root of all this? And why I killed that Golden Body Realm old man, even though he could have stayed out of it?”

Ding Tong shook his head, his voice raspy. “I don’t quite understand.”

After unleashing the sword and controlling it with his mind, the white-robed scholar remained still, gazing into the distance. “The influence on this world of a seventh-realm martial artist’s casual act of malice is vastly different from a fifth-realm martial artist’s all-out effort to do evil. The smaller the territory, the more you appear to be a god holding the power of life and death in the eyes of the weak. Besides, that paper-thin Golden Body, after claiming there was no feud and that he wouldn’t kill, struck the first blow, killing the outsider in his heart. But I could accept that, so I genuinely allowed him a second and third punch. He was the one who sought his own death. As for you, you should thank that young man who called me a sword immortal. He stopped you from jumping off the viewing platform and came down to ask me about martial arts. Otherwise, it would have been you who died instead of that old man who shielded you. Speaking plainly, your crime doesn’t warrant death. Besides, Gao Cheng left a lingering effect, deliberately disgusting people. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just assume that you, like me in the past, had a spell cast upon your heart, causing your temperament to be influenced and leading you to do things that are ‘seeking death’.”

“Reason isn’t just something for the weak to complain about or cry injustice with, it’s not something you have to kneel and kowtow to speak.”

Ding Tong’s mind was a blank, barely absorbing any of it. He was just wondering if he should wait for the sword to fall and then die, or if he should at least show some heroic spirit, jump off the ferry, and become an eighth-realm martial artist roaming the winds.

The white-robed scholar said nothing more.

You people are like those mounted warriors who go to the mountains to die, incidentally running over pedestrians who just happen to be in your way. In your life’s journey, everywhere is an unknown wilderness, an ideal place to commit heinous acts.

In the countryside, in the marketplace, in the martial world, in officialdom, on the mountains.

There are countless people like this.

Parents and teachers are like this, they themselves are like this, and their descendants will be like this.

There’s no stopping it.

Why was the little girl at the Golden Bell Temple in Huaihuang Kingdom so sad, so disappointed?

Because the white-robed scholar Chen Ping An, if one disregarded his true identity and cultivation and only considered his words and actions on that road, was exactly the same as those who go to the mountains to die.

What hurt her the most wasn’t the scholar’s pedantry, but the sentence, “If I’m knocked unconscious and someone steals my book chest, will you pay me?” That kind of language and mentality was what hurt the little girl the most. She gave kindness to the world and to others, but that person not only didn’t appreciate it but returned it with malice. But the good thing about the little girl at the Golden Bell Temple was that even though she was so sad, she still sincerely cared about the safety of that foolish and wicked person. And what Chen Ping An could do now was just tell himself, “Doing good or evil is my own business,” so Chen Ping An felt that she was much better than him and deserved to be called a good person.

The white-robed scholar was silent, both waiting for the reappearance of the Mourning Robe Sect cultivators and listening to the voice of his own heart.

Gao Cheng’s Inquisitive Game wasn’t too clever.

The open scheme, however, was somewhat impressive.

The white-robed scholar pressed his folding fan against his chest, muttering to himself, “What does this sudden setback have to do with the Mourning Robe Sect? Even I know that shifting the blame to the Mourning Robe Sect isn’t my nature. What is it? Are only ants allowed to use tricks you can see through? Is Gao Cheng slightly beyond your control, so you can’t stand this feeling of being stifled? Someone like you, cultivating the Dao, cultivating your heart, I think you’re not much better than them. Just be your swordmaster, don’t even think about becoming a sword immortal.”

Zhu Quan used ripples in his mind’s lake to tell him to meet in the depths of the sea of clouds and use the Heaven-Rending Divine Power again. Otherwise, the mortals on the ferry would truly be consumed. After getting off the ferry, fly straight south for ten miles on the sword.

Chen Ping An stood up and took a step forward. A streak of golden sword light descended from the sky, hovering right beneath his feet. Man and sword vanished in an instant.

In the sea of clouds, besides Zhu Quan and the two ancestral elders of the Mourning Robe Sect, there was also an unfamiliar old Daoist, wearing a Daoist robe of a style never seen before, clearly not from the Three Veins, nor from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion. As Chen Ping An hovered on his sword, a middle-aged Daoist broke through the sea of clouds, striding from afar, shrinking the mountains and rivers. The several miles of cloudy sea were covered in just two steps.

The middle-aged Daoist said in a deep voice, “The formation is complete. As long as Gao Cheng dares to use his Palm-Viewing Mountains and Rivers divine power to spy on us, he’ll suffer a bit.”

Zhu Quan looked somewhat embarrassed but still said, “It’s my fault that I couldn’t find any traces of Gao Cheng left on that martial artist.”

The old Daoist hesitated. Seeing the Mourning Robe Sect’s Law Enforcement Elder shaking his head, the old Daoist didn’t speak.

Chen Ping An shook his head. “I lost to Gao Cheng myself and got tricked by him. I can’t blame others.”

Zhu Quan still held the little girl in black in his arms, but the little girl was already fast asleep.

Zhu Quan was still blunt and straightforward, saying exactly what he meant: “After we left earlier, we actually kept an eye on the ferry, just in case. As a result, what we feared happened. We heard everything you and Gao Cheng said. When Gao Cheng’s remnant soul dissipated, the little girl let out a full-bellied burp, and a wisp of green smoke floated out of her mouth, just like that martial artist. It should be…”
Having tampered with that Tortoise Jelly, I can assure you this time, that besides staying put in Jingguan City to possibly use the ‘Palm Gazing Mountains and Rivers’ spell on us, I, Zhu Quan, can guarantee you that there are no further schemes targeting the little girl.”

The middle-aged Daoist spoke with a detached tone, yet it carried a hint of mockery. “For the sake of one person, disregarding the entirety of Skull Beach and even the southern part of Ju-lu Continent, if you, Chen Ping’an, had weighed the pros and cons, pondered for a long time, and then made the decision, I would have remained aloof, not daring to say much. But you acted without hesitation.”

A single sentence from Chen Ping’an almost stirred the middle-aged Daoist’s inner peace. “Your Daoist magic isn’t very profound.”

The middle-aged Daoist sneered, “Since you’re so sentimental, willing to hand over precious treasures just for a random little water sprite you picked up on the road, if I were a villain, encountering you would be an incredibly fortunate event.”

The Daoist then saw the white-robed scholar, clad in two layers of Daoist robes, take out a folding fan and lightly tap his head with it. “Are you at a higher realm than Du Mao?”

The middle-aged Daoist scoffed, “Although I don’t know the full truth, what realm are you at now? You must have been even more pathetic back then. Facing an Ascended Realm cultivator, how could you, Chen Ping’an, have escaped unscathed without a powerful backer in the shadows? No wonder you dared to threaten Gao Cheng, declaring you would give Jingguan City an ‘unexpected surprise’ in Ghost Domain Valley. Do you need me to help you send a flying sword message across continents?”

The white-robed scholar smiled, “Do you know that my backer wouldn’t even bother glancing at you? Doesn’t that infuriate you?”

The middle-aged Daoist’s face turned gloomy, then he laughed magnanimously. “Not infuriated, I just find you displeasing. A half-baked sword cultivator who Gao Cheng sees as a kindred spirit, with a powerful backer and a cunning mind beyond your years – Gao Cheng has a good eye, he judges people accurately. You’re not bad either, being able to chat and laugh with Gao Cheng, the Spirit Lord of Ghost Domain Valley. If word gets out, and someone can offer Gao Cheng a pot of wine, and he actually drinks it, your fame, Chen Ping’an, will spread throughout all the mountain sects of Northern Ju-lu Continent overnight.”

The white-robed scholar ohhed, tapping his palm with the folding fan. “You can be quiet now. I was only being polite to you for the sake of Sect Leader Zhu. You’ve used up your quota for speaking to me.”

The middle-aged Daoist smiled, “How about a spar? Don’t you think you’re very capable?”

The white-robed scholar said, “Then, for the sake of that millennium peach nectar tea from your master, I’ll say one more word to you.”

The middle-aged Daoist waited for a moment.

But the man remained silent, his gaze filled with pity.

The Daoist suddenly realized that the so-called “one more word” was just that – a single word of silence.

Zhu Quan was somewhat worried.

She was truly afraid that if the two continued chatting like this, they would start rolling up their sleeves and fighting. She wouldn’t know whom to help, and remaining neutral wasn’t in her nature. Or perhaps she should openly try to mediate, then give them each a few blows? Zhu Quan was skilled at fighting, not so much at mediating. Some accidental injuries were only to be expected.

The old Daoist softly said, “It’s alright, it’s beneficial for both Chen Ping’an and my disciple.”

Zhu Quan sighed and said, “Chen Ping’an, since you’ve already guessed it, I won’t introduce them any further. These two esteemed Daoists are from the Little Profound Capital Temple of Ghost Domain Valley. We invited them out of the mountain this time. You know, we, the Hemp-Clad Sect, are decent at fighting, but when it comes to dealing with Gao Cheng’s ghostly schemes, we still need Daoist experts like the Abbott to keep an eye on things.”

Chen Ping’an nodded without saying anything.

According to Jiang Shangzhen, this old Daoist from the Little Profound Capital Temple should be Yang Ningxing’s temporary protector.

That night at the Iron Chain Bridge cliff, this abbot, who had the potential to become a Heavenly Sovereign, kept watch all night, fearing that he would directly kill Yang Ningxing.

As for that millennium peach nectar tea, brought by a Golden-Armored God, whether it was a Daoist True Lord’s whim or a form of hospitality similar to Gao Cheng’s, Chen Ping’an knew little about the Little Profound Capital Temple. There were too few clues, too few threads to unravel their true intentions.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the little girl in Zhu Quan’s arms and said to Zhu Quan, “I may have to trouble Sect Leader Zhu with one more thing. It’s not that I don’t trust the Hemp-Clad Sect or the Abbott, but rather that I don’t trust Gao Cheng. So, I would trouble the Hemp-Clad Sect to send the little girl to Dragon Spring County via transcontinental ferry, and tell Wei Bo of Cloud-Draped Mountain to help me find someone named Cui Dongshan. Tell him that I want Cui Dongshan to immediately return to Fallen Mountain and carefully examine the little girl’s soul.”

Chen Ping’an trusted the cultivators of the Hemp-Clad Sect, but not this Abbott of the Little Profound Capital Temple, who had taught such a disciple as Xu Song, plus this ill-tempered, dull-witted Yuan Ying disciple. He truly didn’t trust them.

The middle-aged Daoist frowned.

He had heard that Wei Bo of Cloud-Draped Mountain, as the Righteous God of Great Li’s Northern Mountain, was poised to enter the Jade Purity Realm. Now, the territory of Great Li’s Northern Mountain was faintly showing auspicious signs.

Zhu Quan was straightforward, “Is this Cui Dongshan reliable?”

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “If he isn’t reliable, no one is.”

The Abbott, an old Daoist, smiled and said, “It is indeed necessary to act prudently. This humble Daoist only dares to say that after doing my best, I may fail to discover any clues on this little girl. If it were truly a fatal oversight, the consequences would be severe. It is good to have one more person investigate.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “The Abbott is generous.”

The old Daoist smiled without replying.

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Zhu Quan suddenly said, “Abbott, you go ahead, I’ll stay and talk with Chen Ping’an about some personal matters.”

The middle-aged Daoist withdrew the Cloud Sea Formation.

Putting everything else aside, this Daoist’s methods had once again shown Chen Ping’an the profoundness and ruthlessness of mountain spells.

It turned out that casting the ‘Palm Gazing Mountains and Rivers’ spell alone could backfire.

The master and disciple of the Little Profound Capital Temple, along with two Hemp-Clad Sect Ancestors, flew south on the wind.

Zhu Quan got straight to the point, “That head disciple of the Abbott has always liked to say strange things. I’ve been annoyed by him for more than a day or two, but I can’t bring myself to attack him. However, he’s very skilled at combat. It’s said that he’s learned seventy or eighty percent of the Little Profound Capital Temple’s hidden techniques. You don’t need to pay him any attention right now. Once your realm is higher, just beat him half to death.”

Chen Ping’an put away his folding fan, approached Zhu Quan, and reached out his hand. Zhu Quan handed the little girl to the young Sword Immortal, teasing, “You, a grown man, also knows how to hold a child? What’s this, did you learn it from Jiang Shangzhen, wanting to use this unorthodox trick to deceive women in the pugilistic world, on the mountains in the future?”
Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged, holding the little girl in his arms. Hearing her soft snorts, Chen Ping’an smiled, his face filled with warmth, but his eyes held a subtle sorrow, “When I was younger, I used to hold children, tease them, and take care of them every day.”

Zhu Quan glanced at the young man, and it seemed like he was telling the truth.

Zhu Quan sat on the sea of clouds, seemingly hesitant to speak, which was an unprecedented occurrence.

Chen Ping’an didn’t look up, but seemed to have guessed what she was thinking, and slowly said, “I always felt that Sect Master Zhu was the smartest person in the Bone Beach, just too lazy to think and too lazy to act.”

Zhu Quan nodded, “Then I understand. I believe you.”

Then Zhu Quan laughed, “But the mix of truth and falsehood in your words with Gao Cheng would make even someone as familiar with you as I am suspicious. Let alone that old Daoist from the Little Profound Capital Temple, and his eldest disciple who focuses on cultivating power but not the heart.”

Chen Ping’an said, “The first part was all true. I’ve already prepared for the worst-case scenario. If the little girl dies on the ferry, and I can’t protect her, I can only seek revenge. It’s that simple. As for the rest, it’s not worth mentioning. It was mutual probing, both sides trying to discern more of the other’s thought process. Gao Cheng was also worried that after watching me all the way, everything he saw was intentionally shown to him. He was afraid that after losing twice, he wouldn’t even have the spirit to compete for that Little Fengdu. In the end, it’s just a tug-of-war of mental states, a small trick.”

Chen Ping’an freed a hand and gently tapped the sword-nurturing gourd at his waist. The flying sword “First Day” slowly emerged and hovered above Chen Ping’an’s shoulder. It was uncharacteristically docile and well-behaved. Chen Ping’an said calmly, “Some of Gao Cheng’s words were also true, such as thinking that he and I were truly kindred spirits. He probably believed that we both relied on gambling time after time, little by little straightening the spine that was almost crushed, and then rising higher and higher. Just as you respect Gao Cheng, you wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, and even if Gao Cheng lost just a single soul fragment, Sect Master Zhu would feel that you owe me, Chen Ping’an, a huge favor. Even though he is my mortal enemy, I won’t ignore his strengths.”

Zhu Quan hmm-ed in agreement, “That’s how it should be. Separate the issues, and then do what needs to be done. There are many secret matters of the sect that I can’t tell an outsider like you. Anyway, that ghost Gao Cheng is not simple. For example, if I, Zhu Quan, were to completely kill Gao Cheng one day, and smash Jingguan City to smithereens, I would definitely take out a pot of good wine to pay respects to the foot soldier Gao Cheng, then to the current City Lord of Jingguan City, and finally to Gao Cheng for sharpening the will of our Hemp Robe Sect.”

Chen Ping’an said, “I don’t know why, but in this world, there are always people who think that baring their teeth at all the villains is such a good thing, and there are so many who like to discuss matters of principle when they should be questioning their conscience, and then question their conscience when they should be discussing matters of principle.”

Zhu Quan thought for a moment, then slapped Chen Ping’an heavily on the shoulder, “Bring the wine, two pots! It has to be better than Gao Cheng’s! After drinking the wine, I’ll tell you a few profound and heartfelt words!”

Chen Ping’an took out two pots of wine and gave them to Zhu Quan, reminding her in a low voice, “When drinking, remember to dissipate the alcohol fumes, or she might wake up. If she sees me then, I’ll have to persuade her for a long time to get her to go to Bone Beach. This little girl has been craving my wine for more than just a day or two. Sect Master Zhu, you can tell her about the tortoise jelly directly. The little girl’s heart is actually very brave, and she can’t hide any evil intentions.”

Zhu Quan finished a whole pot of wine in one gulp, leaving not a single drop in the pot.

But as she tilted her head back to drink, her posture was bold and careless, spilling at least twenty percent of the wine.

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Sect Master Zhu, you really need to change your drinking habits. Do you have to offer wine to heaven and earth every time you drink?”

Zhu Quan said angrily, “You’ve already given me the wine, is it your business how I drink it?”

Chen Ping’an looked into the distance and smiled, “It would be great to be friends with Sect Master Zhu, but if we were to start a business together, I’d cry to death.”

Zhu Quan regained her composure and said seriously, “The true strength of a cultivator isn’t living in harmony with the world, even if he stands out from the crowd. It’s how much he has changed the world besides proving longevity…even if it’s a cold and heartless statement, regardless of whether the result is good or bad, regardless of the benevolence or malice of people’s hearts. As long as he has changed the world a lot, he is a strong person. We have to acknowledge that!”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “After acknowledging that they are strong people, daring to throw a punch at them is what makes someone truly strong.”

Zhu Quan nodded, uncorking the mud seal. This time, she began to be frugal, only taking small sips. It wasn’t that she had truly changed her temperament, but rather that she had always been like this.

When there’s plenty of wine, drink heartily. When there’s little wine, sip slowly.

Chen Ping’an turned his head and smiled at Zhu Quan, saying, “Actually, one of my students once said something similar to what Sect Master Zhu said. He said that the true strength of a country is not the ability to cover up mistakes, but the ability to correct them.”

Zhu Quan laughed, “I don’t pay attention to things down the mountain. Dealing with a Ghost Domain Valley and a Gao Cheng in this lifetime is already enough for me to handle. But in the future, Du Wensi and Pang Lanxi of the Hemp Robe Sect will definitely do better than me. You can wait and see.”

Zhu Quan let out a heavy breath and asked, “There are some embarrassing things to say, but I’ll ask them anyway, otherwise, I’ll feel uncomfortable. Rather than making myself uncomfortable, I might as well make you uncomfortable too. Otherwise, no matter how much wine I drink, it’ll be useless. You said you could give Jingguan City a surprise. This was said at the beginning, and it’s true. I naturally can’t guess what you will do, and I don’t care. Anyway, apart from other things, you’re always stable in your actions, ruthless to others, but most ruthless to yourself. That being the case, you really can’t blame that Little Profound Capital Temple Daoist for worrying that you would become a second Gao Cheng, or ally with Gao Cheng.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I can understand this seemingly human sentiment, but I don’t accept it.”

Zhu Quan asked directly, “So, when Gao Cheng used the matter of the tortoise jelly to force you to take out the flying sword on your shoulder, were you really deceived by him?”

Chen Ping’an nodded without hesitation, “Yes. So in the future, I will think more about the spells and supernatural powers of a Jade Purity Realm cultivator, apart from killing them.”

Zhu Quan followed up and asked, “So, between First Day and the little girl, you made the decision in that instant to abandon First Day and save the little girl?”
Chen Pingan still nodded, “Otherwise? The little girl is dead, where would I go to find her? Even if Gao Cheng wasn’t lying, and really had the ability to immediately take away the flying sword, directly throwing it towards Jingguan City, so what?”

Chen Pingan narrowed his eyes, his smile unfamiliar, “Do you know how much I hoped Gao Cheng would take the flying sword at that time, so I could do something I haven’t done in all these years of life and death, not even once, but something that everyone, both on and off the mountain, loves and considers to be natural and right!”

Chen Pingan reached out and pressed his brow. After his brow relaxed, he gently handed the little girl in his arms to Zhu Quan, slowly stood up, flicked his wrist, and his sleeves quickly rolled up.

Chen Pingan stood on the sword immortal, standing in the misty sea of clouds.

Chen Pingan’s eyes were blazing, “Gao Cheng used all means. If he really took the flying sword, Chu Yi, then I, Chen Pingan, would have no choice. That would be a very interesting thing. Sect Master Zhu, guess what I would do?”

Zhu Quan, holding the little girl, stood up and smiled, “I can’t guess.”

He saw the white-clothed scholar speak slowly and calmly, “I would first ask a man named Li Er, a tenth-realm martial artist, to repay a favor and rush to Skull Beach. I would ask my student, who is only a nascent soul for now, to relieve his teacher’s worries and cross continents to Skull Beach. I would beg someone, the first time I, Chen Pingan, have begged someone in so many years! I would beg that old man, also at the peak of the tenth-realm martial arts, to come out of the bamboo building and throw a punch for his half-disciple, Chen Pingan. Since I’m begging, there’s no need to be coy anymore. I would finally beg a sword cultivator named Zuo You, my little junior brother is in trouble and about to die, I implore the eldest senior brother to draw his sword! At that time, just beat them until the world is turned upside down!”

Zhu Quan, the dignified sect master of the Hemp Robe Sect, who dared to draw his knife against Gao Cheng relentlessly, actually felt a trace of… fear.

That young man had a pure aura, unrelated to good and evil.

That man raised one hand high and stomped his foot, causing the half-immortal weapon sword immortal to fall straight down. He heard him say indifferently, “If Gao Cheng doesn’t die even after all this, and even more ascended realm backers appear, it doesn’t matter. I won’t beg anyone. I won’t beg anyone.”

Zhu Quan only saw that man burst into laughter, and finally whispered softly, as if murmuring to someone, “I have a sword, traveling with me.”

The sword immortal, which originally wanted to rush back, didn’t dare to approach at all, hovering far away at the edge of the sea of clouds.

But in the end, Zhu Quan saw that man lower his head, looking at his rolled-up sleeves, silently shedding tears. Then he slowly raised his left hand, tightly grasped a sleeve, and choked, “Mr. Qi died because of me. Shouldn’t I, Chen Pingan, be the last person to disappoint him? How could I do this? Anyone can, but Chen Pingan of Mud Bottle Lane can’t.”