Liu Zhiqing asked, “Would you like to come to my Jade Glaze Cliff for tea?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and smiled, “Sword Immortal Liu seems to misunderstand me. I dare not go to Jade Glaze Cliff for tea, lest it be a cup of punitive wine.”

Liu Zhiqing said, “My fondness for the clear spring at Jade Glaze Cliff far surpasses the thunderclouds of Golden Crow Palace.”

Chen Ping’an realized, “That’s good then. Are we walking there, or riding the wind?”

Liu Zhiqing smiled subtly, “As you wish.”

Chen Ping’an looked towards the Spring Dew Garden female cultivator, a direct disciple of the Golden Core at the mansion, “Might I trouble the fairy to summon a talisman boat and give us a ride?”

The beautiful woman, of course, wouldn’t object. To journey to Jade Glaze Cliff with Sword Immortal Liu was a rare honor, not to mention that the esteemed guest of this Startled Sting mansion was also a top guest of Spring Dew Garden. Although only Song Lanqiao, a Golden Core Shishu from another branch, came to greet him – a reception inferior to the grand entrance of Sword Immortal Liu in the past – since he was able to reside here, he was clearly no ordinary person.

Jade Glaze Cliff was not within the Bamboo Sea territory. The ancestral hall of Spring Dew Garden had intentionally chosen this location to prevent disputes between the two Sword Immortals.

The talisman boat ascended and drifted away. The bamboo forest below their feet was as vast as a verdant sea of clouds, swaying in the mountain breeze – a stunning sight.

This time, the female cultivator did not brew tea for her guests. Displaying her limited tea ceremony skills before Sword Immortal Liu would be a ridiculous error.

Upon reaching the small ferry at Jade Glaze Cliff, after Liu Zhiqing and Chen Ping’an disembarked, Chen Ping’an curiously asked, “Sword Immortal Liu, do you not know the rules here?”

Liu Zhiqing was puzzled, “What rules?”

Chen Ping’an said, “When a fairy pilots the boat, the guest should offer a Lesser Heat coin as a tip.”

The Startled Sting mansion’s female cultivator looked blank.

Liu Zhiqing, however, acknowledged with an “Oh,” and tossed a Lesser Heat coin towards her. It chimed softly and hovered gently before her. Liu Zhiqing said, “I was impolite in the past.”

Liu Zhiqing walked forward slowly, “A thousand more steps, and we’ll reach the bamboo tube spring at the edge of Jade Glaze Cliff.”

Chen Ping’an looked around, “I heard that the entire Jade Glaze Cliff was bought by Sword Immortal Liu and Spring Dew Garden?”

Liu Zhiqing nodded, “Five Grain Rain coins, for a five-hundred-year lease. Over two hundred years have already passed.”

Chen Ping’an turned to the female cultivator and said, “Fairy, you may return first. I’ll find my own way back to the Bamboo Sea; I know the way now.”

The young woman nodded. Hesitating for a long time, she still didn’t speak, unwilling to disturb the two esteemed guests’ refined gathering. She planned to discuss this with her master before deciding whether or not to accept this strange Lesser Heat coin. The talisman boat she piloted was specially crafted by Supreme Clarity Palace at great expense. Its style was simple and elegant, and whenever it passed through areas with slightly richer spiritual energy, poetry and prose, auspicious writings and proclamations, would appear on the boat’s walls. If a guest happened upon a verse they liked, they could freely pluck the words as if scooping water in their hands, and then place them on a fan or book page. The words would endure and never fade, adding a touch of elegant antiquity.

Spring Dew Garden always encouraged guests to take words from the talisman boat.

Song Lanqiao had previously introduced this feature, but Chen Ping’an was too shy to participate then. Now, traveling with Liu Zhiqing, he didn’t hold back and extracted two lines, “Storing them” on the surface of his folding fan, totaling ten characters: “Spiritual books hide the heavenly domain, eternally suspended in Jade Capital.”

Walking side-by-side with Liu Zhiqing on the bluestone path towards the clear spring, Chen Ping’an opened his fan and waved it gently. The ten cursive characters rippled like water plants.

Liu Zhiqing softly said, “We’ve arrived.”

At the edge of Jade Glaze Cliff stood a thatched-roof pavilion, and further away, a thatched-roof hut enclosed only by a fence.

Inside the pavilion were tea sets and a low table. Below the cliff was a crystal-clear pool, so pure that it contained no fish. Only gleaming, beautiful pebbles lay at the bottom.

After Chen Ping’an sat down, facing the Junior Grand Uncle from Golden Crow Palace, Chen Ping’an closed his folding fan and smiled, “Let’s forego the tea. Sword Immortal Liu, tell me, what did you want to see me about?”

Liu Zhiqing smiled, “If you don’t drink, I still will.”

Liu Zhiqing drew the characters “True Fire” on the table with his hand. The two characters glowed with golden light, and soon, the strokes of each character converged into lines, transforming into two red fire dragons, coiling and twining on the table. Then, Liu Zhiqing gently waved his sleeve, as if a dragon drawing water. Several pounds of spring water from the pool flew onto the table, condensing into a sphere. He then placed a celadon teacup beside it, and the spring water began to boil. After a moment, Liu Zhiqing pinched a few tea leaves from a tea caddy and gently dropped them into the teacup. With a flick of his finger, the boiling spring water branched off into a thin stream, trickling into the celadon teacup, filling it exactly seven parts full.

Liu Zhiqing raised the cup and slowly drank his tea.

Chen Ping’an said, “Pour me a cup too.”

Liu Zhiqing smiled, picked up another teacup in front of him, and poured a cup of tea for Chen Ping’an, gently sliding it in front of him.

Chen Ping’an took a sip and nodded, “Sword Immortal Liu is the second-best worldly expert at brewing tea that I have ever seen.”

The best, of course, was Lu Tai.

Liu Zhiqing smiled subtly, “If the opportunity arises, Master Chen can bring that expert to sit with me here at Jade Glaze Cliff.”

Chen Ping’an put down his teacup and asked, “Back at Golden Crow Palace, although Sword Immortal Liu didn’t appear, you should have observed what happened. Why didn’t you stop my sword?”

Liu Zhiqing sighed, placing the teacup he had raised to his lips gently on the table, “What would be the point of stopping it? To engage in a senseless battle?”

Liu Zhiqing shook his head, “It’s meaningless. Since I reached the Golden Core realm, over the years, how many wrongdoings have Golden Crow Palace sword cultivators committed during their mountain travels, relying on my name, Liu Zhiqing? It’s just that I’m not good at managing affairs, so I find the thunderclouds of Golden Crow Palace an eyesore, I find that junior disciple’s dao companion annoying, and I dislike the rebellious junior generation like Jin Le, but I can only pretend to be blind and not worry about it.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Having such thoughts, different from the cultivators of Golden Crow Palace, is the reason why Sword Immortal Liu can reach the Golden Core realm and become a transcendent person. But it is also very likely the crux of Sword Immortal Liu’s problem in breaking through the Golden Core bottleneck and reaching the Nascent Soul realm. Coming here for tea can relieve worries, but it may not truly benefit one’s cultivation.”

Upon hearing these words, Liu Zhiqing smiled, picked up his teacup again, took a sip, and then said, “Earlier in Yellow Wind Valley of Precious Appearance Country, you should have seen my sword strike. Among the many Golden Core sword cultivators south of the Northern Entirely Submerged Continent, my strength isn’t small.”
Chen Ping’an recalled the final sword strike at Yellow Wind Valley. The sword light descended from the heavens, precisely this sword of Liu Zhiqing. It had injured the Yellow-Robed Ancestor’s very foundation, causing it, after confirming the departure of the Golden Crow Palace sword cultivators, to still desire a gluttonous feast despite the presence of the Baoxiang Kingdom’s eminent monk, seeking to replenish its demonic core with human flesh and souls.

Liu Zhiqing slowly said, “But a sword has two edges, and this brings great trouble. My swordplay has always pursued the principle of ‘a sword unleashed never returns.’ Therefore, honing my sword’s edge and tempering my Dao heart was very smooth when my realm was low, and most beneficial when it wasn’t high. But the higher I got, the more troublesome it became. Nascent Soul Earth Immortals outside of sword cultivation are rare to see, and other Golden Core cultivators below Nascent Soul, regardless of whether they are sword cultivators or not, as soon as they hear that Liu Zhiqing is passing through with his sword, even those heinous demonic figures either hide deep away or simply adopt a rogue’s pose, ready to be executed. I killed two of them early on with a single strike. One deserved to die many times, but the second one was not so deserving. Later, I felt increasingly bored. Apart from escorting Golden Crow Palace juniors down the mountain to practice swordplay and coming here for tea, I almost never leave my mountain peak. This matter of breaking through becomes increasingly hopeless.”

Since this involved the Great Dao of another, Chen Ping’an remained silent, merely drinking tea. This tea’s water essence was abundant. For Liu Zhiqing, whose key Qi reservoirs were expanding like rivers and lakes, this little bit of spiritual energy was already insignificant. But for Chen Ping’an, a cultivator of the “lower five realms,” each cup of tea was like timely rain for a parched, arid field, the more the better.

Liu Zhiqing asked solemnly, “The reason I invited you for tea is to ask you why you unleashed that sword outside the Golden Crow Palace mountain, how you unleashed it, and why it was so… unfettered in both heart and sword. Please tell me what can be said outside the Great Dao, which might be a foreign stone that can polish jade for me, Liu Zhiqing. Even a sliver of enlightenment would be an invaluable, priceless gain for my current bottleneck.”

Chen Ping’an raised a cup of tea and asked with a smile, “If I tell you and you gain some enlightenment, which you yourself, Sword Immortal Liu, said would be a priceless gain, and then you just send me away with a cup of tea?”

Liu Zhiqing smiled slightly, “Besides that little bit of spiritual energy in the tea, you’re just trying to see the unique techniques I use to draw talismans and circulate qi. Wouldn’t that be considered repayment?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I can’t understand the true meaning of a Golden Core bottleneck sword immortal’s talisman drawing in a short time. Moreover, things should not be done more than three times. If I don’t understand it, then forget it.”

Liu Zhiqing laughed loudly, raised his hand, and pointed to the nearby clear pool and steep cliff, saying, “If I gain something, I will transfer the remaining three hundred years of Jade Glaze Cliff to you, how about that? Whether you use it to entertain guests and brew tea, or lease it to the Spring Dew Garden or anyone else, is up to your liking.”

Chen Ping’an snapped open his folding fan and gently fanned a cool breeze in front of him, “Then I will trouble Sword Immortal Liu for another cup of tea. Let’s slowly drink tea and slowly chat. When doing business, we must first determine each other’s character, then everything is easy to discuss.”

Liu Zhiqing smiled knowingly. From then on, one spoke with ripples in his heart lake, and the other with the martial artist’s method of gathering sound into a line, beginning their “business deal.”

After a stick of incense’s time, that man again reached out for a cup of tea. Liu Zhiqing frowned, “Good sir, can you show some sincerity?”

Chen Ping’an said solemnly, “Every sentence is true, every word is sincere!”

Liu Zhiqing waved his sleeve, “I will not see you off.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, waving his fan with one hand, and with the other sweeping across the talisman-covered table, grabbing a bit of spring water from the boiling spiritual spring. He dripped two drops of the spring water in front of himself, then used them as two ends, drawing a straight line. Then, with a fingertip, he gently touched one end and slowly moved it to the right, stopping only at the other end, “Don’t look at the big picture, just look at one time, one place, some people. Let’s assume this line is the small world where Sword Immortal Liu is. Then Sword Immortal Liu is a native-born cultivator of the Golden Crow Palace, his heart and nature are at this end. But the customs and sentiments of the Golden Crow Palace, including the sword cultivators’ hearts and nature, are here, here, and here, constantly shifting, moving away from your heart and nature. More sword cultivators, such as the Palace Mistress with her violent temperament and the arrogant sword cultivator Jin Le, are bunched up at the other end. And Sword Immortal Liu, cultivating in the Golden Crow Palace, will feel that everything is an eyesore. But you are of high enough realm and seniority to protect your original heart, but you are also stuck here. Because Sword Immortal Liu is focused on practicing swordsmanship, aiming high and far, wanting to use Earth Immortal cultivators to sharpen and cleanse your sword, too lazy to care about the trivial matters under your nose, feeling that it’s a waste of time, dragging your feet. Am I right or wrong?”

Liu Zhiqing nodded slightly, sitting up straight, “That is indeed the case.”

Chen Ping’an raised his finger again, pointing to the end representing Liu Zhiqing’s heart and nature, suddenly asking, “When it comes to unleashing the sword, why seek far and wide? Those who can conquer others versus those who can conquer themselves. The foot of the mountain seems to revere the former, while the top of the mountain seems to revere the latter even more, right? Sword cultivators have immense killing power, hailed as the greatest under heaven. Then is there still a need to question one’s heart and cultivate one’s mind? That flying sword, that treasured sword of a sword cultivator, and the master who wields them, do they need to be pure and without impurities in both material and mind?”

Chen Ping’an retracted his hand and gently moved his folding fan from the left end all the way to the right end, “Can you, Liu Zhiqing, unleash your sword along this trajectory, until your sword heart is clear and enlightened?”

Liu Zhiqing fell into deep thought.

Chen Ping’an suddenly asked again, “Was Sword Immortal Liu a mountain person since childhood, or did you ascend the mountain to cultivate in your youth?”

Liu Zhiqing gazed at the line and said softly, “I have been on the Golden Crow Palace mountain since I can remember, following my benefactor and teacher to cultivate, never paying attention to the mundane world.”

Chen Ping’an sighed sadly and stood up, saying, “Then I’ll pretend I didn’t say anything. I can only suggest that Sword Immortal Liu go down the mountain more often and travel farther in the future.”

Liu Zhiqing raised his hand, pressing down twice in the air, “Although I am not familiar with mundane affairs, I dare not say I see through people’s hearts, but I still understand them somewhat. So stop showing off your worldly tricks here, deliberately trying to trick me. This Spring Dew Garden is basically the Jade Glaze Cliff that I, Liu Zhiqing, am giving away for almost nothing. You are obviously determined to get it, and selling it for a profit, with the remaining three hundred years, not to mention three Valley Rain coins, doubling it is definitely not difficult. If you manage it well, ten coins are possible.”

That man quickly sat back down, smiling, “Doing business with smart people is just refreshing and pleasant.”

Liu Zhiqing raised his head, asking curiously, “Are you so concerned about money? Why bother?”

Only to see that white-robed scholar sighing, “Alas, it is not easy for a wild cultivator from the mountains and marshes to make money.”
Liu Zhiqing shook his head, too lazy to argue with the man’s nonsense.

After a moment of silence, Liu Zhiqing said, “Do you mean to use the customs and hearts of the Golden Crow Palace as a place to wash my sword?”

The white-robed scholar smiled and said, “Different people, different minds. A single sentence can have a thousand meanings. Sword Immortal Liu is so gifted, figure it out yourself.”

Liu Zhiqing looked at the straight line of spiritual energy and muttered to himself, “Regardless of the outcome, whether I eventually choose to wash my sword here or not, this thought alone is already greatly beneficial.”

Liu Zhiqing looked up and said, “As agreed, Jade Ying Cliff is yours. Take the land deed. I’ll speak to the ancestral hall at the Spring Dew Garden later.”

A gold and jade slip, valuable in itself, floated down in front of Chen Ping’an. Both parties signed and sealed it. The seal of Spring Dew Garden was an ancient seal character for “spring,” while Liu Zhiqing’s seal was a “willow” character like a sword, still containing sword intent after two hundred years.

Chen Ping’an didn’t immediately put away the land deed, worth at least six Autumn Grain coins. He asked with a smile, “Sword Immortal Liu is so generous. I think that thought isn’t that beneficial, maybe it’s even harmful. I’m always fair in my dealings, honest and reliable, and I wouldn’t dare to deceive a sword immortal with boundless killing power. Please take back the land deed. Just let me come here for tea without paying in the near future.”

Liu Zhiqing, being astute, laughed and said, “If I truly return to the Golden Crow Palace after leaving Jade Ying Cliff, and wash my sword with the hearts of people, it naturally won’t be with this kind of mentality and methods. So, just take the land deed.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, then used his folding fan to lightly draw vertical lines on the horizontal line on the low table. “The Palace Lord of the Golden Crow Palace, the wife of the Mountain Lord of Great Yue, Jin Le, and the female cultivator who persuaded Jin Le not to draw her sword against me, their respective backgrounds, the lineage of their teachers, cultivation nodes, journeys down the mountain, allies, close friends, beliefs, grudges, affections… Are you, Liu Zhiqing, really interested in knowing? Once you choose to wash your sword, you need to point directly at your true heart. Your natal flying sword, your cultivation, your seniority in the sect, these are your greatest enemies. Can you really put them aside for now? If you, Liu Zhiqing, give up halfway and can’t reach the other end in one go, it will only harm your true heart, causing your sword heart to be covered in dust and your sword intent to be flawed.”

Liu Zhiqing smiled and said, “I can be sure that you are not a sword cultivator. You probably don’t quite understand the hardships of cultivation and the trials that wear down one’s will. Washing a sword in the Golden Crow Palace is difficult because there are countless trivial matters and because people’s hearts are unpredictable and subtle. But in the final analysis, it’s the same as the difficulty of refining a sword embryo at the beginning, without a trace of difference, having the same goal through different paths. I’m just taking the earliest path of cultivation again. I could do it in the past. Now that I’m a Golden Core sword cultivator, how can it be difficult?”

The white-robed scholar shook his head and smiled, “The same thing, time has passed, and it’s two kinds of difficulty.”

Liu Zhiqing pondered for a moment and nodded with a smile, “I’ve been taught.”

Chen Ping’an laughed and said, “I’m just pretending to be profound. Do you really believe it, Sword Immortal Liu? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll lead you from the immortal mansion to the ditch at the foot of the mountain?”

Liu Zhiqing stood up, “I won’t disturb you any longer. I hope to have the opportunity to visit and drink tea here in the future, with the same host.”

In Liu Zhiqing’s eyes, he was already a guest at Jade Ying Cliff.

Chen Ping’an glanced at the land deed on the low table, then looked up at the white-robed youth. “How could the Golden Crow Palace have a sword cultivator like you? Did your ancestors accumulate virtue?”

Liu Zhiqing laughed and said, “Your words are harsh, but I’ll take them as a compliment. To be honest, it’s not that I, Liu Zhiqing, am bragging, but the reputation of the Golden Crow Palace’s predecessors was indeed much better than it is now. It’s a pity that reputation can’t be exchanged for cultivation and family fortune. The helplessness of the world is nothing more than this. So, many times, I think that my junior brother is only doing things that are not to my liking, and not necessarily something wrong.”

Chen Ping’an stood up, “How about I make another deal with you?”

Liu Zhiqing asked, “What do you mean?”

Chen Ping’an first asked a question, “Will the cultivators of Spring Dew Garden spy on this place?”

Liu Zhiqing pointed to the thatched cottage outside the pavilion. “Is my sword just for show? Some rules still need to be followed. For example, when I drink tea here, I strictly abide by the rules of Spring Dew Garden. When I saw an enemy of the Golden Crow Palace in the Jia Mu Mountain Range, someone I also wanted to draw my sword against, I turned a blind eye. So, if Spring Dew Garden doesn’t follow these rules, I think it’s a death wish that invites me to draw my sword.”

“That would be best.”

Chen Ping’an pointed at himself. “Aren’t you struggling to find a whetstone?”

Liu Zhiqing looked around. “Aren’t you afraid that Jade Ying Cliff will be destroyed? The cliff spring is yours now.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Choose a place, draw a line, you draw your sword, and I throw my fists, how about it?”

Liu Zhiqing laughed and said, “I’m afraid you’ll die.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.”

Chen Ping’an straightened his folding fan and repeated, “I couldn’t ask for more.”

One sentence, two meanings.

At the Farewell to Spring banquet, Sword Immortal Liu Zhiqing of the Golden Crow Palace didn’t show up.

The young sword immortal who lived in that Awakening of Insects residence didn’t appear either.

This made everyone in the Spring Dew Garden, where rumors were flying everywhere, regretful.

Liu Zhiqing aside, he was one of the top cultivators in the southeastern coastal area of the Northern Ju Continent. Although he was only in the Golden Core realm, he was still young, and he was a sword cultivator.

After the Palace Lord of the Golden Crow Palace, a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, died in battle, the Golden Crow Palace’s reputation was almost entirely supported by Liu Zhiqing alone.

But everyone was familiar with Liu Zhiqing. Cultivators from Spring Dew Garden, both local and foreign, were more interested in that young foreign sword immortal with many stories.

First, he split open the Golden Crow Palace’s protective lightning clouds with a single sword strike. It was rumored that this was personally said by Liu Zhiqing, so it couldn’t be fake, and he even invited this person to Jade Ying Cliff for tea.

Second, according to the rumors from that ferry, this person used a congenital sword embryo to temper his physique to an extremely strong level, not inferior to a Golden Body Realm martial artist. He knocked a grandmaster enshrined by the Iron Ram Mansion off the ferry with one punch. It was said that he only had half a life left after falling into the river. Wei Bai, the young master of the Iron Ram Mansion, didn’t deny this, and didn’t hide anything. Tang Qingqing of the Zhaoye Study even bluntly stated that this young sword immortal had a deep connection with Spring Dew Garden and was an old acquaintance with her father and the ferryman Song Lanqiao.

Third, the sword immortal surnamed Chen who was staying at the Zhuhai Awakening of Insects residence traveled back and forth between Zhuhai and Jade Ying Cliff every day. As for his relationship with Liu Zhiqing, the outside world could only guess.
During this time, a clandestine meeting was held within the Ancestral Hall of the Chunlu Orchard, the Spring Dew Orchard. After much deliberation, they decided to let certain vague and exaggerated rumors circulate freely. However, they subtly began to conceal the whereabouts, true appearance, and the details of the ferry incident involving the young Chen surname Sword Immortal. Misinformation was deliberately sown, giving rise to various fabrications across the Jiamu Mountain Range. One day, he was said to be residing in the Guyu Manor, the next, he had moved to Lichun Manor, and the day after, he was supposedly enjoying tea at the Zhaoye Study. As a result, many cultivators who came seeking his presence were unable to witness the Sword Immortal’s grace.

After the Farewell to Spring Banquet concluded, more ferries departed from Fu Shui Ferry, and cultivators returned to their respective abodes. Shortly afterward, Song Lanchiao, a Golden Core cultivator from the Chunlu Orchard, re-boarded the ferry that had already made a round trip to the Bone Beach.

Meanwhile, on the old Huai Street in the Jiamu Mountain Range, a small shop changed hands and quietly opened its doors.

The proprietor was a young man in a blue robe, a crimson wine gourd hanging from his waist, and a folding fan in his hand. He sat on a small bamboo chair by the entrance, not actively soliciting customers, simply basking in the sun, letting those who were inclined come of their own accord.

Old Huai Street, a hub of bustling commerce, was a place where land was as valuable as gold. Even a tiny shop of that size required a substantial sum of Immortal Coins in rent each year to the Chunlu Orchard.

This small shop, bearing the plaque “Ant,” was filled with a motley collection of items from both the mountains and the outside world. Yet, each item was arranged in an orderly fashion on the display shelves. On the shop counter, a strip of rice paper served as a sign, boldly proclaiming “No Bargaining.” The paper was held down by two seals acting as paperweights. Furthermore, each display shelf bore a sheet of paper listing the names and prices of the goods on offer.

The shop was divided into a front and back section, but the back room door remained tightly shut, with a sign posted: “Treasure of the Shop, Destined for the Fortunate.” The characters were as large as fists. If one were to look closely, they would notice four tiny characters written as a footnote beside “Destined for the Fortunate”: “Highest Bidder Wins.”

After all, it was a shop located on Old Huai Street, so while the prices might be questionable, the authenticity of the goods was guaranteed. Moreover, a newly opened shop would, according to common practice, offer some quality items to attract attention. The long-established shops with substantial backing from various sects on Old Huai Street all possessed one or two treasures as shop anchors, available for viewing, not necessarily for purchase. After all, a price tag of over a dozen Guyu Coins was beyond the reach of most. In reality, it was simply to build a reputation for the shop.

But this “Ant” shop was rather meager. Aside from the gleaming white jade bones, presumably from Bone Beach, and the complete set of hard-yellow paper Divine Maiden illustrations from the Mural City, which were considered decent, it seemed to lack a truly remarkable Immortal treasure that would leave a lasting impression. Most of the items were mere trinkets and curios, hardly worthy of being called spiritual artifacts, and… they had an excessive feminine touch. Two entire display shelves were filled with items that resembled the boudoir objects of wealthy women.

Consequently, after ten days, the shop’s clientele almost exclusively consisted of women who had heard the rumors, including both young female cultivators from various sects and ladies from noble families, including the Grand View Dynasty. They arrived in groups, a lively and vibrant flock, and rummaged through the shop. When they found an item that caught their eye, they would simply call out to the shop entrance. If they inquired whether the young proprietor would lower the price, the fellow on the bamboo chair would wave his hand dismissively. No matter how sweetly or persistently the women pleaded, it was all in vain. The young proprietor remained unmoved and refused to offer any discounts.

Many women who possessed abundant wealth but detested the “inability to bargain for even a copper coin” were particularly disappointed and annoyed, and left in a fit of pique.

However, the young proprietor would merely smile and say, “Welcome back,” never attempting to retain them or change his mind.

Over time, this small shop earned a bad reputation for gouging its customers.

Unexpectedly, one evening at dusk, Tang Qingqing arrived at the shop with a group of female cultivators from the Chunlu Orchard who had close ties with the Zhaoye Study. They created a lively commotion as they each chose an item that caught their eye, paid the full price in Immortal Coins, and left. Moreover, they only visited the Ant shop on Old Huai Street. After making their purchases, they ceased their shopping spree. After that, the shop’s business improved somewhat. What truly caused the shop to be overrun with customers was the fact that Liu, the Sword Immortal from the Golden Crow Palace, who was even more beautiful than a beauty, actually entered the shop, spent his money, and, for some unknown reason, dragged a piece of white bone from Bone Beach all the way before departing from Old Huai Street.

That day, the shop hung up its “Closed” sign. The young proprietor, who had neither a clerk nor a shop assistant, was alone at the counter, counting Immortal Coins. Snowflake Coins were piled up like a mountain, and there were even a few Xiaoshu Coins.

A white-clad young man with a golden hairpin crossed the threshold and entered the shop, looking at the avaricious proprietor with a helpless smile. “I just can’t understand it. Do you have to be so calculatingly greedy?”

Chen Pingan didn’t even look up. “I told your Great Sword Immortal Liu long ago, us unanchored mountain hermits make our money with our heads hanging from our belts. You privileged immortal masters wouldn’t understand.”

Liu Zhiqing shook his head. “I have to go. I’ve already spoken to Ancestor Tan about the Jade Ying Cliff matter, but I still hope you don’t sell it, and preferably don’t rent it out to anyone else. Otherwise, I won’t come to the Chunlu Orchard to draw water and brew tea in the future.”

Chen Pingan looked up and laughed. “That’s six Guyu Coins, you know. And I can’t stay in the Chunlu Orchard permanently. When the time comes, I can find a Chunlu Orchard cultivator to help me manage the Ant shop and split the profits. I can still make money. But if I don’t sell or rent out the Jade Ying Cliff, what am I going to do with a land deed? Let it gather dust and mold for three hundred years before it expires?”

Liu Zhiqing sighed.

Chen Pingan smiled. “Actually, if you want to come to the Chunlu Orchard to brew tea, it’s not that difficult. Give me three Guyu Coins, and you can come as you please for the next three hundred years. Before I leave, I’ll arrange things with the Chunlu Orchard in advance, and no one will stop you then.”

Liu Zhiqing asked, “Do you think my Guyu Coins fall from the sky?”

Chen Pingan waved his hand. “I’m just joking with you. Brew tea anytime.”

Liu Zhiqing stood still.

Chen Pingan asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Are you expecting me to pay you to come for tea? That’s going too far, isn’t it?”

Liu Zhiqing said angrily, “What happened to those hundreds of pebbles from the bottom of the Clear Pool? They’re all gone? They’re worth at least two or three hundred Snowflake Coins. Are you really that greedy?!”

Chen Pingan slammed the table. “With the land deed in hand, the entire Jade Ying Cliff is my property. If I pick up a few broken rocks and put them in my pocket, is that any of your business?!”
Liu Zhiqing reluctantly said, “How about I buy those pebbles from you and put them back under Jade Glade Cliff?”

Chen Pingan held out a palm. “Five Xiaoshu coins, no discounts in this store!”

Liu Zhiqing slapped the counter. After lifting her hand, five Xiaoshu coins appeared on the table. Liu Zhiqing turned and left. “Next time I come to Spring Dew Garden, if there’s one less pebble in the water, I’ll hack you to death!”

Chen Pingan gently pressed down on the counter with a finger, preventing the neatly arranged snowflake coins from being disarrayed.

Another five Xiaoshu coins. It was a bit annoying.

Being too good at business wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Chen Pingan felt it was a good day for business. He collected all the immortal coins, walked out from behind the counter, took down the “Closed” sign, and continued to sit on the small bamboo chair in front of the shop, switching from sunbathing to enjoying the cool evening air.

Sparring with Liu Zhiqing was, of course, a matter of determining victory, not life and death. It was to gauge just how fast a Golden Core realm swordsman’s flying sword could be.

In three spars, Liu Zhiqing went from exerting five parts of her power, to seven, and finally to nine.

Chen Pingan had a general idea.

But he couldn’t blame the little Martial Grand-Uncle from the Golden Crow Palace for being so fiery.

After all, Liu Zhiqing had probably never eaten so much dirt in her life.

Of course, Chen Pingan didn’t have it easy in his three spars with Liu Zhiqing, each time pushing his own limits.

There wouldn’t be a fourth match.

Otherwise, it would be a life-or-death situation, which was unnecessary.

As for why Chen Pingan remained in Spring Dew Garden after the three spars, besides earning some money like a peddler and freeing up some space in his miniature world, he was waiting for a reply.

He had previously sent a secret letter to Wood Robe Mountain of the Hemp Garment Sect through the Spring Dew Garden’s Sword Chamber. This so-called secret letter, even if the carrier flying sword was intercepted, would only contain some mundane matters for the Hemp Garment Sect’s youth, Pang Lanxi, to send to his family in Dragon Spring County.

So, when the letter from Dragon Spring County would arrive at Skull Beach and then at this Spring Dew Garden, it would depend on when that Ancestor Tan showed up.

This Nascent Soul Ancestor, who managed the registers of thousands of immortal masters and servant disciples in Spring Dew Garden, had never appeared before Chen Pingan, but if Wood Robe Mountain of the Hemp Garment Sect truly replied, no matter how good her composure or how many matters she had to attend to, she wouldn’t be able to sit still and would make a trip to the shop or Jingzhe Prefecture.

In the night, Old Locust Street was brightly lit.

The Ant Shop had gained some more income.

Just as Chen Pingan stood up, intending to close the shop, he put down the small bamboo chair he had picked up and looked towards the shop. A slender young woman had appeared out of thin air, standing with a smile.

Chen Pingan stepped over the threshold, cupped his fist, and said with a smile, “Greetings, Madam Tan.”

The owner of Spring Dew Garden was named Tan Ling. The ancestral hall direct disciples of Spring Dew Garden, other than her, all had three-character names, such as the Golden Core Song Lanqiao, who belonged to the “Lan” generation.

Tan Ling didn’t stay long, only exchanged some polite greetings. After handing over the Hemp Garment Sect’s ancestral hall sword box to Chen Pingan, she smiled and bid farewell.

Spring Dew Garden no longer needed to take risks for greater gains.

Spring Dew Garden had sent out a small shop on Old Locust Street, followed by a symbolic talisman flying boat as an icing on the cake. The timing was just right.

Chen Pingan closed the shop and, in a secluded spot, boarded the temporarily borrowed talisman boat to return to the Bamboo Sea residence. In his room, he opened the sword box. There were two flying swords. Tan Ling of Spring Dew Garden had also received a flying sword message from the Hemp Garment Sect, saying that this was the ancestral hall of Wood Robe Mountain’s gift in return to Young Master Chen. The two communication flying swords in the sword box could travel back and forth for 100,000 miles and were difficult for Nascent Soul cultivators to intercept.

Chen Pingan wasn’t unfamiliar with sword boxes. He had one himself, the one from Book Brief Lake. The distance wasn’t long, and its quality was far inferior to this one.

Sitting in the room, he opened a letter. Seeing the handwriting, Chen Pingan smiled knowingly.

His eldest disciple had written several thousand words in the letter, earnestly telling her master about her life as a student in the school, rain or shine, studying diligently, without the slightest negligence. The old teachers were almost moved to tears…

Some truly confidential matters should have been handled by Cui Dongshan himself, acting as the scribe.

For example, regarding the matter of Zhou Mili, the letter vaguely wrote a sentence: “The student is already aware, it’s nothing and it’s something.”

Chen Pingan repeatedly read it several times.

Yes, Pei Qian’s handwriting was becoming increasingly neat. She probably hadn’t been slacking off from copying books.

As for things like “Master, my Mad Demon Sword Technique is already perfected. It’s a pity if Master doesn’t come home to take a look”, “I’ve earned a mountain of silver for the shop. Master, come home and see. I can’t stop the silver from growing legs and running away”, “Master, although dozens of soldiers under my command have died in battle, I’ve recruited two great protectors on the left and right. Everyone in Riding Dragon Lane doesn’t pick up lost items”, “Master, put your heart at ease. The shorty is very obedient in the shop, just a glutton. Earning money isn’t her forte, so I have to take out my private money to cover her food expenses. I’ve now mastered peerless sword skills, saber techniques, and fist techniques. Even if someone bullies me, I won’t hold it against them, but I’ll definitely protect the shorty well, because she’s the weak one Master spoke of, which I am not anymore…”,

Chen Pingan smiled as he put away the family letter, gently folded it, and slowly placed it into his square-inch treasure.

Chen Pingan had long since taken off the Jinli and Snowflake robes, only wearing a green shirt with a wine flask hanging on his belt.

He got up and came to the corridor, looking at the distant scenery beyond the high courtyard wall. The bamboo sea was lush, and the colors of the world were verdant.

After Cui Dongshan rushed back to Dragon Spring County,

He had dinner at the Riding Dragon Lane shop. The head seat at the table was always empty. Cui Dongshan wanted to sit there, and after messing around with Pei Qian for a long time, he could only sit opposite her. The little water monster, Zhou Mili, sat next to Pei Qian. Shi Rou, whenever she sat down, would always sit on the bench with her back to the door, and she didn’t need to eat at all. In the past, she would chat with Pei Qian, but today she dared not not come.

Shi Rou was just there to make up the numbers, symbolically moving her chopsticks a few times. The other three were wolfing down their food, with the speed of a whirlwind, especially Zhou Mili, whose chopsticks moved like lightning.

After that, Cui Dongshan left the Riding Dragon Lane shop, saying he was going to Fallen Mountain to cadge some wine.

Pei Qian didn’t care about him. She practiced a set of Mad Demon Sword Technique in the courtyard, and Zhou Mili clapped vigorously.
Cui Dongshan did not immediately head to the bamboo building on the Fallen Mountain, but instead appeared at the foot of the mountain, where a proper residence now stood. In the courtyard, Wei Bo, Zhu Lian, and the hunchbacked gatekeeper were playing chess. Wei Bo and Zhu Lian were facing off, while Zheng Dafeng cracked melon seeds on the side, offering unsolicited advice.

Cui Dongshan sat on the wall, watching for a long time, and couldn’t help but scold, “Three inept players gathered together, what an eyesore!”

Cui Dongshan floated down, but as soon as his backside landed, Wei Bo and Zhu Lian each picked up their chess pieces and returned them to the chess jar. Cui Dongshan reached out his hands, “Don’t! A child’s game of chess can have a unique charm.”

Zheng Dafeng began to shoo him away.

Wei Bo directly returned to Mount Piyun.

Zhu Lian and Cui Dongshan ascended the mountain together.

Cui Dongshan waved his sleeves like an old hen flapping its wings, fluttering upwards every two or three steps.

Cui Dongshan casually asked, “Has that Jiang Shangzhen been to Fallen Mountain?”

Zhu Lian smiled, “You mean that brother Zhou Fei? He’s been here, said he wanted to become a protector of our Fallen Mountain with his nascent soul cultivation.”

Cui Dongshan coldly laughed, “Did you agree?”

Zhu Lian put his hands behind his back, turned his head with a smile, and said, “Guess?”

Cui Dongshan flapped his sleeves incessantly, “Oh, Zhu Lian, you’ve improved, haven’t you?”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Don’t hit my face. Anything else, go ahead.”

Cui Dongshan hovered in the air, barely a foot off the ground, and glanced at Zhu Lian, “Jiang Shangzhen is not simple, and Xun Yuan is even more so.”

Zhu Lian smiled slightly, “That’s why I refused him. This fellow’s flattery skills are lacking and need more refinement before he can join my Fallen Mountain. Brother Zhou Fei agreed, saying he would go back and study hard, and come back next time to learn from me.”

Only then did Cui Dongshan land and continue to flap his two snow-white “wings,” slowly flying upwards, “What about that Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator, Li Cai?”

Zhu Lian gave a sound of acknowledgement, “Brother Zhou Fei is extremely talented, but I feel like he’s always missing something, perhaps that’s what makes him imperfect. His flattery is like that, and his approach to women is the same. That Li Cai couldn’t stand brother Dafeng’s gaze and wanted to draw her sword, I couldn’t stop her, so the one in the bamboo building delivered… half a fist. Plus, with brother Zhou Fei’s persuasion, we finally managed to dissuade her.”

Cui Dongshan’s face turned gloomy.

He was now responsible for the affairs of the South, and he didn’t really know much about the North.

Zhu Lian smiled, “The family is getting bigger and bigger, welcoming and sending off guests, all kinds of people with different temperaments, it’s common.”

Cui Dongshan sneered, “Isn’t it because you’re not skilled enough, your fist techniques are not refined enough?”

Zhu Lian said helplessly, “I’m clenching my fist intent even when I’m pissing and shitting, what more do you want from me?”

Cui Dongshan landed on his feet and began to walk up the mountain, casually saying, “Lu Baixiang has already begun to conquer lands and seize territory.”

Zhu Lian put his hands behind his back, bent over to climb the mountain, and said with a playful smile, “Just like Wei Xian, a wolf travels a thousand miles to eat meat, a dog walks ten thousand miles and still eats shit.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly stopped, “I’m not going up the mountain. Tell Wei Bo to send a flying sword message to the Wood Robe Mountain of the Hemp Garment Sect, inquiring about the birth date, hometown, genealogy, ancestral graves, anything, just tell me whatever you know, the more the better, of that Gao Cheng. It doesn’t matter if the entire Hemp Garment Sect is useless. But still, let Wei Bo say a heartfelt word to the Hemp Garment Sect, there’s no such thing as lying down and making big money.”

Zhu Lian asked, “Wei Bo was just in front of you, why didn’t you say it?”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “If you say it, it’s you who owes the favor.”

Zhu Lian nodded, “That makes sense.”

Cui Dongshan stopped climbing the mountain and returned to the town in a flash of rainbow light.

Now the blacksmith Ruan was not in Longquan County, free to come and go.

Cui Dongshan went to the heavily guarded Old Porcelain Mountain in the night and left with a large sack on his back.

Then he stayed for a few days in an old house where he had lived before, tinkering with something every day.

Even when Pei Qian went, Cui Dongshan didn’t open the door.

Pei Qian then took Zhou Mili, planning to climb up to remove the roof tiles, but after climbing up, they found that there was a courtyard, but looking down, it was misty and they couldn’t see anything.

Pei Qian had to return to Qilong Lane with Zhou Mili.

One day, Cui Dongshan swaggered to the shop and happened to meet Pei Qian and Zhou Mili running down the steps.

Arriving at the courtyard, Pei Qian practiced the Mad Demon Swordplay while asking, “Someone’s trying to bully Shorty again today, what should we do?”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “Just hide if you can, what else can you do? You can’t reason with them, are you going to beat them to death with a stick?”

Pei Qian stopped the Xing Mountain Staff in her hand, and Zhou Mili quickly moved a small stool for Pei Qian to sit down. Zhou Mili squatted beside her, her upper and lower teeth chattering lightly, playing around.

Pei Qian placed the Xing Mountain Staff horizontally and frowned, “What’s wrong with the old Confucian scholars? Do they only teach the literal meaning of the books? Who can’t memorize books?”

Speaking of this, Pei Qian raised her chin, “Right Protector! It’s your turn to act.”

Zhou Mili understood her tacitly and helped the senior sister say the rest of the words: “What’s the use!”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “If you find people unpleasant everywhere, it’s naturally because you’re dissatisfied with everything in your own life. And if you’re dissatisfied with everything in your own life, you’ll naturally find people unpleasant everywhere.”

Pei Qian was furious, “Are you talking about me?”

Cui Dongshan put his hands behind his head, leaned back, raised his feet, and swayed gently, without falling over, “How could I be talking about you? I’m explaining why I told you to avoid those people before, never get close to them, they’re like water ghosts, they’ll drag people down.”

Cui Dongshan, who was swinging there, raised one hand, pretending to hold a folding fan, and gently shook his wrist.

Pei Qian asked, “If he likes to fan himself, why give it to my master?”

Cui Dongshan didn’t stop moving, “I have a lot of fans, but the one I like the most, I gave it to the master.”

Pei Qian asked in a low voice, “What are you doing in that house? Are you stealing or moving things?”

Cui Dongshan closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Pei Qian made a gesture, and took Zhou Mili left and right, tiptoed to the horizontal but not falling Cui.