A figure in azure robes wandered through the Orchid Bloom Kingdom, journeying northwards. The Orchid Bloom Kingdom was renowned for its prized orchids. The entire nation was obsessed, throwing money away without a second thought. A family’s wealth was practically determined by the number of priceless orchids it possessed.

Aside from that, the kingdom was unremarkable. However, some of its customs were quite memorable. For example, women liked to toss gold coins into the river to divine their fortunes. People of all classes, rich or poor, were fond of releasing animals back into the wild, a practice that swept the nation. Of course, scenes of devout individuals releasing creatures upstream, while others downstream fished and trapped turtles, were commonplace. Furthermore, the boat trackers, both men and women, young and old, would bare their torsos, letting the sun bake their backs, the rope marks resembling furrows in parched earth. And whenever droughts or floods struck, they liked to create paper dragon kings to parade through the streets, not to pray for rain or to ward off floods, but to relentlessly whip the paper dragon until it was in tatters.

North of the Orchid Bloom Kingdom was the Azure Shrine Kingdom. Its rulers and nobles revered the Daoist faith. Daoist temples were everywhere, and Buddhism was suppressed, with temples sparsely populated and their incense cold.

Further north lay the Golden Door Kingdom, a southern tributary of the Great Seal Dynasty. Martial spirit was exceedingly strong here. Street brawls were a common sight, often turning bloody. Many young, privileged bullies enjoyed drawing bows and brandishing swords, traveling in packs, riding horses, and hunting with falcons and courtesans, completely disregarding others. The Golden Door Kingdom’s ruler himself had risen through the ranks of the military and seized the throne through usurpation. He valued martial prowess over scholarship. In the imperial court, it was not uncommon for civil officials to return home with bruised faces after court sessions.

Things that would be considered outrageous elsewhere were commonplace to the people of the Golden Door Kingdom. A Grand Academician being spat upon, a Minister of Rites unable to reason with a General’s iron fists despite reciting countless Confucian principles – these were merely topics of idle chatter.

Along the way, fine rain met him on the mountain cliffside path, the rain curtain like a beaded screen, the sound of rain like the tinkling of wind chimes.

A mountain woodcutter, by chance, discovered an orchid deep in the mountains, gesticulating wildly, seemingly mad with joy.

Deep in the night, crickets chirped, the moonlight washing his azure robes, the firelight flickering beside the mountain bonfire.

The season of plum rains was approaching.

This day, Chen Pingan strolled slowly through the mountains outside a commandery city of the Golden Door Kingdom. Tigers were a great scourge here, so privileged and chivalrous youths from the Golden Door Kingdom often came here to hunt. Chen Pingan had already encountered several groups of hunters carrying swords and bows, whistling past in the wind. Most were young, often young ladies among them, spirited and skilled in archery and horsemanship. Their older escorts were clearly battle-hardened veterans.

Just a few days ago, Chen Pingan had witnessed a group of youths from the Golden Door Kingdom’s capital, gathering in a mountain god temple for a drunken revelry. They scribbled “calligraphy” haphazardly on the temple walls. One tall youth even picked up the painted wooden statue of the god, carried it out of the temple, and smashed it on the ground, yelling that he wanted to compare strength with the mountain god. The mountain god and earth god, who were hiding far away to avoid the disturbance, looked at each other speechlessly, sighing.

In the twilight, Chen Pingan did not enter the commandery city. Instead, he moved away from the main road, crossed mountains and ridges, and followed a winding mountain path. Occasionally, he saw figures, most of them agile, likely martial artists of the pugilistic world. Chen Pingan’s azure robes drifted through the mountains like a wisp of blue smoke. After nightfall, the travelers on the path still did not carry torches. Late at night, Chen Pingan stopped abruptly, standing atop a towering tree. He looked into the distance. On the summit of a massive solitary peak, surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs, lights blazed brightly, and buildings were densely packed. Only an iron chain and wooden plank bridge, connected to the high mountain beneath Chen Pingan’s feet, led to the mountaintop “town.” At night, the mountain wind blew, causing the entire bridge to sway slightly.

It looked like a rather influential martial arts sect. Because the nearby spiritual energy was weak, only slightly better than the border between the Silver Screen Kingdom and the Locust Yellow Kingdom, it was not a feng shui treasure suitable for cultivators.

Chen Pingan sat on a tree branch, chewing on a piece of dry bread. The Sword Nourishing Gourd was filled with over ten catties of Orchid Bloom Kingdom wine. He hadn’t drunk much along the way, so there was still quite a bit left.

Chen Pingan began to close his eyes and meditate, even with small refining, the two Dragon Slaying Platforms were still progressing slowly. He still had not fully refined them after traveling for so long.

Unknowingly, the lights on the opposite mountaintop gradually dimmed, until only a few scattered lights remained.

At dawn, Chen Pingan opened his eyes and attached a Burden-Bearing Talisman, learned from Du Yu of the Ghost Axe Palace, to his body, and continued cultivating.

His journey north was a leisurely one, stopping and going as he pleased. He only needed to reach the Green Oriole Kingdom in the eastern part of the Northern Majestic Continent before autumn. The Green Oriole Kingdom was at the mouth of that great river. The terrain of the central Northern Majestic Continent was high in the center, sloping downwards towards the sea on both the east and west sides, with the northern side being higher. The entire Northern Majestic Continent, from the Skeleton Beach northward, was roughly shaped like a staircase, rising successively. The source of the great river was in the north, with dozens of large rivers flowing into the great riverbed, creating the rare spectacle of a single great river having two estuaries.

After Chen Pingan had completely refined the two Dragon Slaying Platforms, he virtually placed them in two acupoints where each had once harbored “a wisp of extremely small sword qi,” and the flying swords First and Fifteenth respectively took up residence within.

Each time the flying swords collided with the Dragon Slaying Platforms, the sparks flying as they sharpened their edges, Chen Pingan felt as if his heart was being cut by knives. This was also the fundamental reason why he couldn’t travel faster. Chen Pingan’s refining speed was barely keeping pace with the rate at which First and Fifteenth “consumed” the Dragon Slaying Platforms. Only after they had devoured the Dragon Slaying Platforms would the groundwork be laid. Refining First and Fifteenth into natal treasures was the key, a process destined to be dangerous and arduous.

However, this feeling of returning to the Bamboo Lodge on Fallen Phoenix Mountain to feed punches made Chen Pingan feel particularly grounded.

On the bridge, the sound of dung carts rumbled. Large vegetable gardens had been cleared out of the mountains on this side of the bridge. Then came a group of people going to fetch water from a distant mountain stream, with children skipping and frolicking behind them, dangling small, makeshift water buckets. Soon after, shouts of martial artists practicing stances and wielding weapons echoed from the mountaintop town.

Living on the mountain, yet not being a Daoist who could abstain from grains, was indeed troublesome. The figures who had returned to the mountaintop town in the latter half of the night were mostly wrapped up tightly, and some even led mules and horses carrying heavy loads, returning home across the bridge.

Chen Pingan planned to stay here for two more days, striving to thoroughly refine the two Dragon Slaying Platforms in one go, using the immortal art derived from the Rain Prayer Stele inscriptions of the Azure Void Palace, before setting off again.

The dozen or so countries north of the Spring Dew Garden, including this Golden Door Kingdom, led by the Great Seal Dynasty, were thriving in martial prowess. Martial artists roamed freely, to the point where hundreds of martial artists would join forces to besiege immortal sects on the mountains, an outrageous occurrence.
Across this vast territory, only the Goldscale Palace, defended by a single nascent soul cultivator, manages to barely escape calamity. However, even their disciples must tread carefully during worldly excursions.

When Chen Ping’an first heard of this at the Spring Dew Pavilion, he found it baffling. But upon learning that one of the four tenth-realm martial artists in the Northern Entirety Continent hailed from the Great Seal Dynasty, he understood somewhat.

The Northern Entirety Continent now boasts four realm-stopping martial artists. The eldest, a highly respected powerhouse outside the mountains, was once close friends with several mountain sword immortals. For some unknown reason, he succumbed to cultivation madness some years ago. It took several upper-fifth realm cultivators a monumental effort to restrain him together, as they couldn’t unleash their full power lest they accidentally harm the old martial artist. In the process, the old martial artist severely injured a Jade Purity stage Daoist celestial. He is currently confined to the Celestial Sovereign’s Manor, awaiting the return of Celestial Sovereign Xie Shi from Treasure Bottle Continent to issue an edict.

The youngest, barely a century old, is the chief protector of a Sect-level immortal clan in the north. His wife is a female sword immortal who recently ascended to the Jade Purity realm. Their age gap is significant, and their union is filled with stories.

Then there is an isolated and elusive master from the Great Seal Dynasty, unseen for decades. Rumors abound – some say he’s dead, killed in a life-or-death struggle with a long-time arch-nemesis, a great sword immortal, though the Great Seal Dynasty has covered it up well. Others claim he went to Camellia Grotto Heaven, attempting a great reversal, using spiritual energy to temper his body, much like a youth hardening himself against the sea tides. Afterward, he intends to battle that great sword immortal from Apes’ Wail Mountain who broke through sixty years prior.

The newest one is of strange origin, rarely making an appearance. Each time he does, he avoids killing, but he demolished the ancestral halls of two mountain peaks, each with nascent soul sword cultivators guarding the immortal abodes. Therefore, the Northern Entirety Continent gazettes dare to assert that he is a newly emerging realm-stopping martial artist. It is said he has some connection to Lion Peak and uses the alias “Li Er.”

The Great Seal Dynasty also has an eighth-realm martial artist, a female grandmaster swordsman who is easier to find. She serves as the personal guard of the Great Seal Zhou clan’s emperor. However, her future prospects are bleak; reaching the Distant Excursion realm is already her limit, and she is destined to never reach the mountain peak realm.

In short, in this place, the wandering martial artists have the loudest voices and the hardest fists.

Chen Ping’an now finds the golden body realm martial artists outside of Fallen Phoenix Mountain perplexing.

Su Lang, the Green Bamboo Sword Immortal who initially wanted to test his sword with Senior Song, was the first.

The one who ambushed him from the Azure Canopy Lake Dragon Palace was the second.

The Liao family retainer beside Wei Baishen, the young master of the Ironclad Ship Mansion on the ferry, was the third.

Chen Ping’an actually wanted to spar with a Distant Excursion realm martial artist. Unfortunately, the avatar of Gao Cheng on the ferry should have been an eighth-realm martial artist, but that old swordsman with the extraordinary aura had his neck slit by Chen Ping’an’s sword. Before his head fell to the ground, his words “Three Jade Purity realm from Mourning Linen Sect are not worthy of this victory,” were a testament to his heroic spirit.

Earlier, on a lake in Goldfinch Country, Chen Ping’an rented a small boat and watched a bloody massacre from afar.

It seemed to be a premeditated ambush. First, a mutiny broke out on a pleasure boat anchored in the lake, with dozens of people divided into two factions, armed with different weapons. Among them, a dozen or so could be considered the top martial artists in Goldfinch Country, around the fifth or sixth realm. The two sides fought, arms and heads flying everywhere. Then, seven or eight Goldfinch warships appeared, bright lights illuminating the lake as if it were daytime, surrounding the first pleasure boat. They began with a barrage of crossbow bolts and strong bows. After the warring martial artists had left a dozen corpses behind, the remaining people retreated into the cabins for cover. The military warships then used battering rams to strike the pleasure boat. Several injured martial arts experts tried to break through the encirclement, unwilling to surrender, but as soon as they dashed out of the boat, they were either forced back by a storm of arrows, killed on the spot by an old eunuch in court attire, or sliced in half at the waist by a young female swordsman’s sword energy. A burly general in glistening armor stood on the bottom level of the warship, holding an iron spear, but initially did not attack.

Some martial arts experts feigned injury and fell into the lake, trying to escape by holding their breath and swimming away, but they did not escape their fate. It seemed that monsters were lurking in the water, forcing several martial arts experts back to the surface, where the burly general picked up a strong bow and shot them one by one, all through the head.

After the Goldfinch warships approached, Chen Ping’an had already steered his small boat quietly away.

The final scene left a deep impression on Chen Ping’an.

The female swordsman stood on the bow of the ship, constantly unleashing her sword, stabbing every floating corpse and injured person in the water with a strand of fierce sword energy.

It was estimated that few survived on the pleasure boat in the lake.

Those who did likely were the court’s informants.

Chen Ping’an saw three people walk to the top level of the warship and bow to the burly general in glistening armor.

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes and continued refining the Dragon-Slaying Platform.

Once one truly embarks on the path of cultivation, one realizes that the most worthless yet most valuable things are time and years.

As for that Jianghu matter, Chen Ping’an never had any intention of intervening from beginning to end.

That night, Chen Ping’an gently exhaled a breath of stale air and looked up. A young couple appeared on the bridge. The woman was a pure martial artist with decent foundations, around the third realm, while the man had a refined appearance and seemed more like a scholar, not a true martial artist. The woman walked slowly on the swaying iron chains, and the slightly older man worried incessantly. At the head of the bridge, the woman lightly jumped down and was taken by the man’s hand.

The two walked hand-in-hand along the mountain road, whispering to each other, chatting about everything.

It happened to be in Chen Ping’an’s direction.

Chen Ping’an then overheard some of the inside secrets of the Goldfinch Country’s court and the Jianghu.
These past years have been turbulent in the Jianghu. According to unofficial histories of the Jinfei Kingdom, the current monarch usurped the throne. The first thing this Emperor did upon sitting on the Dragon Throne was to place his blade across his knees and summon the honored members of the Imperial Clan responsible for the royal genealogy and records. He had them open the ledgers page by page, and for every name called, except for the deceased Empress of the previous Emperor, a head would fall outside the hall. He wiped out the remnants of the previous dynasty. The blood flowed like a river that night, but one fish slipped through the net: the youngest son of the former Emperor. A palace maid escaped with him, and loyal subjects arranged for his safe passage out of the capital. He vanished into the Jianghu, never to be found. Because of this, there have been many inexplicable massacres in the Jianghu over the years, often targeting major sects. Even when these incidents were clearly revenge killings, the local authorities dared not investigate too closely, lest they cross a line and incur the wrath of the Emperor in the capital. With the government constrained, and Jinfei Kingdom valuing martial prowess, the military commanders in various regions often used the pretext of bandit suppression to train their troops with the heads of Jianghu individuals. Those with families and livelihoods naturally suffered greatly.

The Jianghu could not remain in such chaos. So, a dozen or so renowned figures and martial arts grandmasters from the Jinfei Kingdom, along with seven or eight notorious figures from the Demonic Path who were normally at odds, put aside their differences to meet in secret. Their intention was not to rebel, but rather to assist the Emperor in his search. They hoped to scour the Jianghu and find the long-sought Prince of the previous dynasty. With his death, the Emperor would be pleased, and the chaotic situation in the Jianghu might improve, allowing everyone to breathe easier.

The young man and woman were filled with worry as they spoke of the bloody conflicts.

Their sect, known as the Zhengrong Sect, was a first-rate power in the Jinfei Jianghu. The Jianghu sects, numbering nearly a hundred, were divided by a watershed: the ascension of the current Emperor. New sects often aligned with the nobles or regional powers in the capital, while the old sects struggled to survive. The Zhengrong Sect belonged to the old Jianghu. The woman’s father was one of the Four Righteous Masters.

The latest news she had received was that the location for the meeting had finally been decided: a lake’s heart island, where neither the righteous nor the demonic could easily tamper.

Neither the White nor Black Paths wished to hold the meeting in the other’s territory, fearing betrayal and annihilation. The righteous considered the demonic ruthless and unscrupulous, while the demonic viewed the so-called virtuous as hypocritical and worse than themselves.

Beyond these worrisome concerns, under the moonlight, each saw their beloved, and they couldn’t help but become intimate.

Earlier, the woman had been practicing her martial arts, wielding a branch as she went through stances, throwing punches and displaying some flashy sword flourishes.

Chen Pingan sighed softly. The Zhengrong Sect Master was likely one of the three Jianghu experts who survived the lake battle. His style with strikes resembled the woman’s, and he wore a soft sword around his waist, which he used to slice necks and heads with subtle and treacherous skill.

As the couple embraced, their hands began to wander.

If that was all, Chen Pingan could simply close his eyes and cultivate. But he feared that the young couple might succumb to their desires.

As if to confirm his worries, the couple moved behind a tree, and the woman suggested finding a more secluded, shady spot up in the branches, or she wouldn’t allow him to be so handsy.

The man agreed with a laugh. The young woman grabbed her lover’s shoulders, preparing to leap up.

Chen Pingan, who carried a Tuobei Talisman, looked around and flicked his finger, shattering a pebble in the grass.

The couple startled and quickly turned to look.

Chen Pingan stood up and vanished in a blur.

“Alright, alright, the spot is yours.”

Chen Pingan went to a higher point on the mountain to continue refining his Dragon Slaying Terrace.

After being startled, the couple cuddled for a moment before hurrying back to the suspension bridge, for the Zhengrong Sect had lit up all of its lights, creating a snowy white scene.

People surged towards the main gate, eager to greet their honored guests.

Chen Pingan looked into the distance. A slender fire dragon appeared on the mountain path, slowly winding its way forward, looking similar to the talismanic fire dragon Liu Zhiqing had drawn on his desk.

It seemed a large contingent was ascending the mountain to visit the Zhengrong Sect tonight.

In fact, Chen Pingan had noticed subtle clues the previous night, spotting several Jianghu martial artists acting as scouts, sneaking around as if surveying the terrain.

Chen Pingan thought for a moment, then stood up and took a detour to the cliff’s edge, moving away from the lights of the mountain gate. He retreated a few steps, then leaped off, grabbing onto the cliff face of the solitary peak where the Zhengrong Sect was located. He moved horizontally along the cliff, finally hiding silently beneath the suspension bridge, his fingers digging into the stone wall, his body swaying gently in the wind, as he took down his gourd and drank wine.

At one end of the suspension bridge, Zhengrong Sect Master Lin Shu’s face was pale, as he was still recovering from the injuries he had sustained in the battle on the lake, but having reaped a great fortune, his spirits were high.

The three honored guests visiting the Zhengrong Sect were General Du Ying, adopted son of the current Emperor, as well as the unfathomable eunuch from the Imperial Stables, and Zheng Shuizhu, a distinguished guest from the Dazhuan Dynasty, whose swordsmanship was superb, and whose master was the gatekeeper of the Dazhuan Imperial Palace.
Zheng Shuizhu was one of the five most cherished disciples of that legendary female martial immortal of Dazhuan, her last and most favored student, blessed with exceptional talent and showered with affection. Her participation in the encirclement on the lake of Jinfei was merely a way to relax, as she carried a vital mission from her sect. Lin Shu, one of the first Jianghu grandmasters to pledge allegiance to the new emperor, had spent over a decade in quiet observation, cultivating a network of informants. Rumor had it that a ferocious black dragon, possessing formidable cultivation, resided in the rivers beyond the Dazhuan capital. It had coexisted peacefully with humanity for a millennium, but recently, the land had been plagued by relentless floods, threatening to submerge the capital. Thus, Lin Shu faintly suspected that Zheng Shuizhu’s journey southward was connected to the treasured blade enshrined within the martial temple of Jinfei’s capital. After all, while Zheng Shuizhu’s master was a great master capable of traversing the skies, and her sword was a divine weapon, they were lacking a sacred artifact to specifically suppress the dragon.

That treasured blade of Jinfei had been stained with the blood of over a hundred descendants of the previous dynasty’s imperial line. Furthermore, before that, it had severed the head of the former general of the realm, a man whose distinguished service and widespread acclaim had been the greatest obstacle to the current emperor’s ascent to the dragon throne.

It could be said that this blade had utterly severed the dragon vein and national destiny of the previous dynasty.

At one end of the rope bridge, General Du Ying still donned his snow-white military armor, using his saber as a staff, not stepping onto the bridge.

The female swordswoman, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, carried the longsword “Biyue” on her back. This sword was her master’s cherished possession, having accompanied her through the long years of body refinement and the six realms of Qi cultivation, until she attained the Divine Refinement Realm. Only then did her master bestow it upon her last disciple, Zheng Shuizhu. Her four senior disciples had never received such an honor. When the sword was gifted, Zheng Shuizhu was only six years old, holding the sword with both hands, the blade taller than herself. Her usually stern master burst into laughter at the sight, but the precocious Zheng Shuizhu noticed the different expressions in the eyes of her four fellow disciples.

Zheng Shuizhu now surveyed her surroundings. The mountain wind howled. Across the way, the small town built atop the isolated peak was brightly lit, like a vast lantern floating in the night sky.

As for the old eunuch of the Imperial Horse Administration, clad in his python robe, he rubbed his hands gently. Though his hair was white, his skin was fair and delicate, his complexion radiant. He was, after all, a Golden Body Realm martial cultivator, known as the Night Watchman of Jinfei’s capital.

In terms of cultivation and combat prowess, the old eunuch far surpassed Zheng Shuizhu. However, throughout this long journey, southward and then homeward, the old eunuch had remained respectful to the young woman. A fifth-realm physique and cultivation could unleash sword qi and lethal force equivalent to a sixth-realm practitioner. This was the advantage of a high-born lineage, a talisman for wandering the Jianghu. Her master’s name was an even greater life-saving charm, as well as a decree allowing her to act first and report later in the many vassal states and neighboring countries of Dazhuan. If Zheng Shuizhu killed, as long as it wasn’t a high-ranking official or general from another country, no one would dare to object. However, this was Zheng Shuizhu’s first time leaving the Dazhuan capital, and she also had a secret mission, so she was far less renowned than her four senior disciples.

The three distinguished guests halted, and Lin Shu had no choice but to remain where he was.

Du Ying suddenly said, “I have been searching for remnants of the previous dynasty for over a decade, personally inspecting hundreds of Jianghu sects, large and small, and all individuals of suitable age. This includes those in the officialdom, the Jianghu of neighboring countries, and even many immortal forces on the mountains. Starting with a four-year-old child, I have searched year after year, until now, a man of barely twenty. A mere martial man, burdened with the title of General of the Realm, has been reduced to traveling so far across the Jianghu, unable to return home. It has been a great hardship. Even a father searching for his lost child wouldn’t have endured such hardship. What do you say, Sect Leader Lin?”

Lin Shu clasped his fist and said, “General, your service is meritorious and arduous! This time, the General’s meticulous planning has completely eradicated the Jianghu forces. I believe the General will return to the capital this time…”

Du Ying waved his hand, interrupting Lin Shu’s words. “Only this time, working with Sect Leader Lin, did I suddenly realize that I had been blinded by the light under my own lamp. I have never personally searched Mount Zhengrong for so many years.”

Lin Shu was instantly covered in sweat.

Du Ying smiled. “Of course, the imperial spies planted beside Sect Leader Lin underwent a thorough investigation years ago. Two elite spies, unconnected to each other, both reported that there was nothing suspicious.”

Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief, raised his arm high, clasped his fist towards the direction of the capital, and said in a deep voice, “General, Lin Shu and Mount Zhengrong are loyal to His Majesty. Heaven is my witness!”

Du Ying slowly drew his saber and pointed it towards the small town on the mountain peak. “Now, there is a safest method, it just depends on whether Sect Leader Lin has enough loyalty and courage to do it. The age recorded in Zheng Rong’s sect records and the household registration in the local county archives can both be forged. Therefore, why not kill all the men between the ages of eighteen and twenty, or who look like they are of that age, among the one thousand two hundred or so people in the town? That would solve everything.”

Du Ying smiled. “Of course, these people cannot die in vain. I, Du Ying, cannot mistreat those who have rendered service. So, when I return to the capital and have an audience with His Majesty, I will personally request rewards from His Majesty. For every head that rolls on Mount Zhengrong tonight, I will compensate you, Lin Shu, with one thousand taels of silver. How does that sound? For every ten heads you gather, I will allocate a piece of land from the territories of those sects that died on the lake boats to Zheng Rong to manage.”

Lin Shu said with a bitter smile, “Could it be that there are villains within Zheng Rong who are causing trouble, providing false information to the General? Are they deliberately trying to put me, Lin Shu, in a position of disloyalty and injustice?”

Du Ying nodded. “Indeed, there are villains, and more than one. One is your unworthy disciple, who feels that he has no hope of inheriting the position of sect leader under normal circumstances. He was almost expelled from the sect by you in his early years, so he inevitably harbors resentment and wants to take this opportunity to turn the tables and seize the position of sect leader. I verbally agreed to it. You can kill him later, Sect Leader Lin. A person like that cannot even manage half a Jianghu, let alone an entire Zheng Rong. What use would I have for him in my service?”
Du Ying pointed his blade at the gate across the bridge, slowly saying, “There’s one more. A young man who has been living with a Zhao Ting spy. The spy was once a teacher in your little town’s school. This young man has the makings of a scholar, and he and your only daughter have affections for each other, but you felt he lacked the talent for martial arts and wasn’t worthy of your daughter. Later, the old spy who had been guiding him, before his death, thought the young man had the potential to become an official. So, through the old spy’s manipulations, the young man inherited his teacher’s identity and was able to correspond with the Zhao Ting in secret. In fact, it was his idea to eliminate all Zheng Rong Sect disciples of suitable age. I agreed, promising not only to keep his secret and help him win the beauty, but also to arrange for him to enter the officialdom and succeed in the imperial examinations, undoubtedly achieving high ranks. Perhaps in a decade or two, he’ll become a regional governor in some part of Jinfei Kingdom.”

Lin Shu’s face turned ashen with anger. He gnashed his teeth and said, “This ungrateful wolf cub! His parents died early, and he was from the most lowly dung-carrying family. If it weren’t for the Zheng Rong Sect giving him a monthly stipend, he’d be eating excrement!”

The old eunuch from the Imperial Stables pinched a strand of white hair hanging from his temple, and said in a shrill voice, “These are minor matters. According to another spy’s secret report, your Zheng Rong Sect still has a hidden master, has had for many years. They are very well hidden and haven’t revealed their presence yet. It’s quite troublesome.”

Lin Shu was stunned.

Zheng Shuizhu frowned and said, “General Du, are we just going to waste time here? Whether that remnant of the former dynasty is on the mountain can be determined with a blade. If there really is a Qi Refinement cultivator from the Jinlin Palace hiding here, he’s probably the protector of that prince. A double kill – eliminating the remnant and ferreting out a Jinlin Palace cultivator.”

Within the ranks, a taciturn man carried a long chest.

Du Ying smiled and said, “What if that Jinlin Palace immortal’s realm is extremely high? Our hundred or so armored soldiers wouldn’t be able to withstand a few of his immortal techniques. Even if they can’t defeat the three of us working together, once they fly away with someone, the three of us can only watch helplessly as they disappear into the distance. We can’t exactly jump off a cliff, can we?”

Zheng Shuizhu turned her head and glanced at the chest-carrying man, scoffing, “The Grand Disciple of our Guardian Immortal is here. What’s there to fear from a Qi Refinement cultivator hiding in Zheng Rong Mountain for over a decade?”

In the Da Zhuan Dynasty, both the martial officials responsible for escorting the emperor and the Daoist cultivators, led by Guardian Immortal Liang Hongyin, had a bad relationship, disliking each other and engaging in conflicts in secret. Since the Da Zhuan Dynasty had vast territories, the emperor allowed both sides to acquire benefits in the pugilist world and mountain regions, so there was bound to be animosity. A highly talented senior brother of Zheng Shuizhu’s lineage was ambushed by three Guan Hai and Dragon Gate Realm cultivators who hid their identities. His legs were broken, and now he’s confined to a wheelchair, half a cripple. Later, a direct disciple of Guardian Immortal Liang Hongyin mysteriously disappeared during training. His body has never been found.

The man with a mask on his face looked at Zheng Shuizhu’s back coldly. This little wench had always been arrogant. She was never well-behaved in the capital, relying on the old woman’s indulgence, and had been flirting with a Da Zhuan prince in recent years. Did she really think she was the empress-to-be?

Du Ying asked, “Sect Leader Lin, what do you say?”

Lin Shu’s face twisted. “Kill all the young men on the mountain who are of suitable age! But I have two requests. That traitorous disciple must die, and that ungrateful bastard deserves to die even more! I dare not say Zheng Rong Sect’s tendon-severing techniques for dealing with traitors are unique in the Jinfei Kingdom, but making people wish they were dead isn’t difficult at all.”

Du Ying shook his head. “The former is a useless piece of trash. Killing him is no problem. But the latter is ambitious and has remarkable intelligence. His secret letters to the Zhao Ting over the years, besides those about the pugilist world, contain many suggestions for governance. I’ve read them all carefully, and they’re insightful. The emperor must have read his secret memorials as well. ‘A scholar doesn’t leave home, but knows everything under heaven.’ That’s the kind of person he is.”

Lin Shu suppressed his anger, his face gloomy. “General, that person is this year… about twenty-four or twenty-five. He’s nearly twenty!”

Du Ying smiled wryly, remaining silent for a moment, and then shook his head. “Our visit tonight is just a precaution, to help Sect Leader Lin clear his sect and sweep away obstacles on his path to dominating the pugilist world. I’m not someone who kills indiscriminately.”

The old eunuch from the Imperial Stables smiled. “Act according to the situation. There’s no rush. Tonight will be lively.”

Du Ying glanced at the suspension bridge. “Right now, I’m afraid a Jinlin Palace cultivator is lying in wait. What if the bridge breaks when we’re halfway across?”

The old eunuch nodded. “That would be a big problem.”

The taciturn man carrying the chest said indifferently, “General Du, don’t worry. As long as they dare to make a move, the bridge will not break, but that person will surely die.”

Du Ying smiled. “The Immortal Master is certain?”

The man nodded. “Our Imperial Preceptor’s Office would not deceive General Du.”

A first-rank Duke who pacifies the nation, and also an adopted son of the Jinfei Emperor – his death would still be a problem. After all, the ascension of the new Jinfei Emperor was a scheme of the Da Zhuan Imperial Preceptor’s Office. A rebellious martial general holding military power and a vassal king rightfully wearing the dragon robe have completely different status. The former, the Da Zhuan Imperial Preceptor’s Office can freely kill using others’ hands, killing as many as they like. The latter, however, cannot be touched.

Du Ying sheathed his blade and waved his hand. “Cross the bridge!”

At that moment, in the small town atop Zheng Rong Peak, an old man grabbed a young man’s shoulder and soared away on the wind. The old man was surrounded by a shimmering light, like golden fish scales, eye-catching in the night.

Du Ying looked up and said, “As expected, it’s the lingering Jinlin Palace cultivator. Looks like he couldn’t sit still any longer.”

The chest-carrying man behind Du Ying had already shot away, transforming into a streak of rainbow light. He was a Golden Core cultivator from the Da Zhuan Dynasty’s Imperial Preceptor’s Office, known for its bloodbath, and the Grand Disciple of the Guardian Immortal.

The Jinlin Palace cultivator was probably a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator and was also escaping with someone. The blade-carrying man was already a realm higher, and the treasured blade in his hand was a national treasure receiving the incense offerings of the people. With a slash from afar, the Jinlin Palace cultivator quickly cast a spell. The golden light on his robe fell off and hovered in place, suddenly enlarging, like a golden fishing net, to block the blade light. The old man continued to carry the young man away from Zheng Rong Peak.
The blade wielded by the Golden Core cultivator from the National Preceptor’s Office of the Great Zhuan Dynasty cleaved the man’s robe asunder. His wind-riding form accelerated, arriving in an instant behind the old cultivator from the Golden Scale Palace. Another strike came, point-blank. The elder desperately tried to hurl the young man in his grasp away, the latter covered in several Golden Scale Palace Floating Charms, temporarily granting a mortal scholar the wind-riding ability of a Qi Refiner. But the elder knew this was a final, desperate act. Who could have imagined that the Golden Portal Kingdom not only discovered Mount Verdant Peak, but also sent a Golden Core cultivator from the Great Zhuan National Preceptor’s Office?

With a subtle twist of the wrist, the National Treasure Blade, enshrined for years in the Martial Temple, subtly shifted its trajectory. One strike and the heads of the old cultivator and the young man fell together.

In his dying moments, the old cultivator detonated all the spiritual Qi within his Qi Reservoirs, seeking to drag a Golden Core cultivator down with him.

The sword-wielding man retreated, hovering in the air. The freshly separated corpses of the Golden Scale Palace elder and the youth disintegrated into dust. Within a radius of dozens of feet, the Qi became chaotic, forming a violent gale that shook the rope bridge in the distance. Several armored soldiers fell, but Du Ying and Zheng Shuizhu used their Thousand-Pound Drop technique, managing to stabilize the bridge.

The taciturn man lowered his head, scrutinizing the blade’s edge, nodding, then slightly frowning. He rode the wind back to the rope bridge, landing softly.

Du Ying lowered his voice and asked, “Well? Was it really the remnant?”

The man nodded. “The bloodstains are genuine, but the Dragon Qi is insufficient, a slight imperfection that will diminish the blade’s suppressive effect. But this is to be expected. Once a kingdom falls, even the former emperors and lords will see their Dragon Qi dwindle year after year.”

Du Ying took a deep breath, gripping an iron chain tightly. “I can finally stand tall and return to the capital as a true National Pacification Great General!”

The man carefully returned the precious blade to its long wooden case, a rare smile gracing his face. “General Du’s accomplishments will not only please your emperor.”

He tossed the wooden case directly to Zheng Shuizhu, his smile fading. “This is also a considerable favor to our Miss Zheng.”

Zheng Shuizhu frowned, suspicion clouding her face. “Feng Yi, why not take it directly back to the National Preceptor’s Office?”

Clearly, she feared that the Golden Core cultivator would take the precious blade himself to claim credit with the Great Zhuan Emperor.

The man was too lazy to waste words with this woman.

The extremely troublesome Black Flood Dragon was trying to drown the Great Zhuan capital, turning the entire city into its underwater Dragon Palace. His master was only a Nascent Soul cultivator proficient in water techniques. How could he compete with a naturally aquatic flood dragon? Ultimately, they still needed this young woman’s master. Only with this Golden Portal Kingdom treasure blade did they have a chance to strike a fatal blow, successfully slaying the evil dragon. The National Preceptor’s Office cultivators were, at best, trying to ensure the city wouldn’t be flooded during the battle. A single misstep could ruin everything, jeopardizing the entire Zhou dynasty’s fortune. Would the National Preceptor’s Office really be vying for credit with a little girl at such a crucial juncture? Besides, after the battle began, the person who truly exerted themselves, bearing the greatest share of saving the nation, would definitely be Zheng Shuizhu’s master. Was he, Feng Yi, the chief disciple of the Guardian of the Realm, going to snatch the precious blade from this little girl, then run to that old woman, presenting it with a smiling face, begging her to accept the blade and venture out to slay the dragon?

Lin Shu’s legs were weak, one hand gripping the iron chain.

The remnant was indeed hiding under his very nose!

Du Ying laughed. “Lin Shu, you’ve worked diligently for so many years, serving His Majesty, sending secret reports to the capital. This time, you helped me eliminate experts from both the righteous and evil paths on the lake, and tonight, you’ve settled an old score.”

Lin Shu forced a smile, relieved by Du Ying’s reassuring words, yet unable to fully relax, fearing the court’s reckoning.

Du Ying didn’t want to say much more, letting Lin Shu remain anxious. Lin Shu and Mount Verdant Peak, like fish and shrimp in a muddy ditch, were necessary. If it were someone else, they would work hard for the court, but might not be as useful as Lin Shu. Besides, with such a large handle in Du Ying’s and the court’s hands, Mount Verdant Peak would only become more obedient, and more unscrupulous in its actions. Let the martial world kill each other; the court only needed to reap the benefits without getting its hands dirty.

Du Ying hesitated. “We’ll stay at Mount Verdant Peak tonight.”

Lin Shu whispered, “Those young men of the right age?”

Du Ying hesitated again.

The Great Zhuan National Preceptor’s Office’s Golden Core man twitched his lips, casually saying, “Better safe than sorry. Headmaster Lin, you know what to do.”

Lin Shu’s eyes turned ruthless.

The group crossed the rope bridge, entering the brightly lit town.

Among the cliffs, Chen Pingan remained motionless.

Inside the Verdant Peak Mountain summit town, within the Verdant Gate’s main hall, the floor was covered in blood.

Lin Shu sat expressionlessly in the master’s seat.

The taciturn man from the Great Zhuan Dynasty’s National Preceptor’s Office, Zheng Shuizhu, the Golden Portal Kingdom’s National Pacification Great General Du Ying, and the old eunuch from the Imperial Horse Administration, took their seats in order.

Across from them were several elders of the Lin clan, then Lin Shu’s only daughter and all his direct disciples. They dared not look directly at the opposite side.

Because Sect Master Lin Shu had stubbornly refused to sit in the master’s seat, it was only when the female swordswoman across from him showed displeasure, urging Lin Shu to sit down quickly, that Lin Shu sat down tremulously.

In the hall, most of the men around the age of twenty were already dead.

Zheng Shuizhu’s face was as cold as frost as she turned to look. “Is it fun killing these wastes?!”

Feng Yi from the National Preceptor’s Office smiled slightly. “Perhaps we can lure out a large Golden Scale Palace fish.”

Some distance away from the Verdant Gate’s main hall,

A young man who had replaced the old scholar as the tutor of the private school sneered. He stood up, stomped his foot, and a long sword popped out from under the ground. He took the sword, walked out of the school gate, and headed straight towards that place of trouble.

The relationship between the Golden Scale Palace and the Great Zhuan Dynasty was terrible. They were just short of a complete falling out.
Now that things here are settled, he wouldn’t mind casually eliminating a Great Seal Golden Core cultivator. If he wasn’t mistaken, that young female swordswoman was also a beloved disciple of that Eighth Realm crone. With these two dead, especially with the loss of that treasure blade that suppressed the water serpent, and yet Du Ying still alive, the Emperor of the Golden Canopy Kingdom would be in a world of trouble, destined to be unable to explain himself to the Great Seal Zhou Dynasty Emperor.

On the cliff side, Chen Ping’an released his grip, allowing his body to plummet downwards.

Nearing the bottom of the precipice, he reached out and grabbed the cliff face, slowing his descent, landing gracefully before slowly walking away.

This was likely a deeply plotted hunt.

Although everyone had their own desires.

However, once they truly appeared and stepped into it, the higher their cultivation, the faster they might die.

Chen Ping’an wouldn’t get involved.

The remnants of the previous dynasty fleeing the capital, the usurping Emperor of the Golden Canopy Kingdom, the adopted son Du Ying stirring up trouble in the martial world, Lin Shu of the Soaring Verdant Sect who had surrendered to the Imperial Court, the Golden Scale Palace cultivator secretly protecting the prince, the Great Seal Eighth Realm martial artist, the Golden Core cultivator from the State Preceptor’s Manor, and the water serpent that flooded the Great Seal capital.

And a Tenth Realm martial artist from the Great Seal Dynasty, and a great Sword Immortal who was sworn enemies with him.

Chen Ping’an left.

The Golden Scale Palace’s chief offering, a Golden Core swordsman, had a hole pierced through his brow, and another flash of rainbow light instantly shattered his Golden Core within.

Before his death, the deeply hidden Golden Core swordsman widened his eyes in horror, muttering, “Sword Immortal Ji Yue…”

His corpse quickly dissolved into a pool of blood.

On the opposite mountain peak, a short old man stood with his hands behind his back, “A mere Golden Core dares to ruin my plans? If you can be reincarnated in your next life, you should learn from that young man, who escaped twice.”

In an instant.

The short old man appeared beside the blue-robed guest, walking shoulder to shoulder, and smiled, “Outlander, how did you sense something was wrong? Could you tell me? Or were you just here to join the fun? You’re not old, but you’re very experienced.”

Chen Ping’an, holding his walking stick, continued walking, smiling, “Senior, just focus on using big bait to catch big fish. I wouldn’t dare wade into this murky water.”

The short old man scratched his head, “Do you think the remnant of the previous dynasty is dead?”

Chen Ping’an said, “It should be a replacement using immortal techniques, flowing with dragon blood, but not a true dragon species. Lin Shu is indeed a loyal and unyielding man of the previous dynasty’s late emperor, and would protect that scholar at all costs. Du Ying and his party were indeed fooled. That old Golden Scale Palace cultivator was also decisive, helping to deceive everyone. As for the young man himself, he was meticulous, otherwise it would be difficult to achieve this with only Lin Shu. But to Senior, their little games are a joke. Anyway, it’s better if the previous dynasty’s dragon species of the Golden Canopy Kingdom doesn’t die, and that treasure blade belonging to the subjugated dragon is better since it lacks a bit of refinement. So, originally, the true hidden expert of the Soaring Verdant Sect could have avoided death by Senior’s flying sword as long as he stayed still.”

“Honest and frank, knowing everything and saying everything, you’ve escaped again.”

After the short old man finished speaking, he paused for a moment and exclaimed in amazement, “Interesting, very interesting. What a pity, what a pity.”

The blue-robed guest wearing a bamboo hat stopped and smiled, “Senior, don’t scare me. I’m a coward. I definitely can’t beat Senior, even if I risk my life. Then I can only call out my teacher and senior brothers, to survive, there is no other way.”

The short old man burst out laughing, looked at the young man, and nodded, “Crafty and shrewd, you deserve to live. You’re as handsome and slick as I was when I was young, you are half the same type of person. If I really kill that old bastard in the end, come find me at Ape Cry Mountain. If anyone stops you, say you know an old man named Ji. Oh, and since you’re so smart, don’t think about tipping off the Great Seal Zhou Dynasty Emperor. It’s not worth it.”

Chen Ping’an sighed.

It really was that legendary Ape Cry Mountain immortal realm sword cultivator, Ji Yue.

Chen Ping’an turned to look at the bright town on top of that solitary peak, and suddenly asked, “Senior, I heard that when a great Sword Immortal draws his sword, he can cut off certain karmic connections?”

The short old man thought for a moment, “I can’t do that yet.”

They were both silent.

The old man suddenly shook his head and said, “You kid, you’re really unlucky. To run into me twice, almost dying three times. The more I look at you, the more I can’t help but recall my younger days.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You’ll get used to it.”

The old man waved his hand, “Go on, those who practice the sword shouldn’t be too fatalistic, that’s the right way.”

That blue-robed wanderer really walked away.

The short old man touched his head, looked at the jade hairpin on the young man’s head, his eyes complex, and sighed softly. What he meant by “what a pity” earlier was that he was speaking about that scholar who dared to truly act against the heavens.

He still couldn’t help himself and created a small world with a wave of his sleeve, and then asked, “Are you a disciple of that person from Treasure Bottle Continent?”

The young man turned his head but said nothing.

Ji Yue’s expression was calm, and he stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a deep voice, “Don’t embarrass your teacher.”

The man hesitated, but only nodded.

Ji Yue still didn’t remove the restriction, and suddenly laughed, “If you have the chance, tell your Uncle Zuo that his swordsmanship… isn’t actually that great. I was careless back then, and my realm wasn’t high enough, so I couldn’t withstand his sword.”

The young man’s expression was strange.

Ji Yue waved his hand and said, “Let me remind you, it’s best to put away that hairpin and hide it well. Although I was in a privileged position back then and saw a bit of the inside story of the changes in the South, so I thought it looked familiar. Even so, even I wouldn’t have noticed the strangeness unless I took a closer look. But what if? Not all sword cultivators are like me, who wouldn’t bother bullying juniors. Now those idiotic sword immortals in the Northern Ju Continent, if they recognize your identity, most of them will be unable to resist drawing their swords. As for whether killing you will provoke your Uncle Zuo to land on the Northern Ju Continent, to those ignorant Nascent Soul and Jade Purity brats, it’s just a joyous event in life, they’re not afraid of death at all. That’s the style of our Northern Ju Continent, both good and bad.”

The young man turned around and asked, “The Northern Ju Continent sword cultivator who took the lead in sailing out to draw his sword, was it Senior? Why do I only find various speculations when I read many landscape reports, without any clear records?”
Master Ji Yue scoffed, “Those rat-like spies, even if they learned it was Ji Yue, would they dare utter my name directly? Look at the three Sword Immortals behind you, does any one of them know? Right, when you descend the mountain for training in the future, you must be careful, just like tonight. You never know who the puppet master is pulling the strings behind those ant-like pawns. To put it bluntly, the way Du Ying views Lin Shu, the way you view Du Ying, and the way I view you, who knows if someone is watching Ji Yue? So many cultivators on the mountain die without knowing why, let alone those down below. All ailments can be cured, but stupidity is incurable.”

The young man cupped his fist and said, “Old Master’s teachings, this junior will remember them.”

Ji Yue waved his hand and vanished in a flash.

Chen Ping An departed from Verdant Peak, continuing his solitary journey.

Such is the world of mortals, one never knows what trials and tribulations they will encounter.

Entering the season of plum rains.

Chen Ping An simply bypassed the Great Zhuan Dynasty, heading towards a coastal vassal state.

Upon a mountain cliffside plank road, amidst the torrential downpour, Chen Ping An lit a bonfire, gazing blankly at the curtain of rain outside. When it rains, the sweltering heat between heaven and earth diminishes greatly.

The rain drizzles, slowly whispering, the willows sway, the lotus leaves are round. The mountains are green, the road is long, thinking of the past, longing evermore.