The plum rain season, traveling in a foreign land, was already a deeply vexing affair. To have the feeling of a blade hanging over one’s neck made the former Vice Minister Sui Xinyu even more anxious. Passing several post stations, the poems of travelers inscribed on the walls only served to intensify the old scholar’s sense of isolation. He repeatedly sought solace in wine, much to the increasing worry of the young attendants. Only the veiled woman remained calm and composed.

The four riders dared only to travel along the official road to the capital of the Wu Ling Kingdom. This day, as dusk fell, the torrential rain had just ceased. Even with their best efforts to urge their steeds onward through the downpour, they were still unable to reach the post station before nightfall. The former Vice Minister, having just removed his rain cape and donned a bamboo hat, lamented his plight. He looked around, sensing danger lurking at every turn. Were it not for the old man’s relatively robust constitution, gained from frequent travels with his old friends after resigning from his official post, he would have long since fallen ill, unable to endure this arduous escape.

On the official road, emerging from the shadows alongside the path, appeared a rough-looking face. It was the very Jianghu (martial world) figure from the small pavilion on the ancient Tea Horse Road, a burly young man with a face full of angry flesh. He was no more than thirty paces away from the Sui family’s four riders. The man brandished a long saber and, without a word, began to sprint towards them.

Sui Xinyu shouted loudly, “Immortal swordsman, save us!”

But the heavens and earth remained silent.

Then, beside the suddenly reining-in old Vice Minister, a series of rapid hoofbeats sounded. The veiled woman spurred her horse forward.

A flash of steel, and the rider and the saber-wielding man brushed past each other.

The veiled woman seemed to have been struck in the waist by the blade, her lithe body contorting into an arc as she fell backwards from her horse, coughing up blood.

The man’s forward momentum carried him onward. He gradually slowed his pace, staggered a few steps, and then collapsed.

Three golden hairpins were embedded in his face, neck, and heart, respectively. These golden pins, like hidden weapons of Jianghu martial artists and yet also somewhat like flying swords of immortals, were barely sufficient, and only their number ensured the martial artist’s immediate demise. The hairpin in the face merely pierced his cheek, causing a bloody mess, while the hairpin in his chest missed its mark by a fraction of an inch. Only the hairpin in the neck had landed a truly fatal blow.

The veiled woman shakily rose to her feet, feeling her abdomen. For some reason, the Jianghu swordsman had turned the blade, using the back of the saber instead of the edge, seeking to injure rather than kill. Sui Jingcheng tried to regulate her breathing, faintly hearing a soft thud in the distance.

Sui Jingcheng turned her head and shouted, “Careful! Dismount and take cover!”

Someone was drawing back a large bow, firing an arrow with great force and speed. The whistling sound as it pierced the air was truly terrifying.

Blood trickled from the corner of Sui Jingcheng’s mouth, but she endured the sharp pain in her waist. Concentrating her spirit, she silently chanted an incantation, following the secret records and diagrams in a small booklet given to her by a master many years ago. Forming a hand seal, she twisted her slender waist and flicked her sleeve. The three golden hairpins were retrieved from the corpse on the official road, flying to meet the oncoming arrow. The pins moved with incredible speed, and even though they were released after the twang of the bowstring, they struck the arrow, sending sparks flying. Yet the arrow continued on its trajectory, hurtling towards the old Vice Minister’s head as he sat high on his horse.

Sui Jingcheng’s face was filled with despair. Even though she had secretly given her father the gossamer silk bamboo armor, if the arrow struck his head, even a legendary immortal robe would be of no avail!

Sui Jingcheng’s eyes widened, and tears instantly welled up.

In the face of life and death, true feelings were revealed.

Even though Sui Jingcheng didn’t entirely agree with her father’s conduct as an official, the bond between father and daughter was undeniable.

Just like the gossamer silk bamboo armor, the reason Sui Xinyu was wearing it was partly because Sui Jingcheng believed she was not in imminent danger. Yet, in this dire situation, not all children would be willing to gamble like Sui Jingcheng, especially a clever woman like her who aspired to cultivate immortality.

The next moment…

A figure in white robes, carrying a sword, appeared out of thin air, standing directly on the arrow, suspending it near Sui Xinyu and his horse. He gently landed, and the arrow beneath his feet turned to dust.

Another arrow came whistling through the air, this time with incredible speed, creating a display of wind and thunder. Before the arrow even arrived, the sound of a snapping bowstring could be heard.

But the white-robed young man caught the arrow in his hand, crushing it with a resounding explosion.

The white-robed sword immortal looked towards the source of the arrow and laughed, “Xiao Shuye, aren’t you a saber artist? When did you switch to using a bow?”

The white-robed sword immortal vanished in a flash.

Sui Jingcheng shouted, “Be careful, it’s a diversion…”

But the white-robed sword immortal, indifferent to her warning, single-handedly pursued the archer. A streak of white light soared into the sky, dazzling onlookers.

Sui Jingcheng immediately leaped back onto her horse, spurring it forward. With a wave of her hand, she retrieved the three golden hairpins that had fallen onto the road, tucking them into her sleeve. She shouted to the others, “Let’s go!”

The Sui family’s four riders galloped away.

After riding for several miles, still unable to see the outline of the post station, the old Vice Minister felt as if his bones were about to break from the horse’s jolting, and tears streamed down his face.

Sui Jingcheng raised her arm high and suddenly stopped her horse.

The other three riders also quickly pulled on their reins.

On the road ahead, Cao Fu stood with one hand behind his back, smiling as he extended the other towards the veiled woman. “Jingcheng, come with me to the mountain to cultivate. I can guarantee that as long as you enter the mountain with me, the Sui family will enjoy boundless wealth for generations to come.”

Sui Xinyu’s expression shifted uncertainly.

Sui Jingcheng coldly laughed, “If that were truly the case, why would you, Cao Fu, go to such lengths? Given my father and the Sui family’s temperaments, they would simply offer me up with both hands. If I’m not mistaken, Yang Yuan’s disciple from the Hun River inadvertently let slip that the new list of the top ten Grandmasters has just been released, and our Wu Ling Kingdom’s Wang Dun seems to be at the bottom? Then the so-called Four Beauties should also be… what, am I, Sui Jingcheng, fortunate enough to be included on this list? I wonder what that’s all about? If I’m not mistaken, your master, being a Land Immortal, is determined to have me, Sui Jingcheng, and that’s true. But unfortunately, you may not be able to protect me, Sui Jingcheng, let alone the Sui family. Therefore, you can only secretly plot to bring me to your Cao Fu’s cultivation place first.”
Cao Fu retracted his hand, slowly approaching. “Jingcheng, you have always been so intelligent, a marvel to behold, truly a woman blessed with profound karmic affinity. Why not become my Daoist companion? Together, we shall ascend mountains and travel far, unbound and free, wouldn’t that be delightful? Becoming cultivators who feast on the mists and drink the dew, in the blink of an eye, sixty years of mortal life would pass. So-called family are but bones in the earth, why concern yourself with them? If you truly feel guilt, even if some calamity befalls them, as long as the Sui family has descendants, it will be their fortune. Once we join hands and ascend to the ranks of Earth Immortals, the Sui family can still easily rise again in the Wuling Kingdom.”

Sui Xinyu finally understood Cao Fu’s hidden meaning. Only at this moment did she realize that the other party only cared about Sui Jingcheng’s survival. Once her daughter left, would the Sui family face a catastrophic disaster?

Sui Xinyu burst into a furious tirade, “Cao Fu, I have always treated you well, why would you bring such harm to my Sui family?!”

Cao Fu smiled, “Uncle Sui has naturally been good to me. Back then, he had excellent judgment in choosing me as his son-in-law. Therefore, this kindness, if Uncle Sui doesn’t have the chance to receive it himself, I will repay it doubly to the Sui family’s descendants when Jingcheng and I achieve enlightenment.”

Sui Xinyu was so angered that she reached out to support her forehead.

Cao Fu gazed into the distance, “I won’t waste any more pleasantries with you. Jingcheng, I’ll give you one last chance. If you willingly leave with me, I won’t kill the other three. If you are unwilling and I have to knock you unconscious, then you won’t see the corpses of the other three. Future visits to your family tomb, as if a concubine returning home, can be skipped. Only on my mountain, during the Qingming Festival, will we, as husband and wife, offer sacrifices from afar.”

Sui Jingcheng removed her veil and tossed it away, asking, “Are we riding horses to the immortal mountain? Aren’t you afraid that sword immortal will kill Xiao Shuye and return to seek revenge?”

Cao Fu produced a few talismans, confidently stating, “You are now half a cultivator. By applying these talismans, we can barely ride the wind and travel far.”

Sui Jingcheng dismounted, “I agree to your terms.”

Cao Fu extended a hand, “That’s the right choice. Once you have seen the true immortal mountains, immortal teachers, and immortal arts, you will understand how wise your decision is today.”

The two were no more than ten steps apart.

Suddenly, three golden hairpins shot out from Sui Jingcheng like lightning, but Cao Fu swept his sleeve and grasped them in his palm. Even holding the glittering, radiant golden hairpins lightly, his palm burned, his skin cracked, and was instantly a bloody mess. Cao Fu frowned and produced a golden talisman gifted by his master before his departure. He silently chanted an incantation, enveloping the three golden hairpins within. Only then did the strange phenomenon of radiant treasure dissipate. He carefully placed them in his sleeve, and Cao Fu smiled, “Jingcheng, don’t worry, I won’t be angry with you. It is your untamed nature that attracts me the most.”

Cao Fu’s gaze swept past Sui Jingcheng, “But since you broke your promise first, don’t blame your husband for breaking his agreement later.”

Cao Fu paused, smiling helplessly, “What is it? Is there someone behind me? Jingcheng, do you know that in mountain cultivation, understanding destiny and following the trend is a must-learn skill.”

But Sui Jingcheng’s expression was strange.

Cao Fu abruptly turned his head, only to find emptiness.

Sui Jingcheng gritted her teeth, channeling all her meager qi reservoir’s spiritual energy to her wrist. Her hand was radiant with white light flowing through the meridians. She took a step forward, swiftly striking towards Cao Fu’s back of the head.

But Cao Fu turned around, reaching out to grasp Sui Jingcheng’s fair wrist, pulsating with spiritual energy, and pulling her towards him. Then, he slammed his elbow into Sui Jingcheng’s forehead. Cao Fu heavily pulled her down, Sui Jingcheng collapsed to the ground, Cao Fu stepped on her arm, leaning over and smiling, “Do you know that a true cultivator like me only needs to focus my spirit and look into your watery eyes to clearly see if there is anyone behind me? The reason I turned my head was just to give you hope before despairing.”

Cao Fu twisted his foot, Sui Jingcheng groaned. Cao Fu poked the woman’s forehead with two fingers, the latter seemed to be immobilized. Cao Fu smiled, “Since things have come to this, I might as well tell you the truth. After the Great Zhuan Dynasty selected you as one of the Four Great Beauties, the ‘Jade Beauty of the Sui Family’, you only had three paths to take. Either follow your father to the Great Zhuan capital and be chosen as the crown prince’s consort, or be intercepted halfway by the emperor’s envoy from a northern nation to become the empress of a small border country, or be taken by me to my master’s sect on the border of Qingci Country, where my master would first refine you into a living furnace, teach you a secret art, and then hand you over to a true immortal. That’s the grand-uncle of the Golden Scale Palace Lord. But don’t be afraid, this is a great boon for you. If you are fortunate enough to engage in dual cultivation with a Nascent Soul immortal, your cultivation will improve by leaps and bounds. Xiao Shuye doesn’t even know these things, so that chance encounter with a sword cultivator, who is supposedly a Golden Scale Palace Golden Core cultivator, is a bluff. I was too lazy to expose him, just to let Xiao Shuye exert himself more. Even if Xiao Shuye dies, my master and I will have made a great profit from this deal.”

Cao Fu lamented, “Jingcheng, we are truly ill-fated. The coin divination you did earlier was actually correct.”

Cao Fu helped Sui Jingcheng up, produced two talismans, bent down and stuck them on her ankles, and looked at the three Sui family riders, “Regardless, you are all going to die.”

Just then, a familiar voice rang out beside Cao Fu, “Is that all? No more secrets to tell? So, the Golden Scale Palace’s old ancestor wants Sui Jingcheng. Your master is dividing up Sui Jingcheng’s karmic objects, and what about you? You’ve run around so diligently, scheming and toiling, all for nothing?”

Cao Fu smiled wryly and straightened up, turning to look at a green-robed guest wearing a bamboo hat standing beside him. Cao Fu asked, “Didn’t you go chase Xiao Shuye?”

The man said, “Astral Projection, you claim to be a true cultivator, haven’t you even seen that?”

Cao Fu helplessly said, “Sword cultivators rarely use Astral Projection.”

The man nodded, “That’s why you must travel more, or keep your wrongdoings small.”

Cao Fu was about to say something.

He had already fallen backward, unconscious.

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, dispelling the bit of spiritual energy restriction that Cao Fu had placed on Sui Jingcheng’s forehead.

With another wave of his sleeve, the corpse on the road was swept off the road and fell into the distant bushes.
Far in the distance, a streak of white rainbow, no more than two or three zhang above the ground, arrived on a sword. It held a head with unclosed eyes, dropping onto the road. It overlapped with the azure-clad traveler, causing ripples to spread out, transforming into a single person.

Except the azure-clad traveler now held a head.

Chen Ping’an said to Sui Jingcheng, “You are so clever. Have you decided which path to take in the future?”

Sui Jingcheng knelt on the ground, beginning to kowtow. “If I remain in Wuling Kingdom, the Sui family will surely be annihilated. Only if I leave is there a glimmer of hope. I beg Immortal Master to accept me as your disciple!”

Chen Ping’an glanced at the bamboo hat Sui Jingcheng had previously discarded on the ground, and smiled. “If you had begun cultivating earlier, and become a proper immortal master with an established lineage, your achievements would certainly be considerable by now.”

Night fell, dark and heavy. Atop a mountain peak, Cao Fu’s head throbbed with pain. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself sitting cross-legged, cradling something in his arms.

Looking down, Cao Fu felt his heart turn to ashes.

Raising his head, he saw the young scholar sitting cross-legged beside a campfire, his walking stick resting across his lap, a bamboo chest behind him.

Sui Jingcheng, her breathtaking beauty no longer concealed by the bamboo hat, sat near the man, hugging her knees and curled up, lost in a daze.

Cao Fu, clutching Xiao Shuye’s head, dared not move.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Tell me in detail about your sect and the Golden Scale Palace.”

Cao Fu did not hesitate, recounting everything he knew, all the inside information and truths, one by one.

He didn’t want to accompany Xiao Shuye on the road to the Yellow Springs.

His master had said that Xiao Shuye’s potential was exhausted, but Cao Fu was different, possessing the talent for a golden core.

Chen Ping’an asked again, “Also, tell me about your family affairs from back then and the affairs of the Wuling Kingdom’s martial world.”

Cao Fu remained forthcoming, divulging everything without reservation.

Sui Jingcheng had snapped out of her reverie when Cao Fu first spoke, listening silently.

After Cao Fu finished speaking, the man said, “You can take this head and leave. After secretly escorting the former Vice Minister back to his hometown, you can return to your sect and report.”

Sui Jingcheng hesitated, wanting to say something.

The man didn’t look at her, simply saying casually, “If you want to kill Cao Fu, try it yourself.”

Cao Fu’s expression changed slightly.

In the end, Cao Fu really didn’t die, only taking the head and leaving the mountain peak.

Descending the mountain, he felt as if he had been reborn. But his fate was uncertain, his future unpredictable. This young immortal master, who had once thought the Wuling Kingdom’s martial world was just a small puddle, was still filled with trepidation.

Beside the campfire.

Sui Jingcheng suddenly said, “Thank you, Senior.”

Killing Cao Fu was too easy, too simple. But for the Sui family, it might not be a good thing.

If Xiao Shuye and Cao Fu had both died tonight…

Many people would die. Perhaps Yang Yuan, the Jiao of the Muddy River, Hu Xinfeng, the head of the Cross-River Gang, and then the entire Sui family.

But Cao Fu being casually let go, allowed to relay messages to those behind the scenes, was in itself a form of demonstration by that azure-clad swordsman to Cao Fu’s master and the Golden Scale Palace.

Chen Ping’an stirred the campfire. “Talking to intelligent people saves effort.”

Then Sui Jingcheng saw the man take out a chessboard and chess pieces from the bamboo chest. But instead of setting up the board and playing a game as he had done in the pavilion, he began to manipulate a flying sword, carving two chess pieces. From his carving technique, Sui Jingcheng could tell they were the names and mountain peaks of Cao Fu’s master and the founder of the Golden Scale Palace, carved on opposite sides. Then came several more chess pieces, all important cultivators from both sides, each one placed on the chessboard.

Sui Jingcheng smiled. “Senior has been watching us ever since we met in the pavilion, haven’t you?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Your luck with gambling is very good. I envy you.”

Sui Jingcheng’s expression became awkward.

Her own self-proclaimed schemes, it seemed, were no different than a child’s game of kite-flying in this man’s eyes, utterly laughable.

Chen Ping’an placed the chess pieces of the two previously interconnected games, one by one, on the edge of the chessboard.

Chen Ping’an folded his hands in his sleeves, gazing at the chess pieces, and said slowly, “In the pavilion, young Sui Wenfa made a jest with me. It wasn’t really about right or wrong, but you made him apologize, and the former Vice Minister said something I found very reasonable. Then Sui Wenfa sincerely apologized.”

Chen Ping’an raised his head, looking at Sui Jingcheng. “I think that’s the kind of family style a scholarly family should have, very good. Even if your father’s various thoughts and actions afterwards lacked ‘purity’ in some aspects, one matter is one matter, there is a sequence, and a difference in importance. The two don’t contradict each other. So before Yang Yuan and his group blocked our path, I deliberately complained about mud getting on my shoes and retreated to the pavilion. Because I think that when a scholar enters the martial world, as part of ‘reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles,’ they shouldn’t be blocked by the storms of the martial world.”

Sui Jingcheng nodded, asking curiously, “Senior had already sensed Cao Fu and Xiao Shuye’s arrival at that time? Did you already know it was a trap?”

Chen Ping’an gazed at the night sky. “I knew it early on.”

Sui Jingcheng smiled brightly, looking charming.

She had previously read those tales of strange events and martial arts stories, and never admired or praised those so-called immortals with swords like rainbows, or those who killed bandits with a single punch. These two types of people and these two types of events were certainly good, and made a reader like her feel delighted. Reading to the point of joy, one should drink tea or wine. But it was still not enough. There was still a gap between them and her ideal of cultivating immortality and achieving the Great Dao, an aloof expert.

She felt that a true cultivator was someone who understood people’s hearts in every way, planned without fail, whose schemes matched their Daoist arts, equally reaching into the sea of clouds. Only they were truly enlightened, truly sitting high above the clouds, like land-based immortals. They were high and mighty, disregarding the mortal world, but didn’t mind playing in the mortal world when walking down the mountain, yet were still willing to punish evil and promote good.

Chen Ping’an said slowly, “The cleverness and foolishness of people are both double-edged swords. As long as the sword is drawn, there will be good and bad things happening in this world. So I still need to look more, look carefully, look slowly. You’d better remember everything I say tonight, so that you can tell someone else in detail later. As for how much you can listen to and grasp, and turn it to your own use, I don’t care. I told you earlier that I won’t accept you as a disciple. Your attitude towards the world is too similar to mine. I don’t think I can teach you what’s best. As for teaching you any immortal arts, forget it. If you can leave Northern Ju Continent alive and go to Treasure Bottle Continent, then there will naturally be opportunities waiting for you to seize.”
Sui Jingcheng adjusted her posture, kneeling beside the bonfire. “Senior’s teachings, every word, every sentence, Jingcheng will remember them in her heart. It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish; Jingcheng understands this principle. Senior has imparted to me the very foundation of the Great Dao, which is more important than any immortal arts.”

Chen Ping’an extended his hand from his sleeve, pointing to the chessboard. “In my view, there may not be absolute principles that apply everywhere, but there are absolute facts and truths. When you first see clearly the truths of people’s hearts hidden behind words and actions, and understand some connections and orders, complex matters will become simpler. Principles are often lofty and impractical, so let us review two games of chess.”

Chen Ping’an picked up a chess piece. “Between life and death, human nature can become extremely evil. Seeking survival in death, using any means, is understandable. As for accepting it or not, that depends on the person.”

He raised the chess piece and gently placed it on the board. “Hu Xinfeng of the Horizontal Crossing Gang chose evil at that moment. Therefore, he walks the Jianghu at his own risk. From my perspective, it may not be right, but on the chessboard at that time, he was seeking survival in death and succeeded. Because he was different from you, Sui Jingcheng. From beginning to end, he never guessed that I was also a Daoist, and dared to secretly observe the situation.”

Sui Jingcheng asked, “If he had sworn to protect the four members of my Sui family with his life, what would Senior have done?”

Chen Ping’an slowly replied, “Then the Wuling Kingdom should continue to have such a true hero, continuing to travel the Jianghu. After the storm has passed, if such a hero is still willing to invite me to drink, I would feel honored.”

Chen Ping’an pointed to two chess pieces that had not yet entered the game. “Based on what? Just because Cao Fu is a mountain immortal master, or Xiao Shuye is a Golden Body Realm martial artist? Do they really think the Jianghu is just a pond everywhere? That one can see the bottom with a single step? Not to mention them, even I, being so cautious, still inexplicably suffered a hidden sword attack, and had my flying sword snatched away at the Bone Beach, almost dying on the lake in the Golden Gate Kingdom and near the Zheng Rong Peak. Therefore, the Jianghu is treacherous. Whether good or bad, righteous or evil, since even being careful to avoid disaster might lead to death, let alone seeking death oneself. If one dies, Xiao Shuye can only blame his neck for not being strong enough to withstand someone’s sword strike.”

Chen Ping’an pinched the chess piece with two fingers. “But Hu Xinfeng did not choose a chivalrous heart. Instead, evil thoughts erupted. This is human nature. I will not kill him for this, but let him live and die according to his own fate. He ultimately struggled for a chance of survival himself. Therefore, I say that, apart from me, Hu Xinfeng made a correct choice at that moment. As for the events on the Ancient Tea Horse Road later, there is no need to discuss them. That was another game of heart-searching chess, and it had nothing to do with you.”

Chen Ping’an placed the four chess pieces representing the four members of the Sui family on the board. “I knew long ago that you were trapped in a chess game. Cao Fu was the chess player, and it was later proven that he was also a chess piece. His hidden master and the Golden Scale Palace were the true masters of the game. Let’s not talk about the latter, but just about that time. At that time, I had a difficult problem before me. The crux of the problem was that I didn’t know what Cao Fu’s original intention in setting up this trap was. What kind of person he was, and where his bottom line of good and evil lay. What grudges or affections he had with the Sui family. After all, the Sui family is a family of scholars, but it is not impossible that they have made a big mistake in the past. Cao Fu’s actions were of malicious intent, coming in a sneaky way, and even roping in people like Yang Yuan, the Flood Dragon of the Muddy River, making his actions naturally not upright and aboveboard. However, it was also not impossible that he was doing something good. Since he didn’t kill people as soon as he showed up, taking a step back, how could I have been sure at that time that it wasn’t a turn for the better, a happy ending for you, Sui Jingcheng, and the Sui family?”

Sui Jingcheng nodded lightly.

Chen Ping’an leaned forward, extending his finger to press against the chess piece engraved with Sui Xinyu’s name. “The first one to disappoint me was not Hu Xinfeng, but your father.”

Sui Jingcheng asked in confusion, “Why is that? Encountering great difficulties and protecting oneself, not daring to save others. If it were an ordinary hero of the Jianghu, I wouldn’t be surprised by your disappointment, but with Senior’s disposition…”

Sui Jingcheng did not continue, afraid of gilding the lily.

Chen Ping’an retracted his finger and smiled slightly. “A son of a thousand gold does not sit under the eaves, and a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. These all make sense. Sui Xinyu not saying a word in the pavilion was an act of maturity and prudence; there was nothing wrong with that. But I ask you, what kind of person is your father, Sui Xinyu?”

Sui Jingcheng did not rush to answer. Her father? The head of the Sui family? The number one chess player in the Wuling Kingdom? A former Minister of Works? Sui Jingcheng had a flash of inspiration, recalling the attire of the senior before her. She sighed and said, “He is a great scholar of the Wuling Kingdom, well-versed in poetry and books, a… a learned man who understands many sage principles.”

Chen Ping’an said, “An even more important fact is that Hu Xinfeng did not tell you their identities at that time, hiding a notorious Flood Dragon of the Muddy River, Yang Yuan, within them.”

“So, for Sui Xinyu at that moment, the truth was that the pavilion was not a life-or-death situation, but a somewhat troublesome and thorny situation. Within the Wuling Kingdom, does the name of Hu Xinfeng, the leader of the Horizontal Crossing Gang, have any weight?”

Sui Jingcheng said with embarrassment, “Naturally, it does. At that time, I also thought it was just a Jianghu farce. So, to Senior, I was actually… testing you at the time. So, I deliberately did not ask to borrow money.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Because Hu Xinfeng was afraid of getting burned, he was unwilling to reveal Yang Yuan’s identity, and behaved very calmly. His reminders to you were also well-timed. This is the seasoned experience of an old Jianghu figure, bought with his life. So, I glanced at the old minister. When the old minister saw that I did not ask to borrow money, he was relieved. This is nothing, still human nature. However, Sui Xinyu is a scholar, and a scholar who was once in a high position, using his sage’s knowledge to serve the country and benefit the people…”

Speaking of this, Chen Ping’an extended his two thumbs and forefingers, bending them slightly, but not joining them, as if pinching a chess piece. “The sage once said that having a heart of compassion is what distinguishes humans from grass, trees, and animals. Do you think Sui Xinyu, your father, had any compassion at that time, even a little, even half a point? You are his daughter, and unless you are blind to the obvious, you should be more familiar with his temperament than I am.”

Sui Jingcheng shook her head and said with a wry smile, “No, he didn’t.”

Sui Jingcheng looked sad, seemingly talking to herself, “Really, he didn’t.”

“So, saying that a person walking slowly on the road, thinking and contemplating more, is always a double-edged sword. Seeing too many people and things, that’s just how it is.”
The man, however, remained composed, as if accustomed to such things. He lifted his head, gazing into the distance, and said softly, “Between life and death, I have always believed that, besides the instinct to survive, even the smallest evil, when magnified, can be understood. But there are some people, perhaps not many, but certainly some, who, even in the face of certain death, will have sparks of light, suddenly ignited.”

“I was watching and waiting at the pavilion and all the way after,” he continued.

“I only need to find one spark of light, even if that tiny glimmer is extinguished with a pinch.”

“But in my eyes, such brilliance of humanity, even a single spark, can rival the sun and moon.”

Chen Ping’an retracted his gaze. “If Hu Xinfeng had desperately fought for the sake of so-called Jianghu loyalty, regardless of the consequences, and done something seemingly foolish, I wouldn’t have needed to watch this game of chess. I would have intervened then. Secondly, if your father, even as a bystander, still possessed a shred of compassion, instead of reacting with angry reprimands to my words, I would have ceased watching and chosen to act.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “It was Hu Xinfeng who surprised me somewhat. After I parted ways with you, I found him. I saw it in him. Once was when he begged me, as he faced death, not to implicate his innocent family. Another time was when I asked him if you four deserved to die, and he said that Sui Xinyu was actually a decent official and a good friend. Lastly, it was when he naturally started talking about his past exploits of chivalry—exploits, a very interesting term.”

Sui Jingcheng said softly, “But no matter what, senior has been watching all along. Why would senior, despite being so disappointed, secretly protect us?”

“Taoism speaks of fortune and misfortune having no gate, only self-invitation; Buddhism speaks of yesterday’s cause, today’s effect, both conveying similar principles. But there are many half-baked immortals on the mountains who are not truly cultivators. With them around, the already difficult-to-understand principles become even more obscure.”

Chen Ping’an said, “But in that predicament at the pavilion, you were the weaker ones. I happened to come across you, considered it carefully, and had the means to protect myself, so I didn’t leave. But during that time, all the suffering you endured besides the risk to your lives, such as escaping in the rain, constantly living in fear, and being brutally knocked off your horse, was brought upon yourselves—the world’s retribution. In the long run, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, you are still alive. Many weaker people, who have even more reason to live, died without a word.”

Chen Ping’an felt there was nothing wrong with the weak demanding more from the strong; it was their right. Even if many of the weak protected by the strong had no gratitude whatsoever, Chen Ping’an now found it inconsequential.

Since the battle in Suijia City, where he withstood the heavenly tribulation cloud, Chen Ping’an had never regretted it.

Because in any alley in Suijia City, there might be a Chen Ping’an, a Liu Xianyang, quietly growing.

If evildoers were to live for a thousand years, and the world and people’s hearts were to remain unchangeable, then good people should be smarter and live longer, instead of turning from compassionate sufferers into evildoers, perpetuating evil, causing endless cycles, leading to a collapse of mountains and shattering of earth, until one day, everyone would have to repay the ruthless Dao of Heaven and Earth.

Sui Jingcheng pondered silently, throwing a few dry branches into the bonfire. She was about to ask why senior hadn’t annihilated Yang Yuan and his bandit gang from the Muddy River, but she quickly understood the key and refrained from asking.

Once a warning was sounded, Cao Fu and Xiao Shuye would only become more patient and cautious.

Sui Jingcheng also wanted to ask why she hadn’t killed those two on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, but she again quickly found the answer herself.

On what grounds?

Where did those two draw the line between good and evil?

Sui Jingcheng reached out and rubbed her temples.

She understood many things, but she still felt a headache, her mind becoming a jumbled mess. Did cultivation on the mountains require such restraints? Even after achieving the sword immortal skills of senior, would one still have to be so meticulous in everything? If one encountered situations requiring immediate action, where good and evil were difficult to discern, should one still use Daoist arts to save or kill?

The man seemed to see through Sui Jingcheng’s thoughts, smiling, “Once you get used to it, and have seen more people and things, you will have a sense of proportion before acting. Not only will you not dawdle, but whether it’s drawing your sword or using Daoist arts, it will be quick, extremely quick.”

He pointed to the chess pieces on the board. “If Yang Yuan had slapped your Sui family four to death as soon as he entered the pavilion, or if I hadn’t foreseen that Fu Zhen would draw his sword to stop Hu Xinfeng’s punch, I naturally wouldn’t have been watching from afar. Believe me, Fu Zhen and Hu Xinfeng wouldn’t have known how they died.”

Chen Ping’an looked at Sui Jingcheng, who nodded with a smile.

Earlier, she had knelt on the official road and once again pleaded, “Sui Jingcheng wishes to follow senior to cultivate immortal arts!”

He had asked two questions, “On what grounds? Why?”

“I have had opportunities since childhood, possessing the talent for cultivation and receiving precious immortal treasures from experts. I am a natural cultivator, but I lack guidance from a clear-sighted master on the mountain. After cultivating immortal arts, I will travel the world like senior!”

One answer was faultless, and the other was still clever.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an planned to have her find Cui Dongshan and follow him in cultivation. He knew how to teach Sui Jingcheng, not only imparting immortal arts but also teaching her how to be a person.

Chen Ping’an dared not make any rash judgments about Sui Jingcheng’s talent, but her intelligence was indeed remarkable. Especially her luck with gambling, which was consistently good—that was not just good fortune, but… gambling skills.

But this was not the only reason Chen Ping’an wanted Sui Jingcheng to go to Treasure Bottle Continent to find Cui Dongshan.

After watching two games of chess, there were some things Chen Ping’an wanted his disciple Cui Dongshan to see, as a partial answer to the question the student had asked the teacher back then.

Chen Ping’an summoned the flying sword Fifteen, gently pinched it, and began to bow his head and bend his back, carving marks, stroke by stroke, on the small, verdant jade bamboo walking stick.

Within Sui Jingcheng’s sight, it seemed as if each stroke was carved in the same place.

Sui Jingcheng did not say a word, but simply stared wide-eyed as the man silently carved on the walking stick.

After a joss stick’s worth of time, Sui Jingcheng’s eyes felt sore, and she rubbed them.

After about an hour, the man put away the flying sword that served as a carving knife. The sword light flashed between his eyebrows and disappeared.
Chen Ping’an said solemnly, “After you find that person, tell him that I have some thoughts on the answer to that question. However, before answering, there must be two preconditions: first, the pursuit must be absolutely correct; second, one must acknowledge mistakes and be able to correct them. As for how to correct them, and in what way to recognize and correct them, the answer lies within this Walking Stick. Have that Cui Dongshan examine it himself, and I hope he can see it more acutely and further than I can, and do it even better. One is the infinite, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, the myriad beings. Let him start with what is within his sight and his heart’s reach. Just because the correct outcome arrives doesn’t mean the mistakes along the way can be ignored. There is no such convenient arrangement under Heaven. He needs not only to re-examine them but also to look closely. Otherwise, the so-called correct result is still a calculation of temporary and localized interests, not the enduring Great Dao ordained by Heaven.”

Sui Jingcheng was utterly bewildered but nodded vigorously nonetheless.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t in a hurry to hand over the Walking Stick. He gently pressed his palms against it, looking up at the sky. “Cultivation, besides seizing opportunities, obtaining treasures, and learning techniques, is also about observing the subtleties of people’s hearts. That is cultivating the Dao, sharpening the Dao Heart. Even if you cultivate the ruthless way, you can use this to temper your state of mind. The more you comprehend the principles of the Sages, the more you should understand the complexity of human hearts. The human body is a microcosm, with thoughts and intentions most fickle. While it may be difficult to start, if you face the difficulty head-on and succeed by chance, it’s like building a second Bridge of Longevity, benefiting you for life.”

Sui Jingcheng saw that he was simply gazing at the night sky.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “On the way to the immortal ferry to Green Oriole Kingdom, regarding the safety of the Sui family, do you think there’s anything that needs to be checked and supplemented? If you think of anything, feel free to speak your mind, no need to worry about troubling me. Even if we need to turn back to the Five Mausoleums Kingdom, it’s no problem.”

Chen Ping’an tapped the Walking Stick lightly in two places with his two fingers joined, “After making demarcations and dividing things, it becomes a single task. Doing it to the best of your ability, considering the beginning and the end, is also a form of cultivation. Stretching too far from both ends might not lead to success. Human power has its limits, and so does reason.”

Sui Jingcheng recalled his straightforward arrangements when climbing the mountain. She smiled and shook her head, “Senior has considered everything deeply, even including Senior Wang Dun. I have nothing more to add.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, “Don’t rush to a conclusion. No one in the world has a foolproof plan that guarantees everything. You don’t need to think that because my cultivation is high now, I must be without error. If I were you, Sui Jingcheng, trapped in the Pavilion Game, disregarding good intentions, just speaking of escaping, I wouldn’t do any better than you.”

Finally, he withdrew his gaze and looked at her with clear eyes.

Sui Jingcheng had never seen such bright, clean light in any man’s eyes. He smiled and said, “This journey will probably take some time. I’ll listen when you tell me your reasoning. Whether you’re right or wrong, I’m willing to listen first. If you’re right, then you’re right, and I’ll admit my mistake. In the future, if you have the chance, you’ll know if I was just being polite.”

“So, with me here, even if it’s just me, you can’t say that all the truth in the world is in the hands of those with hard fists and powerful magic. If someone tells you that whoever has the hardest fist is right, don’t believe them. That’s because they’ve suffered enough, but they’re still not satisfied. Because these people, in fact, are unknowingly protected by countless invisible rules throughout their lives.”

“Moreover, there are many people like me, it’s just that you haven’t met them yet, or you’ve already met them. It’s because their reasoning is like a spring breeze, silently nourishing things, that you don’t feel it.”

He stood up, leaning on the Walking Stick, and gazed at the mountains and rivers, “I hope that whether it’s ten years or a hundred years from now, Sui Jingcheng will still be that Sui Jingcheng who could say ‘I’ll stay behind’ in the Pavilion Game, willing to wear a life-saving treasure on someone else. There are thousands of lights in the world, and even if you become a mountain cultivator in the future and look down, you’ll still find that even though they seem small and subtle individually in a single household or room, once every household lights a lamp, it’s a spectacular scene of the stars in the human world. We humans now have cultivators, we have so many secular scholars, and it’s thanks to these insignificant lamps that true powerhouses emerge from the streets and alleys, the countryside and marketplaces, the scholarly families, the wealthy mansions, the houses of royalty, and the immortal abodes on the mountains, from these places of varying heights, one after another. With their fists, their swords, and the righteous principles they embody, they pave the way for future generations and silently protect countless weak people, so we can stumble along to this day.”

He turned his head and smiled, “Just take you and me, is it difficult to be a clever person or a bad person? I don’t think it’s difficult. What’s the difficulty? The difficulty lies in the fact that we know the dangers of the human heart, but we’re still willing to be good people who need to pay the price for the principles in our hearts.”

Sui Jingcheng’s face flushed red, “Senior, I’m not there yet, I’m far from it!”

He squinted and smiled, “Mm, I accept that flattery.”

Sui Jingcheng was stunned.

He continued to gaze at the distant night sky, resting his chin on the back of his hands, and said softly with a smile, “You’ve also helped me resolve a knot in my heart. I have to thank you. That is, I’ve learned how to get along with beautiful women, so next time I go to the Sword Qi Great Wall, I’ll be even more confident. Because I’ve seen many beautiful girls in the world, I won’t feel guilty about looking at them a little more. Hmm, this can also be considered a success in cultivating my heart.”

Sui Jingcheng hesitated for a moment, but still felt that she should say some frank words, timidly, “Senior, it’s best to keep these words in your heart, don’t say them directly to your beloved woman, they’re not pleasing.”

He turned his head, puzzled, “Can’t say them?”

Sui Jingcheng nodded vigorously, saying firmly, “Can’t say them!”

He rubbed his chin, seeming a little conflicted.

Sui Jingcheng’s expression brightened, “Senior, I’m also considered one of the good-looking women, right?”

He didn’t turn his head, probably in a good mood, and said teasingly for once, “Don’t ruin my Great Dao.”

Sui Jingcheng didn’t dare to push her luck.

But for herself to become the “Jade Beauty of the Sui Family” across dozens of kingdoms, listed alongside the other three peerless beauties who could topple kingdoms, it was still something worth celebrating as a woman.
Her heartstrings loosened, and she felt a wave of drowsiness. Shaking her head to clear it, she reached out to the fire to warm herself. After a moment, she glanced back to see the walking stick still in its place, but that figure in azure robes had begun to slowly practice boxing stances?

Sui Jingcheng rubbed her eyes and asked, “After we reach that legendary Immortal Ferry, Senior, will you return to the Bone Beach in the south with me?”

The man continued his punches without pause, shaking his head. “No, I won’t. So, on the ferry, you must be extra cautious. Of course, I will try my best to keep you out of harm’s way, but the path of cultivation ultimately depends on you to walk.”

Sui Jingcheng hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

The man said, “That walking stick is just an object. Compared to your life, if you must choose, don’t hesitate. Life is more important.”

Sui Jingcheng said helplessly, “Senior, do you know everything?”

The man pondered for a moment, then casually asked, “How old are you this year? Thirty-something?”

Sui Jingcheng was rendered speechless. She turned her head in sullen silence and tossed a handful of dry branches into the bonfire.