The ferry journey was filled with peculiar sights. A group of brightly dressed female cultivators swung on swings beneath a sea of clouds. Their joyous laughter drew loud shouts from many male cultivators aboard the ferry. Knowing this chance encounter would likely be their last, their words were rather ribald.

Suddenly, a massive dragon’s head slowly emerged from the sea of clouds, startling many cultivators into stunned silence. This mystical entity, not truly a dragon, gently nudged the ferry’s stern with its head, propelling it forward like an arrow.

Chen Ping’an committed this scene to memory and returned to his cabin, continuing a commonplace task.

Since leaving Inverted Mountain and arriving in Tongye Continent, after parting ways with Lu Tai and inadvertently entering the Lotus Blessing Land, Chen Ping’an, along with Pei Qian and the figures from the painting, began writing down his observations of the landscapes and people he encountered. Relying on his memory, he started from leaving Inverted Mountain, meeting Lu Tai, arriving in Tongye Continent, passing through the Fu Ji Sect’s Calling Heaven Street, and now writing about the cloud dragon pushing the ferry in Northern Ju Continent.

The papers on the table were divided into two piles.

Chen Ping’an separated them into draft copies and transcribed copies. The drafts contained scribbles and revisions, reflecting his repeated consideration and deliberation, like a letter never to be sent. This letter grew longer and longer as he wrote.

The transcribed copies, on the other hand, appeared clean and tidy, like a student’s assignment submitted to a teacher.

Sometimes, when there was truly nothing to write about, when he hadn’t seen any interesting scenery or people for a long time, he would either not write anything, or occasionally write a simple sentence: “Nothing of note today, all is peaceful.”

The Lotus Blessing Land, birds fighting for passage, being ambushed, throwing punches and drawing his sword against the local number one. The inn on the border of the Great Spring Dynasty, encountering a gentleman who wrote limericks. His Yin Spirit’s astral travel, meeting the irritable River Burial Water God, visiting the Azure Void Manor, and discussing the order of things with the Water God who admired the Old Master’s knowledge. Staying at the dusty shop in Old Dragon City, taking the increasingly sensible Black Charcoal girl to the Green Luan Kingdom in the southeast of Treasure Bottle洲 Continent, receiving his first birthday gift on the fifth day of the fifth month…

The only period he never wrote about was his time as a bookkeeper in Book Brief Lake.

Finally, upon returning to his hometown of Mud Bottle Lane, alone in the ancestral home lighting the lamps and guarding the night, Chen Ping’an thought long and hard, and only wrote one sentence.

“These years have been difficult, but they’ve passed. It seems it was actually not so bad.”

After finishing a draft and then transcribing it, the two large stacks of paper, neatly separated on the table, were filled with meticulous small script. Experts would probably consider the writing to be too rigid and lacking in artistic flair. Setting aside the content, the over three hundred thousand words, repeatedly revised, were simply stiff, rigorous, and rule-bound.

Chen Ping’an put away his brush and ink, reached out with both hands, and gently pressed down on the two stacks of paper, as if they were books yet to be bound, smoothing and flattening them.

With no immediate worries, he allowed his thoughts to wander ten thousand miles. After regaining his focus, Chen Ping’an put the two stacks of paper into his pocket dimension and began to practice his boxing, still the Three Unifications.

Now, he divided his time roughly equally between martial arts and qi cultivation. During this time, drawing talismans was his greatest form of relaxation.

After Chen Ping’an bought two copies of the local gazette, he arrived uneventfully at the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven’s immortal ferry.

The Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, like his hometown’s Carp Pearl Grotto-Heaven, was one of the thirty-six lesser grotto-heavens. It was the ancestral property of the Water Dragon Sect, first discovered and occupied by the sect’s founding ancestor. However, this territory was too coveted. After two major upheavals, both internal and external, the Water Dragon Sect joined forces with the Great Yuan Dynasty’s Department of Mystical Affairs and Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, thus securing a stable income, rain or shine.

The Water Dragon Sect was an old sect in Northern Ju Continent, with a long history and numerous stories. The Great Yuan Dynasty’s Department of Mystical Affairs and Floating Duckweed Sword Lake could only be considered upstarts compared to the Water Dragon Sect. However, their current influence far surpassed that of the Water Dragon Sect.

Because the Water Dragon Sect, built by the water, had set up mountain and water restrictions, passengers on the ferry could not see the outline of the Water Dragon Sect’s immortal residence. They could only see the hundred-mile area along the great river, shrouded in water mist. Only when the ferry passed through the dense cloud formation, saturated with moisture year-round, and slowly descended to dock at the ferry, could they see the Water Dragon Sect’s sprawling buildings, majestic in their grandeur.

Chen Ping’an noticed that this was the first time on a ferry in Northern Ju Continent where all the passengers obediently disembarked on foot after docking.

Considering the overbearing behavior of the Great Yuan Dynasty’s emperors of the Lu clan, the stories of the Yang clan of the Department of Mystical Affairs’ Cloud Soaring Palace, and Chen Ping’an’s own encounter with Li Cai, the female sword immortal of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, he wasn’t surprised.

The Water Dragon Sect’s Wood Servant Ferry had over a thousand immortal tangerine trees planted by the Water Dragon Sect’s founding ancestor. Upon his death, the ancestor left a will, saying that his life had been mediocre, but he bequeathed a thousand wood servants to his disciples.

Chen Ping’an, clad in a blue robe, carrying a sword on his back, a gourd for nurturing swords at his waist, and a green bamboo walking stick in hand, slowly walked across this large ferry, which had an archway erected upon it. Inscribed horizontally on the archway was the calligraphy of a sage from the Central Continent, “Grotto-Heaven Beneath the Water”. The great river flowed through this place, and the water surface was incredibly wide, reaching three hundred miles. The Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven was located beneath the great river, similar to the Azure Bamboo Lake Dragon Palace Residence. However, visitors didn’t need to avoid the water to tour it, because the Water Dragon Sect had spent a lot of manpower and resources to build an underwater bridge, allowing tourists to walk into the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven. Of course, they needed to pay a toll, ten snowflake coins. After paying the money, to pass through the long bridge and enter the legendary Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, where thousands of dragons were said to have resided in ancient times, sent out on imperial orders to travel clouds and rain, they needed to pay an additional fee, one Minor Heat coin.

This was clearly fleecing the customers.

When Chen Ping’an thought of the Hundred-Eyed Gluttonous Devourer robe he had picked up from Yang Ningxing of Cloud Soaring Palace, he felt that these immortal coins were not entirely unbearable.

Bone Mound Ghost Valley, Yang Ningxing, the “Little Celestial Lord” of the Cloud Soaring Palace.

Sui Jingcheng, the direct disciple of Li Cai of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, on the border of the Five Mausoleums Kingdom.

Bai Bi of the Water Dragon Sect’s Ancestral Hall, who was beside Young Marquis Zhan Qing at the immortal mansion ruins.

It seemed that on the path of cultivation, these relationships were like a tangled mess of threads. Each large and small knot was an encounter, giving one the illusion that the world was actually quite small.

The Wood Servant Ferry was bustling and noisy, not like an immortal ferry at all, but more like a prosperous street in a mortal city.

Because the tenth day of the tenth month and the fifteenth day of the tenth month were both important dates, both down the mountain and up the mountain.
One is one of the three great Ghost Festivals, and the other is the Day of Water Official’s Atonement.

The Water Dragon Sect would consecutively hold two Daoist ceremonies in the Dragon Palace Grotto, which is open to the public. The rituals are ancient and highly revered. Depending on the size of the year, the Water Dragon Sect cultivators would build golden, jade, or yellow altars to help all beings pray for blessings and eliminate disasters. In particular, the second ceremony, the Water Official’s Birthday, is the most important day for the Water Dragon Sect, as this ancient god governs many immortals in the water.

Apart from the towering memorial archway, Chen Ping’an discovered that the style and regulations here were somewhat similar to the immortal mansion ruins. Behind the archway were dozens of stone tablets. Could it be that all the waterfront lands near the Great River share this characteristic? Chen Ping’an looked at them one by one, and there were quite a few people choosing to do the same, as well as many Confucian scholars carrying books and studying. They seemed to be from academies, and they were burying their heads in copying the inscriptions on the stone tablets. Chen Ping’an carefully browsed the “Record of the Construction of the Stone Bridge by Worthies” from the Daping years and the “Water-Throwing Tablet of Dragon Pavilion” written by a local calligrapher-sage from Northern Ju Continent. This was because these two inscriptions explained in detail the construction process of the stone bridge in the water and the origin and excavation of the Dragon Palace Grotto.

The line was as long as a swimming dragon. Chen Ping’an waited for nearly half an hour before seeing the Water Dragon Sect cultivator in charge of collecting tolls.

After paying ten snowflake coins, he received a token made of immortal tangerine ancient wood, with excellent antique seal script. The Water Dragon Sect cultivator said that it should be returned to the Water Dragon Sect cultivator at the other end of the bridge.

This was the first time Chen Ping’an had seen a wooden seal from a mountain immortal. The seal text was “Repose,” and the inscription on the side was “Fame and fortune concern the body, life and death concern fate.”

Chen Ping’an asked if these wooden seals could be bought or sold.

The Water Dragon Sect female cultivator smiled and said that the tangerine wood seals for crossing the bridge were the sect’s tokens and were not for sale. Each seal needed to be recorded. However, there was a shop in the Dragon Palace Grotto that specialized in selling various seals, not only the Water Dragon Sect’s unique immortal tangerine wood seals, but also various famous stone seals. Guests would surely be able to buy something that caught their eye in the Dragon Palace Grotto.

Chen Ping’an was about to ask about the price of the wooden seals in the Dragon Palace Grotto.

But he was complained about by the people behind him, who told him to get lost and stop flirting with the immortal.

Chen Ping’an had no choice but to turn around and apologize before quickly leaving the line to make way for the guests behind him. Chen Ping’an was a little regretful. The small items in the immortal shops were not only expensive, but the more prominent the sect, the harder it was to find a bargain. On the contrary, places like Qingfeng Wharf and Baofu Studio in Bee Tail Ferry on Treasure Bottle Continent had some opportunities back then.

The bridge itself, with its extremely wide surface, had the effect of warding off water. The arch bridge was still an arch bridge, but this bridge into the water was like an inverted one. It was said that the bottom of the arch in the center of the bridge was close to the bottom of the Great River, which was undoubtedly another wonder.

Stepping onto the bridge was like walking into the water of the Great River.

The bridge surface was extremely wide, and the traffic on the bridge was even more exaggerated than the imperial street of a secular dynasty’s capital.

From this, it could be seen that the Water Dragon Sect made a fortune every day just by collecting tolls.

Chen Ping’an looked up, and the water of the Great River presented a clear and serene color, unlike ordinary rivers.

The bridge was more than three hundred miles long, so carriages and horses could be hired at both ends of the stone bridge for transportation.

At the other end of the Great River and the stone bridge, the Water Dragon Sect also had continuous mansion buildings, each with a Jade Purity Realm patriarch sitting in charge. Therefore, they were habitually divided into the Southern Sect and the Northern Sect. The Ancestral Hall was located in the north of the Great River, and the predecessor of the Water Dragon Sect’s Ancestral Hall was one of the three ancient shrines of the Ji River, so it was said that the disciples of the Northern Sect had always regarded themselves highly and that there was an invisible boundary between them and their fellow disciples in the Southern Sect.

Chen Ping’an could understand that as long as it did not involve major issues, this kind of human sentiment was inevitable.

In the future, once Lu Baixiang branched out outside of Fallen Mountain, it might be the same. Lu Baixiang’s direct disciples might feel uncomfortable in the Fallen Mountain Ancestral Hall.

How to prepare for a rainy day best tested the style of a mountain.

Reading books to know the stories of the ancients, observing people on the road is to observe oneself. This is probably the purpose of reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles.

Many things cannot be figured out by thinking about them alone, no matter how hard you try. Even if you deduce the truth, it will inevitably be empty. As Cui Dongshan said, a good reason will be vulnerable when taken out of the belly and placed on the road of a materialistic world. How could it not be a pity?

However, some people have experienced many things but have not been able to sort out one or two clues. Following the crowd and comforting themselves with the way of the world is, after all, a pity.

Chen Ping’an was still slowly walking and slowly thinking about all these gains and losses.

No matter how peculiar the scenery of the long bridge in the Great River was, it became ordinary after walking for dozens of miles.

Even if there were strange swimming fish that shone like firefly lanterns and the wandering of many underworld creatures under the command of the Water God, the River Earl, people would lose interest after seeing them for too long.

Chen Ping’an found that almost everyone was happy, looking around, leaning on the railing to look into the distance, and making loud noises for the first ten miles or so. Then, they gradually quieted down, with only the sound of carriages and horses passing by.

Chen Ping’an’s greatest interest was to look at the inscriptions on the sides of the wooden seals hanging on the waists of the tourists and remember them one by one.

If the immortal tangerine wood seals in the Dragon Palace Grotto were too expensive later, he would select good wood to engrave himself.

After walking more than a hundred miles, there were more than a dozen teahouses and restaurants on the bridge, somewhat similar to the roadside pavilions on mountain and water routes.

Chen Ping’an chose a five-story restaurant, ordered a pot of the Water Dragon Sect’s special immortal rice wine, Third Watch Wine, and two dishes for wine. Then, he added money to get a window seat with a wide view on the first floor. The first floor of the restaurant was crowded. As soon as Chen Ping’an sat down, the restaurant waiter led a group of guests over, smiling and asking if they could share the table. If the guest agreed, the restaurant would offer a bowl of Third Watch Wine. Chen Ping’an looked at the group of people, two men and one woman, who did not seem fierce. The young men and women were neither pure martial artists nor cultivators, but seemed to be from wealthy families. An old retainer was with them, about a sixth-realm martial artist. Chen Ping’an agreed, and the young master nodded and thanked him with a smile.

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl as a gesture of respect.

In fact, it was very simple to get a better view by going up another floor, but it required more money.

However, after walking more than a hundred miles and seeing the scenery under the Great River, it would be a waste of money to pay extra.
Of course, there are plenty of people who don’t consider immortal money as real money.

Chen Ping’an sipped his wine, silently listening to the tavern patrons’ idle chatter.

Secrets can’t be kept forever. Even though the Emperor of the Da Zhuan Dynasty had strictly forbidden the leakage of the battle’s outcome, too many eyes and ears led to various rumors spreading. These rumors eventually appeared in the Mountain and Water Gazette. Thus, the life-for-life struggle between the Sword Immortal Ji Yue of Ape Cry Mountain and the tenth-realm martial artist Gu has become a common topic of conversation among cultivators. It’s escalating. Compared to the previous death of the Northern Great Sword Immortal at the Sword Qi Great Wall, news of which led to only sword-worshiping rituals upon reaching the Northern Ju Lu Continent, Ji Yue, also a Sword Immortal from the same continent, met his demise. Especially at the hands of a pure martial artist. The Mountain and Water Gazette’s wording showed no consideration for respecting the deceased or those of high status. Everyone spoke with even greater abandon.

The tavern’s general sentiment was almost unanimously negative.

Even sword cultivators were praising the Grandmaster Gu, while mentioning Ji Yue only with mockery and indignation.

Gu’s boxing techniques were divinely inspired, with no disciples to carry on his legacy.

Ji Yue, however, left behind Ape Cry Mountain, a sect of considerable influence with numerous disciples. However, Ape Cry Mountain was experiencing a decline, with no sword cultivators above the fifth realm currently holding a mountain seat.

When Ji Yue was alive, one immortal-realm sword cultivator was sufficient.

But upon his death, his reputation as a Sword Immortal and the prestige he enjoyed in life seemed to have become unforgivable sins.

Someone angrily exclaimed, “What kind of worthless Great Sword Immortal is he? He dares not go to the Sword Qi Great Wall to slay demons, and he gets killed in a life-for-life exchange with a martial artist! He has thoroughly disgraced us sword cultivators!”

Someone nodded in agreement, mocking, “Everyone said Ji Yue hadn’t been in the Immortal Realm for long. But in my opinion, he was never anything more than an immovable Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator. Ji Yue probably just proclaimed himself a Great Sword Immortal.”

Someone lamented his misfortune and resented his lack of strength, “Although his opponent was one of the continent’s four peak martial artists, Ji Yue’s death was still rather pathetic. He actually allowed Gu to lock down his natal sword, shattering his body with one punch, destroying his golden core and nascent soul with two, and killing him with three. How could such a renowned Ape Cry Mountain Sword Immortal be so careless? It’s a good thing he didn’t go to the Sword Qi Great Wall, or he would have been even more embarrassing, leading the local sword cultivators to mistakenly believe that the Northern Ju Lu Continent’s Sword Immortals are all like Ji Yue – ornate pillows with nothing inside.”

A moment later, a cultivator with ties and a friendly relationship with Ape Cry Mountain indignantly spoke out, “Everyone on the continent knew of Sword Immortal Ji’s cultivation. Why speak with such cynicism and mockery after his death? Where were you all before?!”

Someone tutted, “Oh my, finally, someone from Ape Cry Mountain has stood up to speak righteously.”

Someone deliberately “lowered their voice,” smiling, “Let’s all be careful. Great Sword Immortal Ji Yue of Ape Cry Mountain had many friends. If we dare to speak such unpleasant words, we might be beaten into silence. Ape Cry Mountain has so many rules, and their swords are so quick, it’s terrifying.”

Soon, someone echoed, sneering, “What? Are we only allowed to sing praises of Great Sword Immortal Ji? Are we, these ants, not allowed to speak a little truth? Is that how it is in the Northern Ju Lu Continent? Does everyone have to shut their mouths except for that small clique? Is there such a thing in the world? Could it be that the truth has its shop, opened by Ape Cry Mountain, and there is no other?”

Chen Ping’an drank his wine, looking out the window at the flowing waters of the great river, like an ancient, silent old man.

Then, someone directly slammed the table and stood up, “How can there be such an unbearable Sword Immortal? Are you all speaking without thinking? Or do you think you could have steadily won if you had fought Senior Gu?”

Someone immediately retorted, slamming their wine cup heavily on the table and laughing loudly, “Haha, what? Am I not allowed to speak the truth just because I’m not a Sword Immortal? Does that mean everyone in the Northern Ju Lu Continent, except for that small group, has to shut up? Is that how it is in the world? Could it be that reason has its shop, opened by Ape Cry Mountain, and it’s the only one in the world?”

Chen Ping’an smiled.

It seemed to make sense.

The few cultivators who were defending Ji Yue and Ape Cry Mountain were all feeling oppressed.

More people, however, were feeling quite gratified. Many loudly asked the tavern for more jars of Three Watches Wine. Some even threw unopened jars out of the tavern after drinking deeply, saying it was a pity they hadn’t met Senior Gu in this lifetime and hadn’t witnessed the death battle at Jade Seal River. Even though they were cultivators who looked down on martial artists, they should still offer a jar of wine to martial artist Gu from afar.

The three people at the same table as Chen Ping’an were only whispering to each other.

The woman softly asked, “Wei Qi, are the Ape Cry Mountain cultivators really that tyrannical? Why are they so hated?”

The young man named Wei Qi shook his head and smiled, “It’s not that bad, actually. Every sword cultivator sect has its temper. But Ape Cry Mountain’s reputation is worse than that of Taiwei Sword Sect in the north.”

The old man indifferently said, “What’s the point of cursing martial artist Gu? Being cultivators, it’s only by cursing the Great Sword Immortal and respecting the martial artist that they can show their elegance.”

The woman curiously asked, “Are those cultivators who are cursing the most fiercely enemies of Ape Cry Mountain?”

Wei Qi shook his head and smiled, “If they were truly enemies, they wouldn’t have revealed it after hearing the news of Ji Yue’s death. Those who harbor resentment in their hearts and express it verbally are never mortal enemies, but rather those with lukewarm relationships. Their words are often the most likely to mislead onlookers. It’s the same in marketplaces, officialdom, scholarly circles, the martial world, and the mountains. Once you’ve seen and heard enough, it’s all the same.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at Wei Qi and the young woman who was about to speak, then reminded them via mental voice, “Cultivators have sharp ears. Young master, be careful what you say.”

Wei Qi smiled and nodded, proactively raising his wine bowl to the blue-robed guest, replying with ripples in his mind, “That is the right thing to do. Let’s just drink wine and not talk about right and wrong.”

Chen Ping’an was slightly surprised.

He’s actually a qi refiner with a not insignificant realm?

Chen Ping’an hadn’t been able to tell earlier.

But in truth, Wei Qi also felt a considerable shock in his heart. The sword-carrying wanderer who appeared to be a pure martial artist of the fourth or fifth realm was also a qi refiner.

In the tavern’s main hall, several strangers with like minds, all were cheerfully denouncing Ape Cry Mountain and Ji Yue. Everyone raised their wine bowls high, toasting each other.

Chen Ping’an could even see the sincerity in their eyes. The brilliance on their faces as they drank was not feigned. This was the most interesting part.
Chen Ping’an held no opinions about them. In this life, disagreements were inevitable, voiced loudly, seldom truly causing harm. Once said, the past was the past, followed by the next spectacle, another round of boisterous pronouncements fit for drinking.

Chen Ping’an paid attention to others, those whose words were more watertight, whose logic wasn’t so extreme, exuding an understanding, more like reason.

In the conversations of the world, it was as if both sages and deities roamed at night, and a hundred ghosts rampaged in broad daylight.

Mountain demons, if travelers retreated upon hearing of them, then there was no harm done.

River ghosts, alluring and graceful, subtly pulled people into the water.

Upstairs on the second floor, they were also chatting about matters of the mountains. But compared to the competition in the main hall, the second floor was more of individual conversations, without deliberately suppressing their voices. Chen Ping’an overheard people discussing Qi Jinglong’s closed-door cultivation, speculating which three sword immortals would challenge the Taiwei Sword Sect, talking about the battle between Huang Xi and Embroidered Niang at the Grindstone Mountain, and also about the rapidly rising Qingliang Sect, and that young female sect leader who claimed to have found her Dao companion.

On the third floor, Chen Ping’an heard people discussing business deals, speaking with great confidence but in hushed tones, often mentioning profits and losses of several thousand snowflake coins.

The conversations on the fourth floor were more indistinct, and often contained magical restrictions. Chen Ping’an naturally wouldn’t pry, listening only to what he could hear.

He faintly heard people discussing the general situation of Treasure Bottle洲, mentioning the Northern Mountain and Wei Bo. More often, they talked about Aiaizhou洲 and Central Earth Divine洲, for example, guessing whether the young martial artist Cao Ci of the Great End Dynasty had reached the Golden Body Realm, and at what age he would reach the Pinnacle of Martial Dao.

As for the top floor, the fifth floor, only the occasional faint sound of wine cups and bowls clinking could be heard.

Chen Ping’an slowly drank a jug and a bowl of the Midnight Wine, then got up to pay the bill at the counter and left the wine shop alone.

He didn’t forget to nod to the three men, and Wei Qi also returned the greeting with a smile, gently raising his glass.

Chen Ping’an walked on the long bridge in the Great Canal. In the distance, a luxurious carriage suddenly caught his eye, traveling majestically along the waterway, clearly a noble family out for a trip. There was an old man in a purple robe and jade belt holding a jade tablet, a silver-armored warrior holding an iron spear, and a white-clad goddess whose eyes truly had two strands of brilliance flowing, lingering for a long time.

These beings were the water fairies and water monsters recorded in unofficial histories, residing in the Dragon Palace, responsible for managing the weather and prosperity of the area.

The entrance to the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven was fifty miles away, on a certain part of the long bridge.

The Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven was a genuine Dragon Palace relic.

According to the inscriptions, ancient water fairies and coiled dragons once resided here.

Compared to the Dragon Flood Ditch, where descendants of flood dragons mingled, this Dragon Palace was like a mountain mansion, while the Dragon Flood Ditch was like a Jianghu sect.

Chen Ping’an saw the outline of a city wall. As he approached, he saw the golden plaque hanging on the city tower, which read “Jidu Summer Retreat.”

Beneath the largest plaque, there were layers of more than a dozen plaques written by masters.

There were inscriptions of Talisman Immortals, where the talismanic light persisted for thousands of years, and there were also works of Sword Immortals, which possessed abundant sword intent.

Perhaps because it required taking out a Lesser Heat Coin, the city gate wasn’t as crowded as the bridgehead.

Dragon Palace Grotto-heavens, like this one that has been operated by sects for thousands of years, have no opportunities left for later generations, especially outsiders. Because even if a heaven-sent treasure was born in response to destiny, it would be targeted by the Water Dragon Sect early on, not allowing outsiders to get their hands on it. Even if the Water Dragon Sect, the local tyrant, couldn’t suppress the covetousness of some powerful Dragon Crossing the River cultivators, they still had the Yang Clan’s thunder techniques from Cloud Soaring Palace, and the flying swords from Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, to help deter people.

Historically, the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven had a major incident of a treasure suppression being stolen. In the end, it was jointly recovered by the three families. The thief’s identity was surprising, yet also reasonable. It was a renowned Sword Immortal who had hidden in the grotto-heaven as a Water Dragon Sect handyman for decades, but he still failed. The treasure of water luck didn’t even get warm before he had to return it. Under the pursuit of the three sect ancestors, he barely escaped with his life, fled to Aiaizhou, became a retainer of the Wealth God Liu Clan, and still dared not return to Northern Club Reed洲.

Chen Ping’an was about to hand over a Lesser Heat Coin when someone softly advised, “Save it if you can, no need to pay.”

Chen Ping’an turned around, pleasantly surprised, but didn’t call out the person’s name.

But in his eyes, there was undisguised joy.

It was actually Li Liu, who should have been cultivating on Lion Peak.

When they met again at the Great Sui Academy, according to Li Huai, his older sister had now become a cultivator on Lion Peak, serving tea and water to the old immortal on the mountain every day. As for his parents, they had opened a shop in the market town at the foot of the mountain, earning a lot of money, and his marriage money was settled.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “What a coincidence. I was planning to finish walking through Jidu, visit Infant Mountain, and then go to Lion Peak to find you.”

Li Liu gently shook her head and smiled, “It’s not a coincidence, I came here specifically to find you.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated, all the words ultimately swallowed back into his stomach.

Li Liu was clearly an accomplished Qi Refiner, and her realm must be extremely high.

But Chen Ping’an’s feeling was fleeting.

Li Liu took out an ancient Chi Dragon jade pendant. The Water Dragon Sect cultivator guarding the city gate glanced at it and immediately respectfully saluted this young woman of unknown identity. Li Liu led Chen Ping’an straight into the city gate, and together they climbed up an endless white jade staircase.

For some reason, Chen Ping’an turned around and looked, the city gate seemed to be under lockdown, and no one else could enter the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven.

The group of people in front, their figures as small as mustard seeds, gradually ascended.

Li Liu said softly, “Mr. Chen.”

Chen Ping’an quickly said, “Just call me by my name, temporary name Chen Haoren (Good Person).”

Li Liu’s pair of moist eyes smiled into crescent moons.

Chen Ping’an also felt a little shameless, thinking about whether to take another pseudonym, and said, “Then still call me Mr. Chen.”

Li Liu nodded, and then the first sentence she spoke was extremely weighty, “Mr. Chen, it’s best to reach the Golden Body Realm sooner, or it will be too late, and there will be changes in Golden Armor洲.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment and said, “I’ll strive for it.”
Li Liu’s second sentence immediately destabilized Chen Pingan’s Dao heart. “Earlier, Zheng Dafeng sent a letter to Lion Peak, so I took a trip to the Fallen Soul Mountain. The Lotus Root Paradise is now divided into four, with Fallen Soul Mountain occupying one part. The Chinese Parasol Tree Umbrella is the entrance. Zhu Lian and the others urgently need to upgrade that temporarily named Lotus Root Paradise into a medium-grade blessed land, otherwise it will be wasted. So they need two or three thousand Grain Rain Coins.”

Chen Pingan’s expression froze, and he cautiously asked, “Grain Rain Coins?”

Li Liu nodded, “Grain Rain Coins.”

Chen Pingan sighed mournfully, “Even if I sell everything I own, it wouldn’t be enough.”

Li Liu then explained Zhu Lian’s recent situation in detail.

Chen Pingan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Being able to borrow money was still a skill, after all.

Who to borrow from, how much to borrow, and how to repay it, Zhu Lian had already planned everything out. Chen Pingan listened carefully and had no objections. With Zhu Lian taking the lead, and Wei Bo and Zheng Dafeng helping to strategize, nothing should go wrong.

The key was that the heavy burden of owing two or three thousand Grain Rain Coins ultimately fell on the shoulders of him, the young Mountain Master. There was no escaping it.

Of course, Chen Pingan wouldn’t try to escape. He was already acting like an accountant, re-evaluating his wealth accumulated during this trip to the Northern Ju Lu Continent. From the “collecting scraps” treasure pouch to selling all the sellable items, he was figuring out how many Grain Rain Coins he could scrape together. Setting aside the various bits and pieces he had already borrowed, could he, Chen Pingan, make up for the deficit of Fallen Soul Mountain in one fell swoop? The answer was simple: no.

By the time Chen Pingan regained his senses, Li Liu had already changed the subject, “Actually, the earliest entrance to the Carp Pearl Grotto-heaven was similar to this Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven.”

Chen Pingan said regretfully, “I’ve never been there. By the time I left my hometown, the Carp Pearl Grotto-heaven had already taken root.”

Li Liu smiled, “Want to sit for a while? Anyway, no one is following us.”

Chen Pingan sat down on the steps without hesitation, took out the Sword Nurturing Gourd, and took a sip of wine. As for future drinking, he could only drink sweet glutinous rice wine.

Li Liu said, “I have that jade token, so the Water Dragon Sect won’t use their ‘Palm Gazing at Mountains and Rivers’ divine ability to investigate our movements here without permission.”

Chen Pingan still didn’t ask any further questions.

His impression of Li Liu was actually very shallow, nothing more than Li Huai’s sister, and the woman simultaneously liked by Lin Shouyi and Dong Shuijing.

Before today, the two of them had never interacted.

Li Liu hesitated for a moment, “Mr. Chen, I have a ‘Mirror Flower, Water Moon’ mountain copy, which has something to do with you, but not much. I didn’t plan to give it to you originally, as I was worried about complications that might delay your travels.”

Chen Pingan was somewhat puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he said, “It’s alright. Since it’s something I’ll find out sooner or later, it’s better to make plans early.”

Li Liu then took out a mountain treasure similar to a calligraphy scroll from her sleeve. The scroll floated in the air, and Li Liu extended a finger, gently touching it. Ripples spread out, and water mist filled the air.

On the calligraphy scroll, a woman appeared, sitting upright.

Using the alias Shi Qiu, a female cultivator from a small sect in Treasure Bottle Continent.

She came from the Northern Ju Lu Continent’s Strike Altar Mountain, and served as a maid on that intercontinental ferry ship that had crashed within the Zhu Ying Dynasty territory of the Treasure Bottle Continent.

Li Liu gazed ahead, as if detached from the situation.

Having seen too much of the joys and sorrows of the world, she had almost no feelings.

The last scene of “Mirror Flower, Water Moon” was the woman who had sought her own death, picking up an embroidery pouch she had carefully treasured for many years. She frowned, as if trying not to cry, and squeezed out a smile. She raised the embroidery pouch high and gently shook it, softly saying, “Hey, you, Qiu Shi likes you. Can you hear it? Can you see it? If you don’t know, it doesn’t matter. If you know, just know it.”

Chen Pingan, sitting quietly in place, listened to the story word for word.

She was Qiu Shi’s older sister, named Chun Shui.

Chen Pingan saw it at first glance.

Finally, Chen Pingan murmured, “Okay, I know.”

Silence for a long time.

Li Liu put away the calligraphy scroll into her sleeve.

Chen Pingan fastened his Sword Nurturing Gourd, his face seemingly without any grief or resentment.

Li Liu didn’t find it strange.

Li Liu only said something seemingly very unsympathetic, “Now that things have come to this, what she did was meaningless, except for courting death.”

Chen Pingan nodded, “Generally speaking, that’s the case.”

Li Liu asked, “Is there an ‘unusual’ explanation?”

Chen Pingan didn’t give an answer, but turned to say, “I plan to continue on my way, so I won’t explore the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven. Anyway, I can’t afford anything. But will doing this cause you trouble?”

Li Liu smiled, “Mr. Chen is overthinking things. In the Northern Ju Lu Continent, I have no trouble. At the very least, I can guarantee my safety.”

Chen Pingan said he was going to leave, but he didn’t get up immediately.

He remembered the couplet he planned to hang in the bamboo building on Fallen Soul Mountain in the future. The first line was: “Beyond the mountain, wind and rain, a three-foot sword, go down the mountain with your sword when something happens.”

Chen Pingan then hung the Sword Immortal, which he had been carrying on his back, at his waist.

This should be the first time Chen Pingan had truly worn a sword.

He used to be accustomed to only carrying it on his back.

Li Liu asked, “Mr. Chen, you’re not going to directly question Strike Altar Mountain, then the Great Li Dynasty, and then Lord Xie Shi of the heavens, are you?”

Li Liu didn’t really like using swords, whether it was ancient gods or current cultivators, she didn’t like any of them.

Chen Pingan stood up, shook the Sword Nurturing Gourd, and smiled, “No, my skills aren’t good enough, so I’ll make up for it with wine.”

Li Liu smiled and nodded. She sat in place, not getting up, only watching the young man in green robes and wielding a sword, slowly walking down the steps.

What to do when something happens?

Go down the mountain with your sword.

If worldly affairs are greater than one’s ability, then what to do? There’s nothing you can do. The answer can only be in your heart first, placed in its sheath.