Chen Pingan had been on Fushui Island for nearly ten days. During this time, he had asked Li Yuan to help with two things: besides the golden altar for the Water Official to resolve calamities, the other was to help send a letter to Luopo Mountain.

Chen Pingan couldn’t guess the man’s identity. He had the face of a youth, but looked exhausted and listless, as if he had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation. Chen Pingan had seen this kind of gradually decaying soul and disheartened aura on some old cultivators who felt they had no hope of reaching the Great Dao. Li Yuan wouldn’t rashly land on the island unless he was alarmed by Fushui Island’s formations. This made Chen Pingan even more puzzled about what Li Liu’s cultivation had been like in Beiju Luzhou these past years. Yet, there wasn’t any record of it in the many records of mountains and rivers.

During these days, besides diligently refining the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers to stabilize and expand the structure of the two key acupoints, the Water Mansion and the Mountain Shrine, Chen Pingan would also focus his mind like a mustard seed, internally inspecting the surging sword qi, like iron cavalry knocking on the gates. On the first and fifteenth of each month, he would use the tip of his sword to grind down the Dragon Slaying Platform, sparks flying everywhere, like blacksmith Ruan forging swords in his hometown, filling the room with light.

The Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven was like spring all year round, with no severe cold in winter and no scorching heat in summer. It rained often, sometimes a drizzling rain, sometimes a torrential downpour. Whenever it rained, Chen Pingan noticed that cultivators from nearby islands, mostly earth immortals, would either bathe in the sweet rain, opening their human body’s small world to rapidly absorb the spiritual energy of the water mist, or they would use mountain treasures like jade spring bottles or inkstones to intercept the rainwater, preventing a single drop from touching the island’s ground.

In his spare time, he began to read the collection of stories where everyone eventually dies, each with a different process. Most had different personalities, and their deaths were all strange and bizarre. Furthermore, who they died at the hands of was even more diverse.

Back then, on the mountain peak of the Immortal Mansion ruins, in the midst of the stagnant River of Time, this book fell to the ground after the great demon died and was then given to him, Chen Pingan, by Sun Daoist.

Chen Pingan found a bamboo-handled oil-paper umbrella on Fushui Island. As long as he wasn’t cultivating, he would go out for a walk whenever it rained, day or night, walking around Fushui Island, a journey of about thirty miles through mountains and water, holding the umbrella alone.

Of the three tokens, Li Liu’s jade pendant engraved with “Three Feet of Sweet Rain” had already been removed by Chen Pingan and placed into his spatial treasure.

Li Yuan’s “Jun Qing Rain Aspect,” used to control the mountain and water formations, and the Water Dragon Sect’s wooden bridge token, “Rest,” were still hanging at his waist. When walking in the rain, if he took a slightly larger step, there would be a subtle clinking sound.

On this rainy night, Chen Pingan still went out with his umbrella. Calculating the time, Zhu Lian’s reply should be arriving soon.

Chen Pingan stopped in his tracks, looking towards the distance between the two islands, White Armor and Azure Beard. Suddenly, a magnificent carriage leapt out of the lake. The carriage was as large as a pavilion, with eaves at each corner, hanging bells. Four snow-white steeds galloped across the water, the bells ringing, like celestial music in the rain. Behind the carriage, there was a small group of flower-clothed maids and officials in red and purple robes, following the carriage across the water.

There was no coachman driving the steeds on the carriage. Only young Li Yuan and a slender, beautiful woman stood on it. Her hair was styled like a white jade flower bud, and she wore a tightly woven, small-sleeved, front-buttoned jacket, covered with a light gauze, floating like smoke.

Young Li Yuan had changed into a round-necked yellow robe, with a white jade belt around his waist and black boots on his feet.

When this entourage appeared, Chen Pingan noticed anomalies on the two large islands, White Armor and Azure Beard. The surrounding water mist spread ashore, enveloping them, and soon only their rough outlines could be seen. However, Chen Pingan wasn’t sure if it was because the island’s cultivators had activated their mountain protection formations, or if someone on the carriage was manipulating water magic to prevent the island’s cultivators from spying on the lake’s scenery.

The carriage headed straight towards Chen Pingan. It didn’t directly land on the island, stopping a mile away from Fushui Island. Only Li Yuan and the woman with the high bun stepped down from the carriage and walked towards the island.

The woman seemed to have temporarily removed her illusion, revealing her originally vague and uncertain face. She had a pair of golden eyes and was undoubtedly one of the local water gods.

Li Yuan and the woman walked together to Chen Pingan. Li Yuan introduced with a smile, “This is the Southern Fragrance Water Palace Goddess, who is in charge of the wind and rain in the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven. Young Master Chen can call her Madam Shen.”

Although it was raining heavily, Chen Pingan immediately put away the oil-paper umbrella and addressed her as Madam Shen.

The Water Palace Goddess performed a Wanfu greeting, “Shen Lin, a former member of the Southern Fragrance Palace, greets Young Master Chen.”

After she straightened up, she lightly flicked her sleeves, and the rain stopped falling over Fushui Island.

Chen Pingan was used to looking people in the eye when speaking to them, so he accidentally noticed the true appearance of the water goddess. Her face was like celadon glaze. Not only that, but the “porcelain surface” of her face was covered with fine, dense cracks, crisscrossing, making it seem a little horrifying when people stared at it closely. Chen Pingan understood somewhat, didn’t pretend he didn’t see anything, tucked the oil-paper umbrella under his arm, and clasped his fist in apology to the water goddess, whose golden body was already in a precarious state.

Shen Lin seemed a little surprised and smiled, “Young Master Chen, you don’t need to be so polite. If this humble god’s appearance frightens the young master and spoils the scenery, that would be a great sin.”

Li Yuan laughed heartily, seemingly finding the statement amusing.

However, Chen Pingan didn’t laugh, so Li Yuan had to reluctantly stop laughing, feeling embarrassed. If those ancestors at the very front of the ancestral hall genealogy of the Water Dragon Sect were still alive, there would have been a chorus of laughter all around by now.

Chen Pingan held the oil-paper umbrella in one hand and extended the other.

Shen Lin glanced at Li Yuan, who quickly gave her a look. Only then did she walk side by side with the young master Chen. Then Li Yuan clasped his hands behind his head and slowly followed behind the two.

The Southern Fragrance Water Palace was the head of all the water gods in the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven, not to mention the mountain gods. Within this small grotto-heaven, the least important were those small mountain gods who seemed to be imprisoned by the surrounding waters. Some heroes of the Great Source Dynasty awaiting official recognition from the Lu Dynasty, or famous ministers and martyrs from other small countries whose souls hadn’t dissipated after death, once they heard that they might be thrown into the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven and given a divine title, might even have the desire to die again. It wasn’t just selfishness, fearing that entering this small grotto-heaven would bring too many restrictions. How could the incense of the mountains compare to the incense of the waters? More importantly, once in the small world, away from home, how could they, as gods, support the fortune of their native mountains and rivers? Therefore, any heroic spirit regarded serving as a mountain or water god in the small grotto-heaven as a form of demotion and exile in the officialdom. Hence, they would rather be a small town City God than a mountain god of a grotto-heaven.
And Shen Lin’s claim that she was a former denizen of the Southern Fragrance Palace was a particularly interesting point, for the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, spanning eight thousand miles and encompassing over a thousand islands, possessed the most concentrated water energies in the entire continent. Currently, there were thirty-two Lake Lords and River Earls/Consorts in total. Including the main city, the twelve major islands all had mountain gods, city gods, and temples dedicated to civil and military deities, outnumbering even the water gods in terms of divine presence.

Li Yuan looked at the “matron” not far ahead, sighing inwardly.

Misery loves company.

However, all the Water Dragon Sect could do was rely on annual Golden Rituals to increase incense offerings. While this could also aid the Southern Fragrance Palace, it was akin to repairing a house in a bustling marketplace, lacking the direct and effective essence extraction that he, as Water Warden, could perform. Ultimately, this highlighted the difference between a Grotto-Heaven and a Blessed Land: Grotto-Heavens were suited for solitary cultivators seeking tranquil environments, while Blessed Lands, with their vast populations, facilitated the convergence of incense from all people, making them natural domains for deities.

Chen Ping’an was enjoying a pleasant conversation with this Lady Shen.

Regrettably, unlike immortal abodes like the Spring Dew Garden or the Variegated Finch Mansion, the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven lacked a compiled collection of local customs for visitors to peruse.

In fact, this was the first time Chen Ping’an had ever heard of the Southern Fragrance Water Palace.

However, deities with the title of “Water Palace” were usually of significant origin.

On the Scroll-in-the-Lake, near Green Gorge Island, the island lord of Hairpin Island, Liu Chongrun, as a deposed princess, possessed a legendary Water Palace in her former kingdom. This attracted the covetous attention of Sword Cultivators from the Vermilion Fluorescence Dynasty. Of course, that Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator from the Vermilion Fluorescence Imperial Family also harbored desires for both wealth and beauty. Chen Ping’an had witnessed the wonders of the Water Palace’s treasured pills, enough to make Earth Immortals green with envy. According to Liu Chongrun, the most valuable water pill could easily cause a hundred-foot-high wave of contention to surge across the Scroll-in-the-Lake if thrown out casually.

Before Chen Ping’an left Fallen Peak, Liu Chongrun had not yet finalized the relocation with Zhu Lian. In truth, Chen Ping’an didn’t quite understand why Liu Chongrun insisted on dividing the female cultivators of Hairpin Island. While the Ancestral Hall would remain on the Scroll-in-the-Lake, most of the Ancestral Hall’s direct disciples would be sent to Dragon Spring County to cultivate. Now that the Scroll-in-the-Lake had established rules, and with the True Realm Sect of Jiang Shangzhen as its guardian, it was vastly different from its previously lawless state. Frankly, the True Realm Sect wouldn’t be tempted by Liu Chongrun’s meager possessions.

Even if they moved to Dragon Spring County, they would still be under someone else’s roof. Chen Ping’an would still collect Hairpin Island’s divine coins, without exception. Given the fanfare and the financial burden Liu Chongrun was bearing, Chen Ping’an couldn’t comprehend her business acumen.

Just as Chen Ping’an was unclear about the relationship between Li Liu and Li Yuan, he also didn’t understand the connection between Shen Lin and Li Yuan. Therefore, this journey was filled with polite pleasantries with the Water Goddess of the Southern Fragrance Palace.

Having become accustomed to this on Green Gorge Island on the Scroll-in-the-Lake, Chen Ping’an was now exceptionally skilled. He responded flawlessly, his words polite yet not giving the impression of aloofness. For instance, he would humbly inquire with Shen Lin about the origins of the Immortal Ascension Stele of the Fuling Water Princess. Of course, Shen Lin would answer everything she knew. As one of the oldest gods in the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, along with Water Warden Li Yuan, she was intimately familiar with the affairs of her territory.

Li Yuan listened to the two strangers chatting warmly ahead.

He found it somewhat amusing.

But amidst the amusement, he also felt a pang of sorrow.

After countless years, the lofty Lord of the Martial World had finally graced the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, known for its Jidu summer retreats, with a visit. And yet? She didn’t even bother to glance at the Southern Fragrance Water Palace, nor did she deign to say a word of censure to Shen Lin, who, if not for merit, certainly deserved credit for her hard work.

Li Yuan was even certain that if not for this “Mister Chen’s” esteemed presence, the Lord of the Martial World wouldn’t have even spared him, the Water Warden who had watched over the Jidu summer palace for countless years, a second glance.

How cold.

Li Yuan felt that both he and Shen Lin, despite being gods of considerable rank and disregarding worldly affairs, were like infatuated fools compared to that aloof, ancient deity.

Shen Lin seemed to be in high spirits, proactively introducing the local customs and culture of the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven to the Mister Chen.

This was what Chen Ping’an enjoyed the most.

Ever since Chen Ping’an first traveled with Little Bottle and the others, it had always been this way.

He would ask woodcutters in the mountains, boatmen on the water, and locals in cities and towns. In the past, Chen Ping’an did everything himself. Even when Li Bottle, who was most thoughtful and meticulous, wanted to share the burden, Chen Ping’an was still worried.

After that, traveling alone, he continued to do so.

In any unfamiliar land, if Chen Ping’an felt that he couldn’t fully understand it or see its intricate connections clearly, he would feel uneasy.

This was probably greatly related to his early encounters with the vengeful ghost obstructing his path, the changes in Flying Eagle Stronghold, his accidental entry into the Lotus Blessed Land, and the behind-the-scenes machinations in Ghost Domain Valley.

Chen Ping’an knew that if his mindset became extreme in this regard, without any change, it would be a significant obstacle on his path of cultivation.

He suddenly realized this after meeting Li Liu.

Because after observing Li Liu’s words and actions, Chen Ping’an realized that even after returning to his hometown, except when he was sitting alone in the ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane, he could avoid overthinking. Otherwise, even in the bamboo building on Fallen Peak or the shop in Riding Dragon Lane, he had grown accustomed to immersing himself in a state of “I know everything, nothing escapes my notice.” That was why Chen Ping’an was so envious of those two immortal techniques, “Shrinking a thousand miles into an inch” and “A god’s palm views rivers and mountains.”

Especially Li Liu’s casual remark, “An unstable mind, no matter how far you travel, is still walking in circles,” which was like a thunderclap awakening Chen Ping’an from his dream.

Chen Ping’an dared to say that he had always known what he wanted, where he wanted to go, and what kind of person he wanted to become.

But along the way, his path had been filled with bumps and obstacles, not entirely due to the whims of heaven and earth. He, Chen Ping’an, had also brought much of it upon himself.

That was why Chen Ping’an felt lost and didn’t know how to take the next step when he sat on the roof.

A ten-year promise, becoming a Golden Body Realm martial artist, returning to Inverted Mountain.

Rebuilding a Bridge of Longevity, successfully refining five Natal Treasures.
To truly become the swordsman he envisioned and strive to be a great and unbound Sword Immortal.

Yet, human strength is finite, and so is mental energy.

At this moment, Chen Pingan’s contemplations were extensive and far-reaching, his considerations meticulous and complex, far exceeding these three major matters. And the debt of a mere few thousand Gu Yu coins was not his only concern. The things he had to do were far more than just his own affairs.

Affairs were tangled like hemp, large and small, a chaotic mess.

He needed to prioritize them, allocating his daily thoughts, energy, and time, according to his own principles, to each specific task.

Chen Pingan subconsciously stopped walking.

The Water Goddess of the Nanxun Palace also subtly halted her steps.

Li Yuan, standing behind them, had been idly counting the number of pearls, refined into tiny mustard seeds, embedded in Shen Lin’s gauze robe, which weighed no more than three or four taels. He had reached over nine thousand.

Shen Lin’s visit was not Li Yuan’s idea. It was the brief appearance of the leader of the Jianghu Alliance that had caused a faint spiritual connection for the former resident of the Nanxun Palace. Not daring to reveal herself rashly, she waited until the connection completely dissipated before carefully following the clues, finally finding him, the Grand Canal Water Governor. She dared not ask directly, but inquired indirectly, which gave Li Yuan a headache. Feigning ignorance, Li Yuan, no matter how much he pitied the Water Goddess, dared not carelessly reveal celestial secrets.

Unable to refuse Shen Lin, he used a compromise that wouldn’t be considered abuse of power, taking her to Fushui Isle. As the head of the gods in a small world, it was her duty to patrol the surrounding mountains and rivers. Unfortunately, the “Master Chen” that Li Yuan had spoken of, did not have the “Three Feet of Sweet Rain” jade pendant hanging from his waist. The young man, though not old, was excessively experienced, his words cautious. He estimated that Shen Lin would return empty-handed.

As the leader of the mountains and rivers in this area, the Nanxun Water Palace was somewhat undeservedly named. No dynasty could interfere with the bestowal of titles for all the water palace’s divine attendants. Even the successive heads of the academy usually wouldn’t get involved. For example, the current Sage of the academy, Zhou Mi, shortly after taking office, sent ten scrolls of conferred titles to the ancestral hall of the Water Dragon Sect, all concerning the positions of the Nanxun Water Palace, leaving the names blank, allowing the sect leader Sun Jie to deal with the Nanxun Water Palace in the grotto-heaven. The meaning was simple: let Shen Lin, whose “small court” was already extremely bloated, deal with it herself. He, Zhou Mi, had come to the Northern Ju Continent to study, and was too lazy to manage these chaotic matters.

Shen Lin quickly reciprocated, retaining the few key divine positions and abolishing many of the ancient, ceremonial, and nominal positions. Ultimately, according to the titles on Sage Zhou Mi’s conferred edicts, she retained only ten orthodox divine positions recognized by Confucianism in the Nanxun Water Palace, which originally had over twenty water deities.

Initially, Shao Jingzhi, the leader of the Southern Sect, who had a close relationship with the Nanxun Water Palace, privately advised Madam Shen not to do this, needlessly reducing more than ten divine positions. Anyway, Sage Zhou Mi had made it clear that he wouldn’t interfere with the operation of the Nanxun Water Palace, so why bother? However, when Zhou Mi later took action, leaving the academy and beating those great cultivators who spoke ill of him until they were “full of dog farts,” Shao Jingzhi visited the Nanxun Water Palace again, admitting that he had almost harmed Madam Shen.

Shen Lin noticed the young man beside her was absent-minded.

She didn’t feel it was impolite or offensive. For a cultivator to be so relaxed, it could even be considered a form of unspoken trust.

Chen Pingan quickly gathered his scattered thoughts and apologized, “Madam Shen, I apologize. I was momentarily lost in thought.”

Shen Lin smiled and shook her head.

However, she already intended to leave, so she invited the young man to visit the Nanxun Water Palace when he had time.

Chen Pingan nodded in agreement. Then he felt somewhat helpless. Li Liu had said she would go to the main city and then return to Fushui Isle. It was estimated that she would directly leave the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven and the Water Dragon Sect this time.

When he asked Li Yuan, Li Yuan only said he didn’t know.

Shen Lin bid farewell and walked towards the shore. Mist rose beneath her feet, and in an instant, she returned to the carriage, turning the horses around and speeding away. After traveling several miles on the water, it seemed to enter the waterway beneath the lake surface. The carriage, along with the accompanying maids, civil and military deities, vanished in a flash.

Li Yuan slowly withdrew his gaze, feeling somewhat regretful.

If this young man were slightly smarter, or slightly less smart, Shen Lin would have done more than invite him to visit the Nanxun Water Palace. She would have certainly presented him with a generous gift, one that he couldn’t refuse, and it would have been given in a justified and reasonable manner. At the very least, it would have been a treasured item from the Nanxun Water Palace’s old collection, a top-notch water-based treasure, close to a semi-immortal artifact. Because this gift was not for the young man, but like a tribute carefully prepared by a local official, presented to the owner of the “Three Feet of Sweet Rain” jade pendant. Once “Master Chen” was willing to accept it, Shen Lin would not only not feel any heartache, but would be even more grateful for his acceptance. As long as he showed the slightest inclination, Shen Lin would certainly send another generous gift, even if it meant dismantling half of the Nanxun Water Palace.

Unfortunately, “Master Chen” had quietly missed a stroke of good fortune.

Were there any cultivators in the world who complained that they didn’t have enough immortal treasures? Just like them, the mountain and river gods, who would complain about having a few extra pounds of incense essence?

Probably not.

Even more unfortunate was that Li Yuan couldn’t remind him of anything. Otherwise, he might ruin things by adding something unnecessary, only harming Shen Lin, whose golden body was already rotten like a piece of decayed wood, and causing trouble for himself, a small Water Governor.

Chen Pingan watched the departing carriage along with the teenager in yellow robes, jade belt, and black boots. Chen Pingan secretly took in his fleeting complex expression.

Li Yuan took out a secret letter and said, “Master Chen, this is a reply from your hometown. The Water Dragon Sect will not notice anything from the sending to the receiving of this letter.”

Actually, this letter felt somewhat heavy in his hand.

This was the difference in the mountains and rivers.

The letter was set with a clever mountain and water restriction by a Mountain God.

As the Grand Canal Water Governor, holding this letter, he couldn’t help but feel like it was “burning” his hands.

Chen Pingan accepted the secret letter, seeing the four large characters on the envelope, he smiled knowingly.

The four characters were “Respectfully, to my Teacher.”
It was evident at a glance that this was the handiwork of his eldest disciple, the calligraphy mirroring his own – neat, precise, and clearly imbued with care in each stroke.

Chen Pingan first tucked the secret letter into his sleeve.

Li Yuan was about to take his leave. After all, that person had said that Mr. Chen required a period of undisturbed cultivation in this place, and no one should bother him.

The fact that the South Xun Water Palace deity had patrolled to this place and come ashore for a brief while made Li Yuan somewhat uneasy. But he figured that this young man was merely taking a stroll with an umbrella, which shouldn’t be considered “undisturbed cultivation,” right?

As soon as Shen Lin left, the rain soon returned to shroud Fushui Isle.

Chen Pingan raised his umbrella, and Li Yuan chuckled, “Mr. Chen, please don’t mind me.”

Chen Pingan hesitated, then quickly dismissed the thoughts that had arisen.

What significance was there in knowing the approximate rank and location of that Madam Shen in the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven? Was it truly necessary to tug on the end of such a long and potentially complicated thread?

Perhaps not.

The barely concealed signs of approaching twilight on Li Yuan, the South Xun Water Palace Lady’s golden body nearing its breaking point, Chen Pingan, having just arrived, had already tugged on one or two deeply buried threads and learned some truths. If those truths aligned or conflicted with his own principles, would he then have to intervene? In many matters that were extraneous, that one could know or not, was he just needlessly seeking trouble? Was this just another extreme, the other side of a cultivator disregarding all worldly affairs?

Chen Pingan felt that if he could just unravel this fundamental thread, it would be a great test and advancement for his heart.

Thinking thus, Chen Pingan felt a twinge of envy for those whose “Dao-seeking heart” was unwavering from the very beginning.

Disregarding good or evil, right or wrong, and only speaking of inherent intent.

Like Lin Shouyi, who had taken one look and fallen in love with that *Cloud-soaring Jade Book*.

And that young girl, Zhu Lu, with her clear objectives and decisive actions.

Li Yuan asked, “Mr. Chen, you seem troubled?”

That was stating the obvious.

A cultivator without worries or anxieties would never be so bored as to go out for a walk with an umbrella in the rain, pausing frequently, his mind elsewhere, occasionally picking up a walking stick, as if writing or drawing talismans on the ground.

Chen Pingan smiled. “I’m just anxiously awaiting news from my hometown, nothing more.”

Li Yuan didn’t ask another question.

Chen Pingan bid farewell to Li Yuan and returned to his residence, placing his oil-paper umbrella against the doorframe. The heavy rain had not stopped.

He gently shook off the raindrops from his person, entered the house, sat down, and opened the letter. Inside were two separate letters.

Zhu Lian had written a detailed report on the recent events at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, and the situation around Dragon Spring County.

Pei Qian’s letter only contained trivial matters.

However, the instant Chen Pingan received these letters, he knew some very good news.

Wei Bo had broken through to a higher realm.

Otherwise, the secret letter wouldn’t bear the unique mountain protection enchantment belonging to Cloud Ascending Mountain.

Chen Pingan didn’t open the letter. Instead, he stood up, left the house, walked to the eaves, and gazed at the rain curtain between heaven and earth.

When it rained in the world, people sought shelter at home, in foreign lands, or walked with umbrellas, otherwise, they simply got wet.

Chen Pingan turned to look at the oil-paper umbrella leaning against the wall.

Perhaps there was a principle there, an oil-paper umbrella that didn’t need to be taken out on a sunny day.

Only to be unfurled when it rained.

But in the marketplaces, who knew when it would rain? So, carrying an umbrella with you at all times became a headache-inducing choice. Carrying it would increase the burden; holding it on a sunny day would appear ridiculous to others.

While cultivators walking the mountains had no need to seek shelter from the rain.

Chen Pingan scratched his head, feeling troubled.

After much deliberation, the last thought that crossed his mind was that he wished this rain was made of millet rain coins or, failing that, snow-flake coins.

Not long after Li Yuan left for the sea of clouds, Water Goddess Shen Lin arrived closely behind.

If they intended to conceal their movements within the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven, even the two Core Formation cultivators of the Water Dragon Sect guarding this place wouldn’t have any clue.

Neither of the Water Dragon Sect’s Jade Purity Realm cultivators chose to remain stationed at this ancestral ground year-round.

This was a silent tribute to Water Warden Li Yuan and Water Goddess Shen Lin.

Sect Master Sun Jie only entered this place for the highest-level Gold Daoist ceremonies; he never attended the Jade or Yellow Daoist events.

Compared to the North Sect, Shao Jingzhi of the South Sect had a better relationship with the South Xun Water Palace, and would visit Shen Lin every few years.

Shen Lin’s expression was complex. “Li Yuan, couldn’t you just say one word?”

Li Yuan merely smiled, remaining silent.

Even the word “cannot” would be enough for Shen Lin to guess that she was on the right track.

But Li Yuan said nothing, maintaining that the Mr. Chen was only one of the descendants of two old friends, and instructed Shen Lin to address him as “Young Master Chen.” Therefore, she couldn’t confirm the truth.

As long as she wasn’t certain, this former resident of the South Xun Water Palace was gambling with her life by taking any extra steps.

Shen Lin then changed tactics, tentatively asking, “Shall I go ask Shao Jingzhi?”

Li Yuan chuckled. “As you wish.”

The golden pupils of Shen Lin’s eyes emitted wisps of light as she fixed her gaze on her fellow Water Warden.

Li Yuan remained composed.

One was a Warden of a Great River, the other a Goddess serving in an escape the heat palace.

Their divine ranks were roughly equivalent, like a caretaker tending to incense and a maid managing courtyard chores in a wealthy household.

Neither could control the other, and neither was indispensable.

If Shen Lin really went to ask Shao Jingzhi, at worst, it would be a matter smaller than a sesame seed; at best, if that person found out about Shen Lin’s actions and disliked it, it would be a capital crime to privately investigate his whereabouts. Then, Shen Lin, whose golden body could have lasted for another two or three centuries, wouldn’t have to worry about its decay. He would simply be wiped out with a single slap.

It wasn’t that Li Yuan didn’t want to help Shao Jingzhi weather this calamity, but he didn’t dare.

Wasn’t he himself like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river – barely able to save himself?

Agreeing to let her onto Fushui Isle had already taken all his courage. It was already the best he could do.

Shen Lin bitterly smiled. “They say a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. You and I have been neighbors for so many years…”

Li Yuan’s face darkened, and he frowned. “Shen Lin, Goddess of Escape-the-Heat Water Palace, I advise you to know when to stop!”

Shen Lin was frightened and could only offer her apologies.

Li Yuan stormed off.
Shen Lin, crestfallen, departed from the Cloud Sea and returned to the lake. Employing his water-parting powers, he set off for home.

He arrived at the magnificent Water Palace beneath the lake, a place as grand as an imperial city. He didn’t simply ride the water currents directly to his personal courtyard. Instead, he still had to pass through the main gate, adorned with a plaque that read “Favorable Winds and Timely Rain,” though he could only use the side entrance.

That main gate never opened, even when the Water Dragon Sect Leader came to pay respects, or when the head of the Grand Source Dynasty’s Chongxuan Department, from the Yang clan, or even the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake’s Sword Immortal Li Cai, graced this majestic Water Mansion with their presence, they could only enter through the side door.

After Shen Lin crossed through the side entrance, her figure flashed and vanished, arriving beside the flower garden in her courtyard. It was planted with all sorts of rare and exotic flowers and herbs. Rare birds that had long disappeared from the vast world flitted through the blossoms and chirped on the branches.

A divine maiden appeared and reported, “Your Ladyship, Shao Jingzhi of the Southern Sect has come to visit. Shall I receive him or not?”

Shen Lin hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “Tell him I am in seclusion and unable to receive guests.”

While Shen Lin was refusing Shao Jingzhi…

Li Yuan was enjoying even greater freedom. He used an illusion to change his appearance, transforming into an ordinary-looking, yellow-robed youth. He appeared on the white jade steps and slowly descended the mountain. After passing through the city gates, he went to a restaurant on the bridge to buy wine.

He didn’t go to the fifth floor but simply chose a seat in the bustling hall on the first floor. Because both ceremonies had concluded, it wasn’t as crowded as when Chen Ping’an had been drinking, when every table was full and people had to share seats. Now, there were plenty of empty spaces. Li Yuan could move freely between the Dragon Palace Grotto and the Grand Dudu Bridge, since both were within the jurisdiction of the Ji River. However, after the Water Dragon Sect was established and slightly refined the Ji River Middle Shrine, Li Yuan, besides guarding the grotto, could only venture out while changing his appearance and attire. He rarely even reached the far end of the long bridge.

Serving his duty for hundreds, even thousands of years, was simply his responsibility. But disobeying certain rules, even once, could be an irreparable disaster for a mountain and water deity of his rank.

Shen Lin’s imminent collapse of her golden body gave her a hint of wanting to break the rules and desperately maintain her divine position. Li Yuan truly couldn’t bear to watch.

In truth, after Li Yuan saw that person’s current incarnation, he had completely given up all hope. He no longer harbored any illusions.

Because he was finally certain that Water Official Li Yuan, or the South Wind Water Palace’s Shen Lin, their lives and deaths, the collapse of all the gods’ golden bodies, that person simply didn’t care.

This was also why Li Yuan didn’t offer Shen Lin any more advice. Since that person no longer cared about the fate of the Dragon Palace Grotto and the entire Ji River, would she also not care if Shen Lin secretly crossed the line?

What if Shen Lin, by chance, succeeded in her risky venture? Would that mean that Li Yuan could follow her example, repair his golden body, and extend his life?

Li Yuan didn’t particularly like this terrible feeling.

That’s why he wanted to come to this wine shop, filled with the scent of human life, to drink away his sorrows.

Li Yuan didn’t know what Mr. Chen was worrying about on the Duckweed Island, needing to walk in the rain with an umbrella time and time again. As for him, Li Yuan, he felt that even if the entire Dragon Palace Grotto turned into rainwater that became wine, and he drank it all, it wouldn’t be enough to wash away all his worries.

Besides, no matter what gods drank, whether it was common wine or celestial brew, they couldn’t get drunk.

Li Yuan wanted to force out a single tear to pity himself, but he couldn’t.

So, he started drinking the midnight wine and began slapping the table with both hands, wailing.

Just like a drunken human youth with a low tolerance for alcohol.

Not far away, a customer roared, “Little brat, you’re making a racket! Shut your trap for this old man!”

Li Yuan wiped his face, looking aggrieved, and turned to look. He gently stroked the table with his hands. “I’m in a bad mood right now. What’s wrong with a few howls?”

The burly man sneered, “You’re disturbing my enjoyment of the wine. Do you think you deserve a beating, brat?”

Li Yuan raised his hands and rubbed his cheeks.

He was planning to take this guy to the Ji River, not for wine, but for water, and it would be free.

Just then, an old man and a young female cultivator walked down from upstairs. The latter wore a Water Dragon Sect Ancestral Hall direct disciple jade pendant on her waist.

The old man looked at the burly man and smiled, “Don’t argue, don’t argue. It hurts harmony.”

The burly man roared, “Who do you think you are, old man?!”

The old man chuckled and said, “I’m just here to pay the bill. Today, the old man will pay for all the wine for all the customers on the first floor, as a favor to me, Huan Yun.”

The burly man was immediately speechless. He stood up and clasped his fist, “So it’s True Man Huan, my respects, my respects!”

Huan Yun returned the gesture, walked down the stairs, and paid for the drinks for all the customers, immediately drawing cheers from the crowd.

Li Yuan had glanced at the old man earlier. He was an old Earth Immortal at the Golden Core stage with a loosening bottleneck, accompanied by a young woman who had just reached the Golden Core stage. If he remembered correctly, her name was Bai Bi, and she was favored by the Sect Leader, Sun Jie. This little girl was quite fortunate, and it was no wonder that Sun Jie was doing his best to cultivate her. Sun Jie was determined to give that inch-gold talisman, which even Nascent Soul cultivators coveted, to his direct disciple. Even if he used Bai Bi’s promotion to a Golden Core guest as a righteous cause, it still had a strong suspicion of private gain. In the Ancestral Hall, the North and South sects were very unhappy, especially Shao Jingzhi, who usually didn’t argue with Sun Jie openly, but still made some heavy remarks. At that time, as the true owner of the Water Dragon Sect’s Ancestral Hall, Li Yuan was hiding in a portrait of an ancestor, secretly watching the fun. It was quite exciting.

In fact, Sun Jie was a very good head of the family.

He treated the North and South sects equally.

But precisely because of this, it became a source of another kind of human discontent.

If Sun Jie was willing to be shameless and favor the North Sect disciples, there wouldn’t be so much smog and corruption.

And if he had decided on the successor to the next Water Dragon Sect Leader early on, determined to continue the rule of valuing the North and belittling the South, wouldn’t Shao Jingzhi and the South Sect find it difficult, eventually having to lower their heads and accept their fate?

Being too easygoing and too fair.

That was Sun Jie’s problem in truly convincing the crowd.

Otherwise, among the offerings and guest officials seated in a row with Shao Jingzhi in the Ancestral Hall, two or three of them would have gone to the North Sect by now.

Of course, if Sun Jie could reach the Immortal Realm, all problems would vanish like smoke.

Unfortunately, Sun Jie didn’t have the qualifications and good fortune.

Li Yuan buried his head and drank.
Huan Yun and Bai Bi didn’t bother him incessantly, which was quite considerate.

After leaving the tavern, Bai Bi and Huan Yun walked to one end of the long bridge. Bai Bi said softly with a smile, “Elder Immortal, although I have entered the Golden Core realm, my time is limited and my aptitude is still shallow. I haven’t yet opened up a separate mansion. I hope that the next time Elder Immortal visits our sect, I will have already occupied an island in the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven. I will definitely treat you well then.”

Huan Yun smiled and said, “As long as Fellow Daoist Bai is sure that you can open up a mansion on that Grotto-Heaven island, you can send me a letter in advance, and I will come to offer my congratulations.”

Bai Bi nodded with a smile and gave a Daoist salute to this old Daoist Immortal, “Great kindness is beyond words.”

Huan Yun was a little emotional and returned a salute, “Cultivation is not easy, let us encourage each other.”

Becoming a Golden Core guest marks us as fellow travelers on the path.

As long as Huan Yun is not a Nascent Soul cultivator, then no matter how different their ages are, he is actually a fellow Daoist with this young direct disciple of the Water Dragon Sect.

Bai Bi didn’t try to be overly attentive, but simply watched the Old Immortal walk down the bridge and leave.

However, the gratitude of this young Golden Core Earth Immortal came from the bottom of her heart.

In fact, after returning to the Water Dragon Sect, she regretted not discussing the ending with Huan Yun earlier, even if she had to offer a valuable gift, Bai Bi would not have hesitated at all. This was to prevent the Southern Sect from taking the opportunity to suppress her future in the Water Dragon Sect under the guise of something else, and even implicate her Sect Master Master.

For example, Wu Lingting, who came from the wild cultivator background, was a Water Dragon Sect offering, but in reality, he was also a Northern Sect offering. He almost moved the ancestral hall chair to the opposite side because of this matter.

Her Master was also very annoyed.

Fortunately, a new path opened up.

Bai Bi never expected that Huan Yun would be willing to speak those fair words for her without any transaction between the two parties. He not only offered timely help, clearing her of all suspicion in the sect, but also added to her prestige, making her a cautious and prudent person during her experience in that ruins. Huan Yun said everything that should be said, whether true or false, to the Water Dragon Sect’s ancestral hall’s Master of Discipline, and he didn’t mention a word of what shouldn’t be said.

As a result, Bai Bi was shocked and incredulous when she heard about this from her Master, who was relieved of a great burden.

Sun Jie didn’t say much at the time, only telling his disciple Bai Bi to cherish this hard-won good fortune on the mountain.

After hearing that Huan Yun was a named offering of Cloud City, Sun Jie had to remind Bai Bi, who lacked experience, that if she had the opportunity, she could subtly return to the Lotus Hibiscus Kingdom and “incidentally” go to Cloud City, since the city lord Shen Ze was also a Golden Core Earth Immortal.

Bai Bi remembered everything.

That’s why she enthusiastically invited Huan Yun, who was traveling the mountains and rivers in the Northern Pavilion Kingdom, to visit the Water Dragon Sect as a guest.

When Huan Yun learned that she hadn’t yet opened a mansion on the island, he was even more considerate. The Old Immortal claimed that he had been away for too long and needed to return to the mountain immediately.

Thus, there was the conversation between the two Golden Core Earth Immortals on the bridge.

These are all the ways of dealing with people and the skills of handling affairs that the Master and the Preaching Master cannot teach or will not deliberately teach.

Bai Bi stood alone on the bridge, feeling a lot.

She used to be obsessed with the golden rule of the mountain: If you can’t let go of worldly affairs, you can’t become a mountain person.

Now it seems that cultivating on the mountain, all around, high and low, everywhere on the mountain, aren’t there still so many cultivators? Perhaps the so-called letting go is not the lazy shortcut of completely ignoring and doing whatever one wants.

Li Yuan was lying on the railing of the bridge, more than a hundred miles away from the bridge, but he could clearly see the back of the young Golden Core female cultivator, and felt that her aptitude was actually not bad.

Li Yuan heard someone shouting loudly behind him, “You little brat!”

Li Yuan turned his head, and the man smiled and tossed a wine pot over, “This pot of midnight wine was bought by me out of my own pocket. Don’t howl like a ghost in the tavern in the future, a grown man, don’t you feel ashamed!”

Li Yuan smiled and hugged the wine pot, bowed his head, and said loudly, “Thank you, sir, walk slowly.”

The man was stunned for a moment, cursed a few words with a smile, and left in big strides.

Li Yuan walked and drank wine, feeling much better.

Huan Yun did not take a ferry or fly away on the wind, but walked slowly along the Ji River.

In Cloud City, he once walked the path of conscience with a young man.

The other party said some seemingly empty principles.

He said that some knowledge is like water veins, flowing slowly, helping people to follow the trend and walk steadily.

He also said that some knowledge is like mountain roots, that worldly affairs are impermanent, and that the original heart remains unmoved and stands firm.

Both are good knowledge, but the difficulty in the world is that the two often fight, fighting until their noses are bruised, their heads are bleeding, and even killing themselves.

Huan Yun could listen to it, because in that treasure hunt with twists and turns, this old Immortal had suffered enough from this fight.

Was Huan Yun a good person? Of course he was, not only was he recognized as such by others, but he had always considered himself a good person in his heart.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to Cloud City to help Shen Ze, who was hopeless of forming a Nascent Soul, by cheering and helping him, and finally agreeing to protect Xu Xingjiu and Zhao Qingwan.

Do good people make mistakes? Of course they do. First, with the heavy treasure in front of him, and finally with the reputation he had accumulated in his lifetime, Huan Yun had actually violated his conscience and his heart, and simply wanted to kill and seize the treasure, preserve his reputation, and commit a great mistake.

Many times, it seems that only a breath separates the right and wrong, the good and evil, which are worlds apart.

In the night, the sky is high and the moon is bright.