Originally, Yuan Lai preferred reading to martial practice. It wasn’t that he couldn’t endure hardship or pain, but he lacked his elder sister’s obsession with the martial arts.

Following their master, Lu Baixiang, they once again arrived at this desolate Falling Mountain. He and his sister still hadn’t managed to have their names recorded in the Ancestral Hall’s register, because that young Mountain Master was once again absent from the mountain. Yuan Lai didn’t think much of it, but his sister, Yuan Bao, was quite resentful, feeling that their master was being slighted. Aside from practicing boxing and stances every day and sparring with his sister, Yuan Lai spent all his free time reading. Yuan Bao wasn’t pleased with this and privately lectured Yuan Lai, expounding on the great principle that they, as siblings, should cherish the good fortune of having such a master. Yuan Lai listened, but wanted to voice his own thoughts. However, seeing his sister’s stern face and the wooden spear clutched in her hand, he didn’t dare to open his mouth.

That wooden spear was the only memento left by their father, who had been a bodyguard. In Yuan Bao’s eyes, it was a family heirloom, meant to be passed down to Yuan Lai, but she felt that Yuan Lai was too soft and lacked the martial spirit to wield it.

Yuan Bao, of course, preferred the lively and strictly ordered true martial sect, which had once been the lair of a demonic cult of the Zhu Ying Dynasty. Their master had first gathered a band of border bandits and brigands, and later various hidden experts and eccentrics had arrived one after another. Some old men, full of scholarly air, could leisurely enjoy coarse food and cheap wine. Some young disciples in plain clothes would frown even at rich meat dishes, but would hesitate for a long time before finally taking a bite. Some silent strongmen would shed tears at the sight of a saber.

Yuan Lai liked Falling Mountain.

Because there was a girl named Cen Yuanji on Falling Mountain.

Like his sister Yuan Bao, she practiced diligently, but she was more beautiful and gentler.

He knew that Cen Yuanji would walk the steps of Falling Mountain twice every day, morning and evening, so he would time it perfectly. He would stroll to the mountain shrine atop the peak early, wander around for a while, then sit on the steps and read.

Tonight, under the moonlight, Yuan Lai was again sitting at the top of the steps reading. In about half an hour, Miss Cen would arrive at the peak, having practiced her boxing along the way. She would usually rest for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before descending. Occasionally, Miss Cen would ask him what he was reading, and Yuan Lai would tell her the well-rehearsed lines: the title of the book, where he had bought it, and what it was about. Miss Cen never seemed bored, and when she listened to him, she would gaze at him intently. Yuan Lai dared not look into Miss Cen’s eyes for too long, but he couldn’t help but steal glances.

Miss Cen’s eyes were like the bright moon.

There was only one moon in the world, and everyone could see it, so it was nothing special.

But the moonlight in Miss Cen’s eyes could only be seen by Yuan Lai, if he looked closely.

Tonight, for some reason, Miss Cen was accompanied by her elder sister, practicing the rudimentary stances together and climbing the mountain.

Yuan Lai felt embarrassed, restless, and worried that the straightforward elder sister would scold him for not focusing on his training in front of Miss Cen. Would Miss Cen still be willing to ask him what he was reading after that?

Yuan Bao and Cen Yuanji reached the peak together, stopped their practice, and two girls, each with their own unique beauty, chatted and laughed. But to be honest, Cen Yuanji was still more beautiful.

Yuan Bao had sparred with Cen Yuanji in private, with each winning and losing at times. Since they had both only been practicing for a short time, they had agreed to reach the legendary Golden Body Realm together in the future.

Yuan Lai sat not far away, unable to focus on his book and unwilling to leave. His face flushed slightly as he strained his ears to listen to Miss Cen’s crisp and pleasant voice, which filled him with contentment.

The two young women sat side by side, and Yuan Bao spoke of her master’s profound martial arts, amazing talent, and mastery of the arts, from music to calligraphy.

Cen Yuanji then spoke of Old Man Zhu’s many good qualities, his kindness, amiability, and ability to cook a large table of delicious dishes.

Looking down, Yuan Lai saw three little girls. The tallest, who seemed to be the leader, was a strange girl named Pei Qian, who was very noisy. She never held back when speaking to their master and Senior Zhu Lian and had a very bold personality. Later, Yuan Lai asked his master and learned that Pei Qian was the young Mountain Master’s first disciple and that she and their master had left their hometown together, traveling a long way from Tongye Continent to Falling Mountain in Baoping Continent.

The pink-skirted girl who could always conjure up a handful of melon seeds, Chen Ru Chu, Falling Mountain, as of now, didn’t yet have a proper Ancestral Hall building, but already had its own genealogy record. She was called Chen Ru Chu on the register, but she also said she could be called Nuan Shu, explaining that it was the “Nuan Lu Qian Cui, You Gu Xuan He, Huang Li Pian Pian, Zha Qian Fang Shu” [Warmth secretly urges, secluded valley harmonious, yellow oriole fluttering, newly moves to fragrant trees] – taking the first and last words of the verse to form the name. As for the little girl in black carrying a walking stick, she was simple and honest. The first time they met, she asked him if he had heard of Dumb Lake in Beiju Luzhou and if he knew about the monster that lived there.

Cen Yuanji seemed to be a little afraid of Pei Qian.

Yuan Bao didn’t want to bother with this little faction on Falling Mountain. Chen Ru Chu was alright, a very well-behaved child. But Yuan Bao really didn’t like the other two, feeling like they were children who had had their heads squeezed in a door, always doing strange things. Falling Mountain, including Riding Dragon Lane, didn’t have many people, but there were still three factions. The head housekeeper, Zhu Lian, the Northern Mountain God of Dali, Wei Bo, and the gatekeeper, Zheng Dafeng, were one. After spending time with them, Yuan Bao felt that these three were not simple.

Pei Qian’s group of children could barely be considered a small faction.

Shi Rou, the owner of the New Year’s money shop in Riding Dragon Lane, seemed to be closer to the master and disciples of the Herb Shop.

Chen Lingjun, who liked to wear blue robes, was more of a loner and didn’t belong to any faction.

Yuan Bao had asked Cen Yuanji about the young Mountain Master, but Cen Yuanji couldn’t say much about him, only that he wasn’t a bad person, didn’t act like a Mountain Master, liked to be hands-off, and was away traveling most of the year, leaving Old Man Zhu to handle all the affairs, which was very taxing.

Pei Qian also couldn’t get along with Yuan Bao and Yuan Lai. She took Chen Ru Chu and Zhou Mi Li to play outside the Mountain Shrine. If Yuan Bao and Cen Yuanji weren’t there, Song Yuzhang, the mountain and water colleague sarcastically called “Golden Head Mountain God,” would also appear and listen to Pei Qian tell stories about the mountains and rivers that she had heard from the old cook and Piyun Mountain. Song Yuzhang would also talk about his trivial tasks when he was the supervisor of the dragon kiln before he died. Pei Qian liked to listen to those mundane little things.
Some distance away from Yuan Bao and the others, Zhou Mili suddenly stood on tiptoe and whispered into Pei Qian’s ear, “I think that little girl named Yuan Bao is a bit simple-minded.”

Pei Qian glared at her and said, “As the Right Protector of Luopo Mountain, how can you gossip behind people’s backs?!”

Zhou Mili looked sickly.

Pei Qian chuckled, “Silly or not, do we need you to say it? We just need to know in our hearts.”

Zhou Mili beamed.

Pei Qian reached out and stroked Zhou Mili’s little head, bent down slightly, and said with a kind expression, “You eat so many rice grains every day, bowl after bowl, why don’t you grow taller?”

Zhou Mili stood on her toes and puffed out her chest.

Pei Qian gently pressed Zhou Mili down and comforted her, “Great ambitions aren’t about height.”

Zhou Mili couldn’t stop smiling.

Pei Qian reached out and pressed Zhou Mili’s cheeks, snapping shut the mouth of the Dumb Lake water monster, and reminded her, “Mili, you are now the Right Protector of our Luopo Mountain. Everyone, from Mountain God Song Lao-ye to Zheng Dafeng at the foot of the mountain, and even the two large shops in Dragon Riding Lane, knows your position. Your reputation is great, so the higher your position, the more you need to reflect every day. Don’t get too big for your boots, don’t embarrass my master, understand?”

Chen Ruchu looked towards the gray Misty Mountain to the north, which also belonged to their territory, and was very large. Now, the Turtleback Isle had been leased to Pearl Hairpin Island of the Book Brief Lake.

Chen Ruchu said softly, “It seems that Mr. Zhu will be away for a long time this time.”

Pei Qian nodded and said, “He’s going to many places. I heard that the furthest he’s going is the Old Dragon City at the southernmost part of our Treasure Bottle Continent.”

Pei Qian took out a money pouch from her sleeve. “As I told you before, Aunt Gui, who gave me this money pouch, is an immortal elder from Old Dragon City. Her smile is especially beautiful.”

Zhou Mili asked, “Can I take a look?”

Pei Qian handed it over, “Don’t rummage through it. It’s filled with treasures of inestimable value.”

Zhou Mili took the money pouch, “It’s really heavy.”

Pei Qian twitched her lips and snorted, “This is what you call assets!”

Pei Qian jumped onto the mountain peak railing and imitated her master, slowly throwing punches, like flowing clouds and flowing water.

Each sudden stop and shake of the sleeves was like muffled thunder.

With a slight stomp of her feet, the entire railing instantly shook off the dust.

Unfortunately, the three people on the stone steps had already gone down the mountain.

The group took the Ox Horn Mountain Immortal Ferry, just leaving the old Great Li territory and heading to the central region of the Treasure Bottle Continent.

Now, the entire Treasure Bottle Continent actually belonged to the Song family.

Liu Chongrun applied a female mask given by Zhu Lian, of average appearance, and sat in front of the dressing table in the room, gently stroking her temples, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

But thinking of the treasure hunt this time, she was still uneasy. After all, finding the Water Palace and Dragon Boat would be easy for her, as the former regent princess of the fallen kingdom. However, how to bring them back to Dragon Spring County was a huge problem. But since Zhu Lian said that he had his own clever plans, Liu Chongrun would take it one step at a time, believing that the accountant from Azure Gorge Island, who was willing to entrust Luopo Mountain’s power to this person, wouldn’t be someone who was all talk and no action.

In Lu Baixiang’s room, Zhu Lian sat cross-legged with a pot of wine, a porcelain cup, and a dish of soybeans on the table, slowly sipping and drinking.

Lu Baixiang sat opposite him, not intending to drink.

Cui Dongshan’s reply mentioned Wei Xian, saying that this fellow had started as a military cultivator, worked under a practical military general named Cao Jun, and accumulated a lot of military merit. He had already received a martial title from the Great Li court, and after transferring to a scholarly official position, he would have a path forward.

The four people from the Lotus Root Blessing Land painting now each had their own paths under their feet.

Wei Xian joined the army, Sui Youbian cultivated in the Jade Gui Sect of Tongye Continent and became a Daoist, Lu Baixiang founded his own sect in the martial world, and only Zhu Lian remained on Luopo Mountain.

Lu Baixiang had previously received a secret letter from Zhu Lian and immediately prepared three mountain treasures and a box of immortal coins, all of which were the life-saving money of several groups of Zhu Ying Dynasty refugees. However, after Chen Pingan sent a letter back to Luopo Mountain from Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven, Zhu Lian not only didn’t accept Lu Baixiang’s hard-earned savings, but instead gave Lu Baixiang ten Grain Rain Coins. But at the same time, he instructed Lu Baixiang that it was okay to gather troops for the sect he founded, but it was best not to get involved in the restoration efforts of those old loyalists. What the Great Li Iron Cavalry would do next would definitely be aimed at these remnants trying to make a comeback. Chen Pingan only made a suggestion in the letter, without necessarily telling Lu Baixiang what to do.

Lu Baixiang was present when discussing the treasure hunt with Liu Chongrun, but Zhu Lian was the one who was strategizing.

Zhu Lian achieved three things with one move.

He helped Luopo Mountain determine whether Liu Chongrun and Pearl Hairpin Island were worth becoming long-term allies.

Pearl Hairpin Island owed Luopo Mountain a considerable debt of gratitude.

Liu Chongrun owed Chen Pingan, the young Mountain Master, a share of the profits.

Of course, Luopo Mountain and Chen Pingan and Zhu Lian wouldn’t covet these favors. If Liu Chongrun and Pearl Hairpin Island showed any signs in business in the future, Luopo Mountain would have its own way to return the favor elsewhere.

Liu Chongrun probably wasn’t clear yet that whether Pearl Hairpin Island’s direct disciples could stay on Turtleback Isle to cultivate earlier was up to her decision.

If she had been blinded by profit and insisted on taking the risk after learning that the treasure hunt was full of hidden dangers, then the situation wouldn’t be what it was now.

Lu Baixiang asked with a smile, “If Liu Chongrun had made the wrong choice, wouldn’t your Zhu Lian be adding feet to a snake? Wouldn’t you be asking for trouble? If you had determined that Liu Chongrun wasn’t a suitable ally, would you still take the Water Palace Dragon Boat, which should have been in Luopo Mountain’s grasp? If you didn’t take it, wouldn’t that be the same as losing five shares of the profits for nothing? If you took it, then Luopo Mountain’s relationship with Liu Chongrun and Pearl Hairpin Island would be even deeper, creating endless trouble for Luopo Mountain.”

Zhu Lian picked up a few golden-yellow dried fried soybeans, threw them into his mouth, and chewed them crisply, smiling, “What if? Isn’t there no what if now?”

Lu Baixiang shook his head, obviously not approving of Zhu Lian’s actions.

If he were to preside over this matter, the situation would have been set in stone after Cui Dongshan’s letter was sent to Luopo Mountain. He would definitely transport either the Water Palace or the Dragon Boat cleanly to Luopo Mountain. As for the rest, the rights and wrongs of Liu Chongrun and the Pearl Hairpin Island cultivators in the years to come were actually minor matters. Because Lu Baixiang firmly believed that Luopo Mountain’s development would be so fast that it would soon make all the Pearl Hairpin Island cultivators look up to it, not daring to make mistakes. Even if the Pearl Hairpin Island cultivators made what they considered a huge mistake, it would only be a small mistake that he, Lu Baixiang, could easily smooth over on Luopo Mountain’s side.
Zhu Lian took a sip of wine, making a slurping sound, his face filled with delight. He picked up a roasted soybean, squinting his eyes as he chuckled, “Just focus on being your Demon Sect Leader, don’t worry about me and these insignificant soybeans.”

Lu Baixiang smiled and asked, “Pei Qian takes the initiative to practice boxing at the bamboo hut, why not just tell Chen Ping’an directly? If you think it’s a big deal, then why let Senior Cui torment Pei Qian’s true nature like that? Aren’t you afraid of things going too far, and Pei Qian’s path of martial arts ending in a dead end early on?”

Zhu Lian put down his wine cup, which was halfway to his mouth, and said solemnly, “When Cui Cheng throws a punch, is it just to temper a martial artist’s physique? What’s the point if the fist doesn’t land on Pei Qian’s heart?”

Zhu Lian sneered, “A martial arts prodigy like Pei girl, who can’t teach her? Who can’t teach her well? I, Zhu Lian, can. You, Lu Baixiang, can. I reckon even Cen Yuanji could teach her. Anyway, as long as Pei Qian wants to practice boxing, she’ll learn quickly, so quickly that even her master wouldn’t believe it. But if you’re talking about who can teach her to be the best in the world, you and I can’t do it, not even the Young Master!”

Zhu Lian gently raised his arm and made a fist. “This punch, it has to strike the girl’s physique and heartstrings, leaving only a sliver of life to cling to. Everything else must die, forcing her to accept her fate and surrender. But with that last breath, she must still be able to stand up. She must lose, and still take another punch. That’s the principle of winning against myself. Pei Qian doesn’t even understand it. It’s something the Young Master taught her outside of books, with his every word and deed, something that has taken root in her heart, blossomed, and borne fruit. And it just so happens that Cui Cheng understands it and can do it. Can you, Lu Baixiang, do it? To put it bluntly, Pei Qian doesn’t think you, Lu Baixiang, are qualified to impart boxing techniques to her. Pei girl would just pretend to be stupid, smiling and asking, ‘Who are you? What’s your cultivation level? An Eleventh Realm martial artist? If you are, why aren’t you opening the heavens with a punch? Why are you messing around with me, Pei Qian?'”

Speaking to the end, Zhu Lian laughed to himself and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Lu Baixiang smiled and nodded.

That was an extremely clever and insightful little girl.

Zhu Lian laughed again, “Do you think she knows what Cui Cheng’s cultivation level is? Pei girl knows nothing of it. She only knows one thing, and that is that her master’s boxing, is what that old man named Cui Cheng, created with each and every single punch. So the only two people in the world who are qualified to teach her boxing, apart from the heavens, the earth, and the master being the greatest, only that old man on the second floor has a little bit of qualification. Anyone else, no matter what your cultivation level is, it won’t work for Pei girl.”

Zhu Lian extended a finger and casually drew a circle on the table, “Within this circle, Pei Qian speaks and acts without restraint.”

Lu Baixiang asked, “If one day Pei Qian’s martial arts realm surpasses her master’s, what then? Will she still be able to control her heart?”

Zhu Lian scoffed, “My Young Master thought of this situation hundreds of years ago. Does he need an outsider like you, Lu Baixiang, to worry about it? Do you think it’s like you teaching those siblings boxing? So carefree and effortless? Throwing out a few stances and moves, letting them practice as they please, and feeding them a few punches when you’re in a good mood? Lu Baixiang, it’s not that I look down on you, but if this continues, even if Yuanbao and Yuanlai are lucky enough to practice boxing to perfection in the future, you, their master, should burn incense and pray to the heavens.”

Lu Baixiang didn’t mind.

Zhu Lian shook his head, “Pitiful for those two children, having a master who has never regarded martial arts as his only lifelong pursuit. The master himself is not pure at all, how can the disciples achieve pure boxing intent?”

Lu Baixiang smiled and asked, “If there ever comes a day when those siblings need to seek life from death, would you be willing to lend a hand and help?”

Zhu Lian chuckled, “How Yuanbao will turn out in the future is hard to say for now, but if Yuanlai wants to break through a major bottleneck, I really do have a wonderful plan.”

Lu Baixiang said, “Those three mountain treasures, I’m giving them to you in my personal capacity. As for how you, Zhu Lian, deal with them, whether you use them to supplement the household expenses of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, or collect them yourself, I don’t care.”

Zhu Lian took a sip of wine, “Is it settled?”

Lu Baixiang nodded.

Only then did Zhu Lian give his answer, “In the future, in front of Yuanlai, let Pei girl beat Cen Yuanji half to death with a punch, and wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

Lu Baixiang laughed heartily.

Zhu Lian pushed the plate with the few remaining dry-fried soybeans towards Lu Baixiang, “I feel uneasy always earning money from my own people. Fortunately, Sect Leader Lu is generous, giving me the opportunity to rob Peter to pay Paul. I’ll take out one of them and give it to Chen Lingjun. Over the past year, he’s been losing snowflake money today and Minor Heat money tomorrow, he’s almost gambled away everything he has.”

Lu Baixiang thought of that blue-clad page who was always arrogant, and laughed, “Stubbornly clinging to face, suffering for it.”

But Zhu Lian said, “It’s a good thing to have a little face.”

Lu Baixiang looked at this guy with a playful look in his eyes.

Zhu Lian said with a straight face, “It’s the Great Mountain God Wei’s shamelessness, what does it have to do with me?”

Lu Baixiang smiled and reached out to pick up a dry-fried soybean.

Zhu Lian suddenly changed his tune, “It’s not righteous to say it that way. If we really argue about it, it’s still Brother Dafeng who has a thick skin. Brother Wei and I, we’re ultimately thin-skinned, and we’re ashamed every day.”

A white-robed deity with golden earrings, a charming smile, stood behind Zhu Lian, reaching out and pressing down on Zhu Lian’s shoulder. The other hand gently probed the table, and there was a landscape painting the size of a calligraphy scroll. On it, there was a hunched man sitting on a small stool at the mountain gate, basking in the sun and picking at his toes, giving Zhu Lian the middle finger. Zhu Lian cried out in dismay, leaning forward and lying on the table, quickly raised his wine pot, and said with a flattering smile, “Brother Dafeng is here too? Not seeing you for a day is like three autumns. This little brother misses you so much. Come, come, let’s take this opportunity to have a good drink together.”

Zheng Dafeng continued to raise his middle finger, as if saying “Get lost.”

Zhu Lian turned a blind eye, turned a deaf ear, and turned to complain to Wei Bo, “Why don’t you use your divine power to send a pot of wine to Brother Dafeng?”

Wei Bo waved his sleeve, and a pot of wine fell from Fallen Phoenix Mountain onto Zheng Dafeng’s head, which Zheng Dafeng caught with one hand.

Zhu Lian held the painting in one hand and the wine pot in the other, got up and left, drinking wine as he walked, reminiscing with Zheng Dafeng. The two brothers, separated by thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, took a sip of wine each.

Lu Baixiang smiled and gestured for this mountain god to take a seat.

Wei Bo didn’t leave, but he didn’t sit down either. He reached out and held the chair handle, and said with a smile, “A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. I’m going to visit the new Mountain Lord of Central Mountain. It’s on the way with you.”

Lu Baixiang asked in puzzlement, “Isn’t this against the rules of the mountains and rivers?”

The Five Sacred Mountains Lords, righteous gods of the secular dynasties, generally would not easily meet.
Wei Bo chuckled, “The Mid-Earth Mountain God’s territory shares a border with my North Mountain, so etiquette dictates I attend at least one of the three nocturnal banquets. Since he’s occupied with affairs, I shall pay him a visit. Also, Wu Yuan, the former magistrate of Dragon Spring County, is now a prefect near the foot of the Mid-Earth Mountain. I can catch up with him. Then there’s the Moist School’s Mr. Xu, who resides near the Mid-Earth Mountain God. Mr. Xu is an old acquaintance, and he sent a gift to Cloud Canopy Mountain through someone after the first banquet. I should express my gratitude in person.”

Lu Baixiang nodded, finding the explanation plausible.

The Great Li iron cavalry had swept southward, obliterating countless vassal kingdoms and destroying thousands of illicit shrines, along with their golden idols.

And Wei Bo of the North Mountain was currently the only orthodox mountain deity to receive over a hundred gold-infused copper coins from the Great Li Ministry of Revenue.

The other four newly appointed mountain gods of Treasure Bottle Continent had yet to receive such an honor.

In his residence, Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng were drinking. Although the ferry was still within the North Mountain’s domain, the landscape painting Wei Bo had crafted couldn’t be maintained for long.

Zhu Lian asked, “Is something the matter?”

Zheng Dafeng nodded and said, “Old Master Cui suddenly wants to take Pei Qian on a trip to Lotus Root Blessed Land. I didn’t refuse outright, but I didn’t agree immediately either. I could only say that Wei Bo wasn’t at Cloud Canopy Mountain and that the Parasol Leaf Umbrella was needed to enter.”

Zhu Lian pondered for a moment, then said gravely, “Delay your agreement as long as possible. It must wait until Young Master returns to Fallen Phoenix Mountain. If she goes this time, the Old Master’s spirit will completely collapse.”

Zheng Dafeng scratched his head and sighed, “Does Chen Ping’an really need to see him one last time? I think it’ll only add to the sorrow. Old Master Cui opened his mouth at this time for his own reasons.”

Zhu Lian said helplessly, “Let them meet.”

Zheng Dafeng asked, “What about Pei Qian?”

Zhu Lian shook his head. “Don’t mention a word.”

Zheng Dafeng sat on a small stool, gazing at the mountain gate in the distance, with its blossoming spring and warm sunlight, and drinking his wine, finding it rather enjoyable.

What’s the most captivating sight on the mountain? Apricot blossoms blooming one after another in the second month.

Limping his way to the peak, he gazed at the small town to the east and the county city to the north, sparsely illuminated by the third watch lamps under the moonlight.

Zheng Dafeng enjoyed these plain days, passing by one by one.

And he looked forward to Fallen Phoenix Mountain welcoming more people in the future.

If there were more charming girls, that would be even better.

Zhu Lian smiled, “Keep a close eye on the mountain.”

Zheng Dafeng raised his wine pot, pointed towards the mountain gate, and said, “Isn’t that what I’m doing? If even a single female fly sneaks onto the mountain, consider Zheng Dafeng derelict in his duties!”

Lion Peak, inside the immortal cave.

Chen Ping’an lay on a small boat, his body covered in blood and barely clinging to life. Li Er pushed the punt back to the dock and said, “Your punches are fast enough, but your power is still lacking. You seem too eager to end things with a single blow. A martial artist’s fight sounds straightforward, but it’s not that simple. Don’t always think that a few punches will determine life and death. Once you’re locked in a stalemate, you’ll be on a downward spiral. That won’t do.”

Chen Ping’an nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

In reality, after the first spar, Li Er had noticed the flaws in Chen Ping’an’s martial intent. The second time, he let Chen Ping’an throw a hundred punches without retaliating. Then, he only threw one punch, not too hard, with only one requirement: Chen Ping’an had to endure it without falling. Furthermore, Chen Ping’an’s pure true energy couldn’t decline, and his martial intent couldn’t diminish too much during the next hundred punches. If Chen Ping’an couldn’t muster his energy and strike swiftly at the weaknesses Li Er deliberately exposed, Li Er wouldn’t be so polite. That punch, landing on his body, would make even a Traveler Realm martial artist feel like they were experiencing a fate worse than death.

Today was the third spar, and Li Er had changed his approach again. Each of them threw punches, Chen Ping’an with all his might, while Li Er only threw half a punch. When he stopped, he asked Chen Ping’an how many times he had died.

After Chen Ping’an gave an accurate answer, Li Er nodded and said he was correct. He then rewarded him with a tenth-realm punch, sending Chen Ping’an flying from one end of the mirrored space to the other, saying that in a life-or-death battle, focusing on unnecessary things instead of throwing caution to the wind, was basically seeking death. Fortunately, this punch was the same as the last, only landing on Chen Ping’an’s shoulder. Soaking in a medicinal bath, where bones regrew flesh, was nothing compared to mending shattered bones, which barely counted as pain. During this process, a pure martial artist had to guard his mind and deliberately amplify his senses to deeply experience the growth of his muscles and bones, which was considered a small step towards mastery.

A crude thatched hut had been built at the dock, and Chen Ping’an was currently healing there.

Li Er felt that he was being restrained in his sparring, not pushing Chen Ping’an so hard that he needed several days to recover. Every day, even after Chen Ping’an had finished healing, he would still retain some residual pain. The second spar added injury upon injury, requiring Chen Ping’an to maintain his original peak martial intent with a gradually deteriorating martial body.

Li Er didn’t say what would happen if he failed.

In any case, Chen Ping’an succeeded.

There weren’t so many complicated matters in the world.

As for whether this kind of sparring would work for others, Li Er never thought about such questions.

Firstly, he was too lazy to teach, and secondly, the same punch might not affect Chen Ping’an much, allowing him to continue sparring, while it would kill an ordinary person. What was the point of teaching then?

Li Er didn’t say whether Chen Ping’an was doing well or not.

Ultimately, how many punches he could take was Chen Ping’an’s own business.

Li Er punted the boat to the dock, where Chen Ping’an had already struggled to his feet.

Li Er said that the sparring was paused for now, as haste makes waste. There was no need to seek quantity or weight. They would continue in a few days.

Besides, he had to go down the mountain to check on the shop.

Chen Ping’an asked if he could stay at the foot of the mountain for a day or two after his recovery.

Li Er laughed and said, “Of course, consider it your home.”

Li Er descended the mountain first.

Chen Ping’an squatted by the dock, enduring the pain that was not only in his body but also in his agitated soul. He gently slapped the bow of the boat, causing it to suddenly sink into the water and then rapidly resurface. With this single back-and-forth motion, the bloodstains inside the boat were completely washed away.

Only then did he go to the thatched hut, where he still had to fetch water and boil it. Every step was an ordeal.

The next morning, Chen Ping’an changed into clean clothes and also descended Lion Peak.
The cloth shop had just opened its doors. Chen Ping’an had eaten breakfast and was helping Auntie Liu attract customers.

The woman was truly amazed, having learned quite a few business tricks from a junior.

Some of the neighbors who had previously argued with the woman and given her black looks now greeted her with smiles on the road.

The woman was both pleased and worried.

Such a fine young man, why couldn’t he be her son-in-law?

So, when Li Liu arrived late, she saw the young man busily selling cloth to customers.

Li Liu was taken aback for a moment.

As she stepped over the threshold, her mother secretly pinched her slender waist with two fingers, not daring to use much force. After all, she was her daughter, not her husband. The woman grumbled, “You useless thing.”

Li Liu smiled, gentle and meek. At home, she was always the obedient older sister to Li Huai.

With Chen Ping’an’s help attracting customers and Li Liu minding the shop, the woman felt relieved and went to the kitchen in the backyard to cook. Li Er sat on a small stool, blowing on the fire with a bamboo tube.

While there were no customers in the shop for the moment, Chen Ping’an walked to the counter and said softly to Li Liu, who was standing behind it, using an abacus, “It seems like Auntie Liu misunderstood. I’m sorry. But Uncle Li has already explained things.”

Li Liu looked up and smiled, “It’s alright.”

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, lowered his voice, and asked with a smile, “Can I ask you something?”

Li Liu gently tapped the abacus, calculating the shop’s income and expenses these past few days, based on her mother’s seemingly indecipherable account book. She looked up and smiled, “I don’t like either Lin Shouyi or Dong Shuijing.”

Chen Ping’an was a little surprised, assuming Li Liu would like at least one of them.

But there was really no reasoning when it came to who one liked and didn’t like.

Li Liu asked with a smile, “The reason you didn’t stay on Lion Peak, is it because this anonymous market town feels more like your childhood home? And you feel that your current hometown is actually quite unfamiliar?”

Chen Ping’an leaned against the counter, looking out at the street, and nodded.

Li Liu said nothing more.

After a moment of silence, Li Liu closed the account book and smiled, “We made three more taels of silver.”

Chen Ping’an still leaned against the counter, his hands in his sleeves, and smiled, “I have more talent for business than I do for pottery.”

Li Liu asked, “Have you heard about the changes in the Qingliang Sect?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I saw it in the gazette on the ferry to Lion Peak.”

After dinner.

Chen Ping’an took his leave to go up the mountain, choosing not to stay overnight in Li Huai’s room.

The woman sighed softly and turned to see Li Liu standing still, poking her daughter’s forehead with her finger, “What are you spacing out for? See him off.”

Li Liu looked at Li Er.

Li Er remained unmoved.

The woman lamented, muttering that forced melons are not sweet.

Li Liu smiled sweetly, and Li Er grinned broadly.

The woman glared at Li Liu, “Li Huai takes after me, you take after your father.”

Chen Ping’an reached the peak of Lion Peak, passed through the mountain and water barrier, arrived at the thatched cottage, closed his eyes and rested for a moment, then got up and went to the ferry crossing. He rowed alone on the lake’s mirrored surface, took off his boots and left them on the boat, rolled up his sleeves and trousers, and began to practice the boxing techniques of Zhang Shanfeng.