As twilight descended, Li Liu brought a food basket to the mountain. Near the thatched hut, Li Er and Chen Pingan were eating at the table.

Today, during their boxing practice, Li Er surprisingly refrained from “feeding” punches. Instead, he unfurled a fire dragon diagram filled with meridians and acupoints on the ground. He meticulously explained the different circulation routes of pure true qi in several ancient boxing styles of the world, their nuances and subtleties. He particularly elaborated on the distinct divisions of the 520 muscles in the human body, dissecting boxing principles and intents from specific details. He also discussed methods of tempering bones and refining true qi in different boxing sects, as well as the secret techniques for physical, skeletal, and meridian training. He even explained why some grandmasters, when practicing boxing to an advanced stage, would suddenly suffer a qi deviation and fall into demonic influence.

It was the first time Chen Pingan had heard that ancient martial artists classified muscles into voluntary and involuntary categories. The muscle training methods, seemingly relegated to the “barbaric lands,” were actually profound. Ordinary martial artists found it difficult to fully temper these muscles using the inherited boxing stances and exercises, resulting in variations in the foundations of martial artists at the same level.

Cui Cheng’s boxing instruction was open and sweeping, like a waterfall cascading down. A slight misstep or incorrect response would leave Chen Pingan in agony. This style primarily cultivated an instinct, forcing Chen Pingan to grit his teeth and endure with unwavering willpower, maximizing the “opening of the mountain” of his physique. Moreover, Cui Cheng had twice helped Chen Pingan to refine his body by striking him, especially the first time in the bamboo building, targeting not only his physical body but also his very soul.

It was as if Cui Cheng delivered ten pounds of boxing intent, and Chen Pingan had to consume every ounce of it. Cui Cheng dragged Chen Pingan up the towering path of martial arts, the senior paying no heed to the “child” in his grasp, regardless of whether his feet blistered, flesh turned to pulp, and bones were exposed.

On the other hand, Li Er’s teaching also focused on physical training, but it balanced it with the fundamental principles of boxing, expecting Chen Pingan to ponder on his own. Li Er was merely pointing out the path.

Neither method was superior; the difference lay in the order of instruction. As Li Er said, had he and Cui Cheng swapped their roles in teaching boxing, Chen Pingan would not have achieved his current martial arts progress.

At the dinner table, Chen Pingan continued to inquire about a certain true qi circulation path in the fire dragon diagram.

Li Liu quietly sat aside, not interrupting their conversation.

Unbeknownst to Chen Pingan, the wooden tables, long benches, and bamboo chairs inside the house were now complete.

Chen Pingan curiously asked, “Uncle Li, have you always been this meticulous in your boxing practice?”

Li Er chuckled, “I couldn’t afford to be rough. My master kept a close eye on my progress. Master didn’t care about the trivialities of the martial path. When the time was right, Master expected a certain amount of boxing intent. If Master felt I was being lazy or slacking off, I’d have to suffer. I was fortunate enough to just diligently practice according to the rules. Zheng Dafeng was more miserable back then. I remember that even when Zheng Dafeng left the Lilac Grotto-heaven, a piece of his soul was still detained by Master. I don’t know if Master returned it to him later. Although we are fellow disciples, some questions are best left unasked.”

Chen Pingan was increasingly puzzled.

How could one practice boxing with an incomplete soul?

Li Er took a sip of wine and said, “It won’t hurt to tell you this. Zheng Dafeng’s boxing method lay in the distinction of his soul. Each wisp of his soul practiced on its own. His three souls and seven spirits needed to practice within his ten thoughts. That’s why my junior brother often seemed drowsy and sleepy when guarding the gate; he wasn’t truly sleeping, just diligently practicing. As for my junior sister Su Dian, it was different again. She emphasized practicing day and night, and even in her dreams. My junior brother Shi Lingshan went to the River of Time to temper his soul and body, and often drowned in it. Fortunately, Master could retrieve the ‘corpse’. These methods are all good, but ultimately, who can reach the highest point depends on their own fate. According to Master, many have accidentally ruined themselves while practicing these paths.”

Li Liu smiled and said, “Chen Pingan, my mother asked me to ask you if you think the shop is too shabby, that’s why you’re reluctant to stay overnight there every time you come down the mountain.”

Chen Pingan replied helplessly, “If I stay overnight there, rumors are bound to spread, ruining your reputation in the town. Even if Miss Li doesn’t care, Aunt Liu still has to interact with the neighbors. If there’s a disagreement, and others bring this up, Aunt Liu would be upset for half a day. Even after you get married, it will still be used as leverage. The better Miss Li’s marriage, the more the women will dig up old gossip.”

Li Liu chuckled, “That’s the principle, but you should tell my mother yourself.”

As for the matter of marriage, Li Liu had never considered it.

Chen Pingan glanced at Li Er, knowing that there was one last boxing lesson to come.

Li Er told him to rest well first, saying there was no hurry, but Chen Pingan felt a sense of foreboding.

Li Er asked, “Some past martial artists in the history of the Magnificent World had fundamental boxing stances similar to your School Great Dragon. Where did you steal it from?”

Chen Pingan took a sip of wine and smiled, “Uncle Li, couldn’t it be that I comprehended the boxing stance myself?”

Li Er chuckled.

His gaze was like that of an experienced old father-in-law looking at his son-in-law, leaving the latter nowhere to hide.

Chen Pingan didn’t continue to hide and said, “This boxing stance was created by an old gentleman in the Lotus Flower Paradise of the Tongye Continent. His name is Zhong Qiu, and he is the state preceptor of the Southern Garden Kingdom. In that world, the old gentleman is revered in the martial world as the Sage of Literature and the Grandmaster of Martial Arts. I once wanted to invite the old gentleman to leave the Lotus Flower Paradise together, but the old gentleman had many concerns at the time and was unwilling to leave. I don’t know if he will change his mind in the future.”

Li Er said, “He should come to the Magnificent World.”

Li Liu thought for a moment, recalling the Qi of a certain place near the capital of the Southern Garden Kingdom. “The current Lotus Flower Paradise cannot contain this person. A dragon coiled in a pond is not a long-term plan.”

Chen Pingan nodded and said, “I will talk to Mr. Zhong again when I return to the Fallen Mountain.”

Li Er finished his meal and went down the mountain.

Li Liu stayed on Lion Peak to “study immortal techniques with the old immortals on the mountain.”

Li Liu carried the food basket to her residence, taking a stroll with Chen Pingan.

This time, Lion Peak was inexplicably closed off, not only preventing people from entering and exiting the mountain gate, but also confining the cultivators on the mountain, forbidding anyone from moving about freely.

Therefore, the two did not encounter any Lion Peak cultivators on their walk.
Li Liu inquired, “Leaving the Dragon Palace Grotto-heaven and the Fushui Isle, the spiritual energy atop the Lion Peak is considerably thinner. Will you be unaccustomed to it?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Not at all. The spiritual energy accumulated on Fushui Isle, within the Water Mansion, Mountain Shrine, and Wooden Dwelling, is still far from being fully refined. It’s the first time since I began cultivating that I’ve felt so full. On Fushui Isle, relying on the fleeting, uncontainable spiritual energy, I painted nearly two hundred talismans. Due to my proximity to the water, most were Great River Overflow talismans. The Immortal vermillion from the Spring Dew Nursery was all used up in one go.”

Li Liu said, “These are trifles. There’s no need to be overly grateful to Fushui Isle and Li Yuan. In truth, if Li Yuan were clever enough, he should have gifted that ‘Azure Rain Aspect’ jade token to Mister Chen. Sadly, that fellow is too petty, like the heavens showering sweet rain, only knowing to cup water with his hands, failing to bring out a water vat. After the downpour, he only quenches his thirst for a moment.”

Chen Ping’an retrieved the “Rest” wooden token, “Li Yuan, for some reason, departed the Water Dragon Sect along the Ji River and gifted me this. The gift is small, but the sentiment is profound, no worse than that ‘Rain Aspect’ token.”

Li Liu glanced at the crude wooden token and shook her head, “This tangerine wood token won’t assist Mister Chen in cultivation, especially in matters of efficiently absorbing water-attribute spiritual energy.”

Chen Ping’an put away the wooden token, and chuckled, “But in the future, when I return to the Northern Entire Reed Continent and the Ji River, I can openly seek out Li Yuan for drinks, purely for drinks. If it were that ‘Rain Aspect’ token, I wouldn’t accept it. Even if I reluctantly did, I would feel burdened.”

Li Liu was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Mister Chen is nearly at the point of breaking through.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “It seems to be just a punch away.”

Li Liu suddenly said, “It’s still the same sentiment. On the path of cultivation, never hesitate. Unlike the steady, step-by-step progress of martial arts, cultivators require a different mindset. Great opportunities should be sought and seized without fear, never shrinking back in timidity or overly dwelling on the admonition that blessings and misfortunes are intertwined. Mister Chen might feel that waiting until the five elements are complete, assembling five natal treasures, and thoroughly rebuilding the Bridge of Longevity, even if still stuck at the Third Realm, is acceptable. But in fact, a cultivator with such a mindset has fallen to a lower path.”

Chen Ping’an contemplated slowly.

Li Liu continued, “Since you’ve become a cultivator, you should possess a transcendent heart that soars ten thousand miles. Martial arts is climbing upwards in accordance with the flow, cultivation is advancing against the current. Therefore, once you ascend to the Golden Body Realm as a martial artist, Mister Chen should ponder the method of breaking through the bottleneck of the Third Realm for Qi Refiners. The Third Realm, the Willow Sinew Realm, has always been a realm that holds people back. Surely, Mister Chen isn’t hoping for a single leap to heaven?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a smile, “I wouldn’t dare think that, nor would I.”

Li Liu said, “Before I returned to Lion Peak, a martial artist in the Golden Armor Continent ascended to the Golden Body Realm with the strongest Sixth Realm foundation in the world. Therefore, not only should martial temples across the Golden Armor Continent sense this and offer congratulations, but the other eight continents should also allocate a portion of martial fortune to the Golden Armor Continent, dividing it in two, one for the martial artist and one remaining on the martial artist’s continent. According to tradition, martial fortune for martial artists is similar to spiritual energy for cultivators, not the profound and mysterious Qi Luck. The Central Earth Continent is the most vast and abundant, one continent equivalent to eight, so Central Earth martial artists often receive the most martial fortune from other continents. However, once a martial artist breaks through on another continent, the martial fortune sent out by the Central Earth Continent will be even greater; otherwise, the strongest martial artists in the world would all be monopolized by the Central Earth Continent.”

This was a novel matter Chen Ping’an had never heard of.

Li Liu joked, “If that Golden Armor Continent martial artist had broken through a bit later, a good thing would have turned bad, missing out on the martial fortune. It seems this person not only possesses abundant martial fortune, but his luck is truly excellent.”

Chen Ping’an understood Li Liu’s implied meaning. After Uncle Li fed him punches on Lion Peak, Chen Ping’an began to catch up with and surpass that genius martial artist’s Sixth Realm foundation.

Of course, he was happy, but true elation and joy were out of the question.

Chen Ping’an curiously asked, “Can the cultivators at the mountain peaks see these trajectories of martial fortune circulating between the Nine Continents?”

“The movements of martial fortune in the world have always been something the Confucian Temples of Literature cannot fathom or control. In the early years, the Confucian Sage did consider intervening, planning to incorporate it into their own rules, but the Sage of Rituals did not agree, and it ended there. It’s very interesting; the Sage of Rituals was clearly the one who established the rules, but seems to always oppose later generations of Confucianism, rejecting many choices that would benefit the development of Confucian culture.”

Li Liu spoke eloquently, revealing many secrets of heaven, “Unless it’s a peak Ascension Realm cultivator who can barely discern the secrets of heaven, it’s difficult to perceive the signs. Also, the Seventy-Two Sages and Worthies of Confucianism seated in the heavenly canopy see it most clearly. A pure martial artist’s so-called strongest is merely a current matter, compared to martial artists of the same realm in the Nine Continents of the same era. Therefore, martial artists like Cao Ci and Mister Chen, if you linger in a certain realm for too long, all other martial artists of the same realm will have no hope of obtaining that martial fortune.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “Compared to Cao Ci, I am still far behind.”

Li Liu smiled, “If that’s the case, then we can only look further ahead, until the Ninth and Tenth Realms are reached. The difference between the Ninth and Tenth Realms is a genuine gulf, let alone the Tenth Realm, which is not a true end. The disparity between the three sub-realms within it is also vast. Song Changjing of the Great Li Dynasty, up to the Ninth Realm, was inferior to my father in every realm, but now it’s hard to say. Song Changjing has strong innate Qi. If both are at the peak of Qi in the Tenth Realm, my father’s temperament would be a hindrance. Fighting him would be disadvantageous. That’s why my father left his hometown and came to the Northern Entire Reed Continent. Now, Song Changjing remains at Qi Abundant, while my father has achieved Fist Method Returning to Truth. If they were to truly fight, Song Changjing would still die. But if both reached ‘Spirit Arrival’, closest to the word ‘End’, my father would be more likely to lose. Of course, if my father could be the first to ascend to the legendary Eleventh Realm of martial arts, Song Changjing wouldn’t survive his attacks. If he were to reach it first, my father would suffer the same fate.”

Chen Ping’an softly asked, “Is it possible that if Uncle Li had stayed in Treasure Bottle Continent, neither of them would have had a chance?”

Li Liu nodded, “Although nothing is absolute, that’s likely the case.”

Li Liu smiled and asked in return, “Mister Chen, aren’t you curious whether these truths were spoken by my father or are insights I already knew?”
Chen Ping’an shook his head, “No need to know these things. I believe both Miss Li and Uncle Li can handle their family affairs and external matters well.”

Li Liu said inexplicably, “If Mr. Chen feels that being a punching bag isn’t enough, and desires a more exhilarating and challenging sparring session, I happen to have a suitable candidate who can be summoned at any time. However, once this person makes a move, they prefer a fight to the death.”

Without hesitation, Chen Ping’an replied, “That’s more than enough. Let’s wait until the next time I travel to the Northern俱蘆洲.”

Chen Ping’an estimated that he might not be able to withstand Li Er’s next round of boxing.

Moreover, once he reached the seventh realm of martial arts and the dredging of the Great River was completed, he should immediately return south to the Azure Bottle Continent. Fallen Mountain still had a pile of matters awaiting his attention. Following that, he would naturally head south to Old Dragon City again, board the intercontinental ferry, and rush to Upside-Down Mountain.

Li Liu said, “Actually, Mr. Chen knows that person. He was at Treasure Mirror Mountain in Ghost Domain Valley back then.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly understood.

It was that unfathomable eccentric who gave Chen Ping’an an immense sense of danger.

Even Yang Ningxing of the Heaven’s Chosen Cultivating Administration didn’t evoke such a feeling, or rather, not as intensely.

Li Liu asked, “Has Mr. Chen ever considered a question? When facing you, especially when the difference in cultivation isn’t too vast, what are your opponents feeling?”

Chen Ping’an was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head. “Never thought about it.”

In recent years, he had encountered too many battles and too many mortal enemies on his travels.

Then, Chen Ping’an’s first thought was of Ma Kuxuan from Apricot Blossom Lane, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. This cultivation prodigy, who had emerged out of nowhere in the Azure Bottle Continent and become a direct disciple of the Military Strategist Ancestral Court of True Martial Mountain, was making rapid progress in his cultivation. After their duel on the streets of Colorful Clothes Country, they never had the chance to meet again. He had heard that Ma Kuxuan was doing very well, hailed by the mountain cultivators of the Azure Bottle Continent as the publicly recognized number one talent since Li Tuanjing and Wei Jin. Recent news in the reports was that he had personally killed an old general of the Sea Tide Iron Cavalry, completely avenging his family.

Li Liu smiled slightly. “If it were me, and my cultivation was not too different from Mr. Chen’s, I would never make a move.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “Miss Li is too kind.”

Li Liu said, “Being too humble is also not good.”

Chen Ping’an said, “It just shows that my skills in feigning weakness are not good enough.”

Li Liu couldn’t help but laugh. “Mr. Chen, please leave a way out for your opponents.”

Chen Ping’an also laughed. “I really can’t agree to that, Miss Li.”

Unknowingly, he had walked with Li Liu to the peak of Lion Peak. The hour wasn’t too early, but it wasn’t yet bedtime. He could see many lights from the town at the foot of the mountain, with a few continuous bright lights like slender fire dragons, particularly eye-catching. It should be the streets and lanes where wealthy families were clustered. Elsewhere in the town, the lights were sparse, in twos and threes.

Li Liu asked, “Mr. Chen has traveled so far, does he know the true origin of grotto heavens, blessed lands, and the various mountain and water mystic realms?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “A friend once mentioned it, saying that not only the nine continents of the Great Domain, but also the other three domains, were all shattered landscapes after the collapse of the old world. Some mystic realms were even the heads and corpses of many ancient gods, as well as those… fallen stars on the earth, once the palaces and residences of deities.”

Li Liu said, “Your friend is really bold.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “He’s actually quite daring. Covered in magical treasures, he dares to travel across continents alone. But he’s also timid, a cultivator who doesn’t dare to fly far, afraid of being too high off the ground.”

Li Liu asked, “A good friend?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Consider him one.”

The mountain peak was filled with a fresh breeze, carrying the fragrance of the mountains and fields during the Grain Rain season.

Li Liu was silent for a moment, then casually asked, “Has Mr. Chen been reading recently?”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Yes, a…”

Chen Ping’an paused slightly, and said with emotion, “It’s a strange book, a collection of short stories about various life and death situations, obtained from a great demon who likes to refine famous mountains.”

Li Liu lost much interest. She had seen too much of life and death and it could definitely not benefit her current path.

For her, this life was like the old scholar Yang asking her to do her homework, not on morality or the sage’s writings, or even achieving the Ascension Realm, but on how to be a person.

This was actually a very awkward matter.

Li Liu felt that she was only comfortable when she closed the door and interacted with her parents and younger brother Li Huai. When she went out, her view of the world was no different from her previous lives.

Chen Ping’an looked at the lights below the mountain and softly said, “I once saw in a scholar’s notes that ordinary people spend half their short lives on the bed. It seems that cultivators are no different, cultivating as if sleeping for most of their lives. But upon careful reflection, they are ultimately different. Standing in different places, looking at the same thing, can be two different things in people’s hearts.”

“I once read two scholars’ notes, both of which talked about ghosts and worldly affairs. One was written by a scholar who had held a high position and retired to his hometown, and the other by a frustrated scholar who failed in the imperial examinations and never entered officialdom. At first, I didn’t feel much about these two notes, but later, during my travels, when I was free, I flipped through them again and tasted some aftertaste.”

“Standing high and seeing far, one sees humanity more comprehensively. Standing close and seeing closely, one’s analysis of people’s hearts is more penetrating.”

At this point, Chen Ping’an sighed, “That’s probably the good thing about traveling ten thousand miles and reading ten thousand books.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly laughed, “That friend who doesn’t dare to fly, his knowledge is so vast that I feel ashamed of myself. Once, I casually asked him a question: if there were two small grasses at the beginning and the end of my hometown’s alley, close to each other by the roots of the walls, but their prosperity and decay were never seen by each other, would they be sad if they had consciousness? He seriously considered this question and gave me many absurd and mysterious answers, but I kept holding back my laughter. Miss Li, do you know what I was laughing at then?”

Li Liu smiled knowingly. “In that Mud Jar Lane, chickens and dogs come and go, especially hens often lead a group of chicks, pecking east and pecking west every day. Where would there be flowers and grasses?”

Chen Ping’an smiled so hard that he couldn’t close his mouth, nodding vigorously.

Li Liu suddenly restrained her smile and bowed. “Thank you for your teachings, Mr. Chen.”
Chen Ping’an stood there, dumbfounded, not understanding what Li Liu was doing. *I’m just casually chatting and relaxing with Miss Li, could that really lead to some kind of enlightenment?*

The only thought Chen Ping’an had at that moment was that he was indeed not a natural Dao cultivator, his aptitude was mediocre. Therefore, after practicing his boxing on Lion Peak this time, he had to cultivate even more diligently.

After Li Liu got up, she bid farewell and actually flew to the shop at the foot of the mountain with her food box.

Chen Ping’an was completely bewildered. He returned to that immortal dwelling, punted his raft towards the mirror, and continued to learn Zhang Shanfeng’s boxing, not seeking any increase in boxing intent, but only a truly peaceful heart.

In the night, the woman was behind the counter in the cloth shop, using an abacus, flipping through the account books, calculating again and again, sighing. It had been more than half a month, and there wasn’t much income, not even three taels of silver in profit.

Compared to when Chen Ping’an helped in the shop, earning three taels of silver in a day or two, it was truly a sad comparison. Fortunately, it was a small town with not much expense.

The woman looked at the lamp on the counter, lost in thought, then turned to look at the silly-looking man standing not far away, and scolded, “Li Er, what are you standing there for? Can you be used as an oil lamp?”

Li Er shook his head.

*Understood.*

He’d been buying wine a bit too often lately, but it wasn’t all his fault, Chen Ping’an had drunk his fair share too.

The woman seemed to see through Li Er’s little thoughts and said angrily, “It’s one thing to be distressed about spending money, it’s another thing to treat Chen Ping’an well. Li Er, don’t drag Chen Ping’an into this. If you have the ability to spit out the wine you drank and sell it back to me, I won’t blame you! All you do is wander around aimlessly, working odd jobs. How many taels of silver can you earn in a year?! Is it enough for your wine and meat?”

Li Er said sullenly, “Chen Ping’an is leaving soon, I’ll quit drinking for half a year, okay?”

Unexpectedly, upon hearing that Chen Ping’an was leaving, the woman became even angrier, “My daughter can’t get married because she’s burdened by a father like you. If you had the ability to become an official, do you think the matchmakers who come to our shop would wear down our threshold?!”

Li Er didn’t say anything.

The woman lamented, “If Li Huai gets married in the future and the girl looks down on our family background, I’ll make you sleep on the floor in the courtyard in the dead of winter!”

Li Er scratched his head.

The woman was about to extinguish the oil lamp when she suddenly heard the door open. She immediately trotted around the counter, hid beside Li Er, and said in a trembling voice, “Li Liu went up the mountain, could it be robbers? If they’re here for money, Li Er, don’t mess around. Just give the robbers the loose silver in the shop.”

Li Er hummed in agreement.

Fortunately, the person who opened the door was her daughter, Li Liu.

The woman immediately stepped on Li Er’s foot, “Goodness, if a skinny, monkey-like robber really came, I probably couldn’t rely on you, Li Er! It’s hard to say who would protect whom then…”

The woman nagged at the man.

She extinguished the oil lamp, and the family of three went to the backyard. The woman was too tired to scold anymore, so she went to sleep first.

Li Er and Li Liu sat on a long bench. Li Liu conjured a pot of Immortal Brewed Wine, but Li Er shook his head.

If he were truly a glutton for alcohol, there wasn’t anything Li Er wouldn’t drink.

But this time Li Liu insisted, “Father, make an exception.”

Li Er was a little surprised, but he accepted the pot of wine, but did not break the clay seal. He chuckled softly, “Let’s save it and drink it with Li Huai later. He’s about the age where he can drink too. We’ll say it was bestowed by the old immortal master of Lion Peak.”

Li Liu smiled without saying anything.

Li Er said, “Your mother has thought about going back to Treasure Bottle Continent many times. After all, there are relatives there, and the neighbors are all familiar faces from generations ago. It’s not like here, where we’re outsiders after all. That’s why I agreed when your mother said it. But later, your mother changed her mind herself. She said that Li Huai is at least studying at the academy, so even if he gets bullied, it won’t be too bad. You’re different, you’re a daughter after all. She can’t bear to leave you here alone, and she doesn’t want you to leave the mountain and cut off that immortal fate that she doesn’t even dare to dream of.”

Li Liu nodded, stretched out her legs, crossed them lightly, intertwined her fingers, and asked softly, “Father, have you ever thought that one day I will restore my true form, and then my divinity will far outweigh my humanity. All the things of this life will be as small as mustard seeds. Maybe I won’t forget you, Mother, and Li Huai, but I certainly won’t care about you as much as I do now. What will you do then? I might not even feel a bit of sadness at that moment, what about you?”

Li Er smiled, “Of course I’ve thought about it, your father isn’t a real fool. What will I do? There’s nothing to do. Just think of it as my daughter being particularly successful, like… um, like peasant parents who toil in the fields their whole lives, suddenly one day discover that their son has passed the imperial examination with flying colors, and their daughter has become a consort in the imperial palace. But isn’t the son still their son, and the daughter still their daughter? They might have less and less to talk about. The parents guard their old home in the countryside, while the official son has to worry about the country and the people far away. The daughter who has become a consort rarely comes home to visit, but the parents’ concern and thoughts are still there. As long as the children are doing well, as long as the parents know they are doing well, that’s enough.”

Li Liu lowered her head, “Is it really that simple?”

Li Er hummed in agreement, “It’s not that complicated, and you don’t need to think about it as complicated as that. I didn’t tell you these things before because I thought it wouldn’t hurt for you to think more, even if it’s just wild thoughts.”

Li Er hesitated for a moment, “But I still hope that if that day really comes, even if you’re being stubborn and putting on an act, you should still be good to your mother. No matter who you think you really are, to your mother, you’ll always be her own daughter whom she carried for ten months and raised with great difficulty. If you can promise me this, your father will have no more requests.”

Li Liu said softly, “Okay.”

Li Er sighed, “It’s a pity that Chen Ping’an doesn’t like you, and you don’t like Chen Ping’an either.”

Li Liu complained, “Father!”

Li Er grinned, “Father was just saying, why are you getting angry?”

Li Liu’s beautiful eyes smiled into a pair of crescents.

Li Er said, “Do you know why Chen Ping’an doesn’t live here, and what reason is he unable to say?”

Li Liu asked in confusion, “What is he worried about? Is he afraid of causing us trouble?”
Li Er shook his head, “Our family is reunited, yet there is an outsider. Chen Ping’an can endure any hardship, except this.”

That day, Li Liu returned home.

Chen Ping’an smiled and took his leave.

The young man in a green robe, alone in a foreign land, walked down the street, turning his head to gaze at a shop for a long while, unable to withdraw his gaze.

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