Chen Ping’an quietly left the pavilion, descended from the Dragon Slaying Platform, and approached the old woman.

The old woman smiled faintly, “Greetings, Young Master Chen. This old one is named Bai Lian-shuang. Young Master Chen can call me Granny Bai, like the young lady.”

Chen Ping’an addressed her as Granny Bai, offering no further words.

Granny Bai took the first step, moving soundlessly. Her aura was as contained as a stagnant ancient pool. Chen Ping’an followed in her footsteps.

After a moment of silence, and a hundred paces traveled, Granny Bai smiled and said, “It seems Young Master Chen’s travels across the Vast World these years were not easy.”

Although her cultivation was merely at the Mountain Peak Realm, her insight was that of a Martial Artist at the Apex. No matter how hard a junior Pure Martial Artist tried to conceal it, in her eyes, it was like a child carrying a heavy load across a river. How much strength they possessed was clear as day. However, this young man’s sixth realm as a Martial Artist seemed quite authentic. This implied that the young man didn’t just decide to suppress his cultivation temporarily after arriving at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, but had made it a long-standing habit, achieving such perfection.

Chen Ping’an nodded, “It wasn’t particularly smooth, but I made it through.”

Granny Bai stopped and asked with a smile, “Among your enemies, what was the highest realm of the Qi Refiners, and what was the realm of the Pure Martial Artists?”

Chen Ping’an answered truthfully, “The cultivator was at the Ascension Realm. The Martial Artist, the Tenth Realm. However, the former was a mortal enemy, and of course, I didn’t handle it on my own. The outcome was quite a mess. The latter was a senior who intentionally guided my fist techniques, suppressing me at the Ninth Realm, and I threw three punches.”

Even Granny Bai, who was born and raised in a place like the Great Wall of Sword Qi, couldn’t help but be astonished. She said bluntly, “Young Master Chen, you didn’t die?”

Granny Bai chuckled to herself, “How rude of me, I hope Young Master Chen can forgive my impudence.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I had good luck.”

Granny Bai shook her head, “That’s the wrong way to put it. At the Great Wall of Sword Qi, we fear the notion of ‘good luck’ the most. Those who seem lucky often die young. Luck shouldn’t be too good. You have to accumulate it little by little to truly live a long life.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be more careful with my words in the future.”

Granny Bai waved her hand, “Young Master Chen doesn’t need to be so reserved. Being too easy to talk to here isn’t a good thing.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I’m only easy to talk to here. Once I leave, I might not speak at all.”

Granny Bai chuckled, “That’s music to my ears. But there’s a small problem right now. This old, dim-sighted woman has only ever moved between the Yao and Ning households. I haven’t been to many other places, not even once to the Hanging Mountain. I’ve rarely been on the city walls or further south. Now that Young Master Chen has entered the mansion, many people are watching us from outside. This old woman speaks plainly. It’s not that I look down on Young Master Chen, quite the contrary. To have such accomplishments in martial arts at such a young age is remarkable. Both I and that old fellow Nalan are very pleased. I’m a bit hard-hearted, but that seemingly half-dead old man actually secretly went to burn incense earlier, and probably shed a lot of tears. Such a grown man, and so shameless.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Granny Bai, just throw your punches. If I can’t take them, I’ll honestly stay inside the mansion.”

Granny Bai advanced in a straight line, without any aura fluctuating, and delivered a punch. Chen Ping’an used his left elbow to press down on that punch, while simultaneously delivering his right fist towards Granny Bai’s face. However, he abruptly retracted his fist, stopping the punch.

Granny Bai had no intention of retracting her punch, even though Chen Ping’an’s elbow was pressing on her fist. Her punch landed squarely on Chen Ping’an’s body.

Chen Ping’an slid back several dozen feet along the corridor, using the essence of the Apex Stance as support, his seemingly collapsing ape-like form suddenly extended its martial intent, his spine like a great dragon rising. In an instant, he stopped his momentum, standing firmly. If this hadn’t been a light-hearted sparring session, and if Granny Bai hadn’t only delivered a Distant Travels Realm punch, Chen Ping’an could have actually surged forward, or even endured the punch without budging.

Granny Bai smiled and nodded, “Consider that my greeting gift from Young Master Chen. Then this old woman won’t delay Young Master Chen from enjoying the moon.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in farewell.

Granny Bai’s punch was truly at the peak of the Distant Travels Realm. When Chen Ping’an retracted his punch, she also withdrew some of her martial intent, no longer at the peak. However, even a Common Gold Body Realm cultivator probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy the moon tonight after enduring a Distant Travels Realm punch.

The old steward came to Granny Bai’s side and said hoarsely, “Why scold me?”

Granny Bai smiled, “What, do you think you lost face in front of our future son-in-law? You, Nalan Ye-xing, don’t have any face left to lose.”

The old steward sighed.

Chen Ping’an returned to the pavilion. Ning Yao had already sat up.

Chen Ping’an said, “Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?”

Ning Yao coldly sneered, “Wouldn’t dare to.”

Chen Ping’an said aggrievedly, “I swear on my conscience, I’m not that kind of person.”

Chen Ping’an either had a blind spot or was feigning ignorance when it came to who Pei Qian learned the most from.

Ning Yao ignored him, picking up the book with one hand, separating the pages with two fingers. First, the female cultivator Huang Ting from the Lotus Root Blessing Land, then turning a page, the painted lady Sui You-bian, and a few pages later, Yao Jin-zhi of the Great Spring Dynasty.

Chen Ping’an sat opposite her, craning his neck to watch Ning Yao turn page after page. He was the one who wrote the book. He knew roughly what scenery and experiences were described on each page. He immediately felt uneasy. ‘Miss Ning, you can’t read the book like that. So much of it contains lengthy, strange, and magnificent scenery, which I meticulously recorded with great care. How can you skip over them, focusing only on some trivial details, picking out phrases and destroying the meaning?’

Ning Yao glanced at Chen Ping’an, “I’ve heard that scholars writing essays pay the most attention to leaving room for imagination. The more concise and essential the sentences, the more skill they demonstrate, the more thoughts they conceal, and the more profound their meaning.”

Chen Ping’an said solemnly, “Never heard of it, don’t know. Anyway, I’m not that kind of roundabout scholar. If there’s one thing, I say one thing. If there are two things, I write two things. If there are three things I’m thinking about, I write three things. It’s all clearly and plainly written in the book.”

Ning Yao continued to flip through the book, asking, “Are there any women who didn’t appear in the book?”

Chen Ping’an said decisively, “No!”

Ning Yao raised her head and asked with a smile, “Then do you think I’m settling accounts after the fact, being unreasonable, and paranoid?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a smile.

Ning Yao nodded.

She finally closed the book, concluding, “Gu Qing, the fairy from the Treasured Isle Paradise who was dealt with at the Water God Temple in the Northern Entire Reed Continent, was handled very cleanly. Continue your efforts in the future.”
Chen Ping’an said, “Such opportunities will no longer exist.”

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow. “Chen Ping’an, you’ve become quite the talker. Who did you learn that from?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t hesitate. “If I truly picked up any bad habits, it would definitely be Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng from Luopo Mountain.”

Ning Yao nodded. “Zhu Lian is hard to say, since I haven’t met him, but that Zheng Dafeng certainly doesn’t seem like a proper person.”

However, Ning Yao added, “But Zheng Dafeng’s performance in the Battle of Old Dragon City was impressive. He may not seem proper, but he’s actually the most upright. It’s a pity Zheng Dafeng’s path as a martial artist was severed. Don’t neglect him for guarding the entrance to Luopo Mountain. As for some men, they look proper on the surface, but their minds are full of devious thoughts and flirtatious intentions.”

Chen Ping’an looked at Ning Yao, and Ning Yao looked at him.

Chen Ping’an asked softly, “You’re not talking about me, are you?”

Ning Yao asked, “What do you think?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Then of course not.”

Ning Yao smiled.

Chen Ping’an felt utterly wronged.

*A righteous man traversing the world, untouched by even a hint of rouge.*

Ning Yao had no intention of returning the book. She put it away in her personal storage treasure, stood up, and said, “I’ll take you to your residence. The estate is large. It’s just been me, Grandma Bai, and Grandpa Nalan all these years. You can pick any courtyard you like.”

Chen Ping’an stood up as well. “Where do you live?”

Ning Yao stopped, turned to look at Chen Ping’an, smiled, and clenched her fist. “Say it louder, I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I wanted to pick a residence closer to yours.”

Ning Yao was a little shy and glared at him. “You better behave yourself here. Grandma Bai was my mother’s personal maid. If you dare to get handsy or break the rules, you’ll get a bellyful of punches from a Summit Realm martial artist.”

But as she said this, Ning Yao remembered the records in the book and realized that Grandma Bai’s fists might not scare him. So she changed her approach. “Grandpa Nalan was once one of the Sword Qi Great Wall’s most skilled sword immortals in stealth and assassination. Although he was severely injured and half of his nascent soul was destroyed, causing his soul to decay, his combat strength is still equivalent to a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator. If he’s watching you in the dark, Grandpa Nalan can be considered an Immortal Realm sword cultivator.”

Chen Ping’an felt much relieved and asked, “Did Grandpa Nalan’s realm fall in order to protect you as well?”

Chen Ping’an would never ask someone else so directly, but Ning Yao was different.

In the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, Ning Yao’s style of handling matters had taught Chen Ping’an a great deal.

Ning Yao nodded, her expression normal. “Like Grandma Bai, it was all for me. Grandma Bai stopped an unidentified assassin within the city, and Grandpa Nalan blocked a great demon hiding in the shadows on the battlefield south of the city walls. If it weren’t for Grandpa Nalan, I and Diezhang and the others would have died.”

Ning Yao paused for a moment. “Don’t feel too much guilt. Don’t even think about it too much. The only useful thing to do is to break through realms and kill enemies. Grandma Bai and Grandpa Nalan are already considered fortunate. If they hadn’t been able to protect me, can you imagine how regretful the two elders would be? Things have to be thought of in a positive light. But how you think, or whether you think, isn’t the most important thing. At the Sword Qi Great Wall, without breaking through realms, without killing demons, without daring to die, you’re just a useless decoration with a high realm and a natal flying sword. At the Sword Qi Great Wall, everyone’s life can be calculated for value. That is, their realm at the time of death, how many demons they personally killed during their lifetime, and the number of powerful demons lured into ambushes by the sword masters. Then, subtracting one’s own realm and the escorting sword masters who died along the way, it’s clear at a glance whether it was a profit or a loss.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Every young genius of the Sword Qi Great Wall is a bait thrown out in a grand and honorable manner.”

Ning Yao nodded and said in a deep voice, “That’s right! Me, Diezhang, Yan Zhuo, Chen Sanqiu, Dong Huafu, the already deceased Xiao Guoguo, and of course, all the other peers, we all know this very well, but that doesn’t stop us from fighting with all our might. Each of us secretly keeps a ledger. Assuming similar realms, whoever is the most steadfast depends on who earns money the earliest. The heads of demons are the only money in the eyes of the sword cultivators of the Great Azure World!”

Ning Yao pointed in a direction. “Yan the Fatty’s family has a lot of immortal money from the Great Azure World, right? A lot. But when Yan the Fatty was little, he was one of the most bullied children. Because everyone looked down on him. The worst time was when he put on a brand new magical robe, wanting to show off, but he was cornered in an alley by a group of peers. When he went home, the wailing Fatty was covered in the stench of urine. Later, Yan Zhuo followed us, and things got better. Yan the Fatty also lived up to expectations. Except for the first time he went to the battlefield, we disliked him, but after that, he was the one who disliked others.”

Chen Ping’an looked around and sighed softly, “It’s a good place where even life and death are not lonely.”

Ning Yao asked, “Have you finally chosen a residence or not?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Not yet. I’ll be staying here for quite some time, so I can’t be careless. Take me for another walk.”

Ning Yao complained, “You’re the most troublesome.”

Although she complained, the heroic girl didn’t quicken her pace.

Chen Ping’an was thinking about some things.

Some major events that were actually closely related to the two of them.

He also asked about the recent situation of the Sword Qi Great Wall in recent years.

Suddenly, Chen Ping’an’s instep was kicked by Ning Yao.

Chen Ping’an came back to his senses and said the address of a residence. Ning Yao told him to go there himself, and she left alone.

Chen Ping’an arrived at the residence he had chosen, not far from Ning Yao’s residence, but not adjacent to it either.

The elusive old woman Bai Lianshuang helped open the door and gave Chen Ping’an a large bunch of keys, saying the names of some rooms and residences. It was obvious that Chen Ping’an could open these doors at will.

After handing over the keys, the old woman joked, “The young lady’s residence key, really can’t be given to Young Master Chen.”

Chen Ping’an’s scalp tingled, and he quickly said, “No need, no need.”

Entering a secluded residence with two courtyards, Chen Ping’an chose a wing room, took off the Sword Immortal sword from his back, and took out the golden liquor magical robe, placing them together on the table.

Chen Ping’an sat at the table, reaching out to caress the robe.

If the Sword Immortal sword became a magic weapon inexplicably, then Chen Ping’an knew best how the golden liquor robe regained its magic weapon rank. Each debt was clear and distinct.
The answer is simple: it was all painstakingly cultivated with one golden essence coin at a time. The golden robe, Jinli, was once the “dragon robe” worn by the vicious蛟 Dragon of 蛟 Dragon Gully. Even earlier, it was a relic left behind by a Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain after a failed attempt at seclusion in overseas immortal mountains. When it fell into Chen Ping’an’s hands, it was merely a magical treasure. After accompanying him on a journey of ten thousand miles and devouring countless golden essence coins, it gradually became a semi-immortal weapon. Before this trip to the Inverted Mountain, it was still a semi-immortal weapon, stagnating for many years. Then, Chen Ping’an secretly struck a deal with Wei Bo using the last fragment of the glazed golden body. The Lord of the Northern Mountain, Wei Bo, who had just obtained one hundred golden essence coins from the Great Li Dynasty, and our desolate Mountain Lord of Luopo Mountain, each relied on their own abilities and insight to engage in a “high-stakes gamble.”

Chen Ping’an used that fragment of the glazed golden body as collateral to upgrade the magical robe, Jinli, to an immortal weapon. Glazed golden body fragments, which only have the chance to appear after the fall of a Ascending Realm cultivator, held far greater value to Wei Bo than golden essence coins. Wei Bo gambled that he could help the ancient magical robe, Jinli, advance in rank and take it one step further to eventually become a legendary immortal weapon, without emptying his coffers of one hundred golden essence coins.

In the end, Chen Ping’an did not ask how many golden essence coins Wei Bo spent, and Wei Bo did not say.

As the first mountain spirit of the Upper Five Realms in the history of Treasure Bottle Continent, it was only right and proper for Wei Bo to receive this congratulatory gift from the Great Li Emperor.

Rumor has it that Jin Qing, the Lord of the Central Mountain, who left his jurisdiction to pay respects to the emperor, also received fifty golden essence coins.

Then, the other new Three Mountains of Great Li should also have received at least fifty coins.

It is difficult to say whether Wei Bo will have any further gains. After all, the number of obscene shrines banned by the Great Li Iron Cavalry and the golden bodies of shattered gods is limited. It is impossible to drain the pond to catch the fish and kill the various gods in large numbers just to strengthen the golden bodies of the Five Mountains, which would only invite unnecessary resentment from heaven and anger from the people. Especially with the changing situation now, the large and small remnants of fallen kingdoms all over Treasure Bottle Continent, joined by those mountain cultivators whose sects were destroyed and who became wild cultivators, are kicking up dust. Although they are not yet a serious threat, and are not enough to make the Great Li Iron Cavalry, who have turned their horses around, exhausted, it is destined to involve the mountain and water spirits of various countries. Some of the great and small heroes remember the kindness of their country and are willing to use a golden body to confront the hooves of the Great Li Iron Cavalry, while others may just be caught in the crossfire. However, Great Li will definitely focus on appeasement for all the remaining gods that have already been combed through.

Chen Ping’an looked solemn.

There was something that needed to be discussed in secret with the Eldest Sword Immortal, Chen Qingdu.

Back in the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Eldest Sword Immortal personally struck and killed the traitors of the Upper Five Realms within the city. The subsequent situation almost deteriorated, and heroes gathered. The heads of several great clans showed up. At that time, Chen Ping’an was on the city wall, watching from afar, pretending to be a junior admiring the demeanor of the sword immortals, opening his eyes and gaining knowledge. But in fact, he had long noticed the undercurrents surging within the Sword Qi Great Wall, the gaps between sword immortals, and between clans.

However, Chen Ping’an had to patiently endure and find a reasonable opportunity to meet the Eldest Sword Immortal on the city wall.

A piece of news he had heard from Ning Yao might corroborate Chen Ping’an’s thoughts. Among the generation of chosen ones around Ning Yao’s age, very few died on the battlefield in two extremely brutal wars. And Ning Yao’s generation of young people is recognized as a generation of geniuses, with as many as thirty children hailed as having the aptitude of sword immortals. Without exception, led by Ning Yao, they have all served in the battlefield and have safely advanced to Middle Five Realm sword cultivators, which is unprecedented in the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years.

Therefore, the Sword Qi Great Wall may have noticed a clue, so they are beginning to prepare.

Chen Ping’an was both worried and relieved.

His heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

It was as if even if Chen Ping’an traveled far and wide to the Inverted Mountain and saw that condemned sword immortal sleeping with his sword in his arms, he would still quietly stand aside, waiting for the man to be willing to speak.

In his youth, his likes and dislikes were written on his face, spoken with his mouth, telling the world what he was thinking.

After growing up, it was difficult to be so free and unrestrained.

Chen Ping’an stood up, came to the courtyard, practiced his boxing and stances, to calm his mind.

For the moment, it was unrelated to those troubling major events. With his earth-shattering strength, Chen Ping’an was, as always, calm, steady, and able to endure.

It was just that he missed Miss Ning a little.

On the densely packed pages written in neat small calligraphy, there was a sentence hidden, like a shy child hiding at the corner of the street, only daring to poke out his head, secretly watching Ning Yao, who was flipping through the book and encountered that child, making her never tire of reading it.

The book said, or rather, Chen Ping’an said.

He wasn’t drinking at the time, but when he saw Miss Ning’s profile, her eyelashes trembling slightly, it seemed as if the Sword Qi Great Wall, which had stood firm for ten thousand years, was shaking.