Ning Yao saw Chen Pingan returning from the city walls and said nothing. The old woman had been heartbroken again, seizing Nalan Yexing and berating him as an “old dog” repeatedly.

Nalan Yexing didn’t argue back; he accepted his fate.

It was rare to see a sword immortal so wronged.

The old woman went off to drink her sorrows alone.

Chen Pingan was familiar with the process of applying medicine and recuperating from injuries. Bai Momo had long given him the key to the treasure vault in the Ning Mansion.

On the way there, Chen Pingan told Ning Yao and Bai Momo about the assassination attempt on Guo Zhujiu, explaining the cause and effect.

The old woman muttered, “Those insidious bastards, they only like to bully children. They deserve a miserable death.”

Ning Yao wasn’t too concerned. Since the young girl was unharmed, Ning Yao didn’t want to dwell on the rest. Besides, Chen Pingan liked to think about things; the capable should do more.

With Ning Yao accompanying her future son-in-law, Bai Lianshuang didn’t interfere. She looked for an opportunity to scold Old Dog Nalan again, as she hadn’t fully vented her anger earlier when the young lady and her son-in-law were present.

Chen Pingan was well-acquainted with the place. His arms were a bloody mess, with the white bones of his hands mostly exposed, yet he remained oblivious. He selected three porcelain bottles, intending to apply various salves to himself, each with a different color and sequence. While bandaging his wounds, he even had the mind to joke, “According to our Dragon Kiln’s terminology for firing porcelain, this is called ‘three-color glaze overglaze.’ It’s not a particularly precious glaze color; few emperors of the Great Li dynasty truly used it for their personal use. Most often, it was used to bestow rewards upon meritorious officials. Before the late Emperor of the Great Li, the old emperor favored a combination of underglaze blue-and-white with ‘doucai’ enamels, plus gold accents. That was truly beautiful, with complex processes and extremely difficult to produce. It was just a bit gaudy. We never had the chance to see a complete piece, but I saw broken fragments at Old Porcelain Mountain once. It was indeed very flashy, with craftsmanship so intricate that only Old Yao, in his youth, could achieve it at several Dragon Kiln sites.”

Initially, Chen Pingan was afraid that Ning Yao would find these trivial matters annoying, but he never expected Ning Yao to listen so attentively. So, Chen Pingan shared more anecdotes from his life at the Dragon Kiln.

“When I was an apprentice, Liu Xianyang often dragged me to Old Porcelain Mountain. Once there, he acted like he was at home, picking and choosing, as if he knew everything like the back of his hand. He knew what kind of vessel each old and new porcelain from past dynasties used to be and what marks it should have, almost as if he had fired it himself. Before we were cultivators, firing porcelain really required talent. Once you become a cultivator and look at human arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, they naturally taste different. At a glance, there are too many flaws, countless loopholes, and they can’t withstand close scrutiny. How fitting: ‘Having become a mountain dweller, I am the first to awaken from the great dream, only to realize it was ordinary.'”

“Song Jixin’s father was much more fond of the plain and elegant. Our kiln specialized in firing large imperial wares for the court. In private, we apprentices had our own nicknames for many of the characteristics of those imperial heavyweights, calling them ‘loach back,’ ‘lamp wick root,’ and ‘kitten’s whiskers.’ At the time, we wondered if the wealthiest emperor in the world knew these terms. I heard that the current young emperor’s preferences have shifted back to the flamboyant, but he’s still much more restrained than his grandfather.”

Ning Yao smiled and said, “How can you remember so many things? I can’t remember anything.”

Chen Pingan said, “Are you trying to scold me in a roundabout way?”

Ning Yao was bewildered. “What did I scold you for?”

Chen Pingan said, “Aren’t you complaining that I’m not focused on cultivation and breaking through too slowly?”

Ning Yao bent her finger and flicked it lightly at Chen Pingan’s arm. “You asked for it.”

Chen Pingan folded his hands in his sleeves and quickly turned to dodge. “Ordinary women would have been weeping like rain upon seeing such a gruesome sight. Yet you’re making it worse.”

Ning Yao stopped in her tracks. “Oh? I’m making you feel wronged?”

Chen Pingan looked composed, stood with his feet together, hopped forward, shaking his head and swaying his body, and said to himself, “How could the Ning Yao I love be an ordinary woman?”

Ning Yao kicked Chen Pingan forward.

Chen Pingan was kicked in the backside and tumbled forward, landing on his head, inverting his body, and then gracefully standing up. He turned his head with a smile and said, “Do you want to learn my ‘Heaven and Earth Stance’?”

Ning Yao continued forward slowly, not bothering to acknowledge him.

Chen Pingan stood in place, waiting for Ning Yao to walk beside him, before continuing his stroll, softly asking, “Those geniuses before your generation, that small group of innate sword embryos roughly between fifty and one hundred years old, are they very strong? I only saw one of them at Diezhang Wine Shop, Wang Zongping, a sword cultivator stuck at the Nascent Soul bottleneck. I haven’t seen the rest.”

Ning Yao didn’t rush to answer the question. Instead, she asked, “Our generation of sword cultivators is producing geniuses in unprecedented numbers, a great vintage not seen in a thousand years. You’ve heard this before. About thirty-some people. After two great battles, do you know how many are left?”

Chen Pingan said, “Including Guo Zhujiu and the six others who went to the city walls but didn’t go south, there were thirty-two people in total. Now, twenty-four are still alive, and eight have died in battle. Half of them died in chaotic battles. Zhang Rong, who had exceptional aptitude, was assassinated by a Jade Purity Realm great demon. The sword master protecting Zhang Rong failed to save him and died in battle as well.”

Ning Yao looked at Chen Pingan, as if she didn’t want to speak anymore. Since you know everything, why ask? She couldn’t remember many things and wasn’t as clear as he was.

But looking at the pitiful Chen Pingan, Ning Yao continued, “I need to cultivate. I’ll talk about it later.”

Chen Pingan said, “Then I’ll go drink with Grandpa Nalan.”

Ning Yao quickened her pace. “Suit yourself.”

Chen Pingan, who hadn’t really wanted to drink, suddenly wanted to drink now.

Ning Yao didn’t turn around and said, “Drink less.”

Chen Pingan agreed verbally. Actually, he hadn’t been that keen on drinking earlier, but now he suddenly felt like drinking a lot.

Arriving at Nalan Yexing’s residence, the old man was sighing and lamenting, not because drinking couldn’t dispel his sorrows, but because that old woman had just left, after cursing him thoroughly.

Nalan Yexing asked with a smile, “Want a drink?”

Chen Pingan nodded with a smile. The old man poured a bowl of wine, not daring to fill it completely, after all his future son-in-law was still injured and he feared that old woman would have another reason to scold him.

Chen Pingan’s arms were wrapped up like dumplings, making it inconvenient to move. However, as a Lower Five Realms cultivator, he had at least learned some spells. With a slight thought, he controlled the wine in the bowl, drawing the white bowl to himself. Imitating Chen Sanqiu, he lowered his head, bit the rim of the white bowl, and gently lifted it, slightly tilting the bowl, and drank a mouthful of wine.

Nalan Yexing smiled. This was adapting to local customs; very good.

Chen Pingan complained, “Grandpa Nalan, why isn’t it the Bamboo Sea Grotto wine from our own wine shop?”
Nalan Yexing chuckled, “These are all from the Ning family’s stores, left over from this year. Granny Bai sets a quota for drinking every year at the beginning of the year. It’s almost the New Year, so there aren’t many jars left. Next year, I’ll patronize your business. Even without me saying it, Granny Bai will buy a lot to treasure up.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Grandpa Nalan, are you perhaps curious as to why the progress of my Sword Qi Eighteen Stops is so slow?”

Nalan Yexing nodded, “Logically speaking, it shouldn’t be this slow. But if Master Chen doesn’t say, I wouldn’t dare to ask too much.”

Chen Ping’an explained, “One of the key apertures along the Sword Qi’s path has something old stored within it, like the wine on this table.”

Nalan Yexing asked curiously, “Could it be a relic of some sword immortal, a natal flying sword of another that you’ve temporarily set aside?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “It’s a wisp of sword qi.”

Nalan Yexing was astonished, “A wisp of sword qi?”

Chen Ping’an smiled brightly, “A ‘tiny, tiny’ wisp of sword qi. Any more, and it’s not suitable to say.”

Speaking freely, with Nalan Yexing by his side, there was no need for restraint.

Even if a sword immortal in the city used their mountain-and-river-controlling powers to peer into the Ning residence, they would deliberately avoid Nalan Yexing, that former immortal of the Celestial Realm.

Nalan Yexing was deeply shocked, but he didn’t ask further. He raised his wine bowl, “Enough said, let’s drink.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t stand on ceremony with Nalan Yexing. He didn’t mind even if his drinking posture was inelegant.

Nalan Yexing, of course, cared even less. His son-in-law, however he looked at him, was pleasing. His fist techniques were high, his swordsmanship wasn’t slow, he was thoughtful, and he was handsome. Most importantly, he had read books, a rarity on the Great Wall of Sword Qi. He and his daughter were a match made in heaven. No wonder that old woman Bai Lianxiang was so protective.

While the old man and the young man were drinking,

Ning Yao was sitting with Granny Bai, having a quiet conversation.

The old woman looked at her young miss and asked with a smile, “It’s good for the young master-in-law to suffer a little while practicing swordsmanship with his martial brother. Don’t be too heartbroken. Not everyone can have Zuo You wholeheartedly impart his sword techniques. Over the years, many clever people have tried all sorts of ways to get close to that great sword immortal. I’ve heard a lot about it, but Zuo You is proud and aloof and never pays them any attention. In my opinion, Zuo You doesn’t really acknowledge the young master-in-law’s identity as a disciple of the Sage of Literature, but genuinely recognizes him as a junior martial brother, that’s why he’s willing to be so helpful.”

Ning Yao shook her head and leaned on the table, “It’s not that.”

The old woman smiled without saying anything.

Ning Yao sat up straight, “He says a lot of nice things.”

The old woman asked, “Does Miss dislike it?”

Ning Yao shook her head, “I don’t dislike it.”

The old woman asked again, “Is Miss worried that he will like someone else?”

Ning Yao still shook her head, “I’m not worried.”

The old woman finally couldn’t help but laugh, “Is it because you feel he’s changed too much, and you feel like you’re standing still, afraid that one day, he’ll walk ahead of you? Not because you’re afraid of his cultivation rising, but because you’re worried that you two will have less and less to talk about?”

Ning Yao’s thoughts were laid bare, and she leaned down again, lost in thought. Then she said softly, “I’ve never liked talking much since I was little, but that guy is a chatterbox. I don’t know how to respond to a lot of what he says. Will he ever think I’m boring? Of course, he’ll still like me, but he’ll stop talking.”

The old woman was amused, but she didn’t laugh out loud. She asked, “Why doesn’t Miss just say these things directly?”

Ning Yao said angrily, “I don’t want to say it. He’s so smart, always thinking too much, trying to figure everything out. Can’t he figure it out?”

The old woman teased, “It’s a good thing you didn’t say it, or our young master-in-law would really be wronged. A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea, and the young master-in-law isn’t an omniscient and all-calculating immortal.”

Ning Yao nodded, feeling slightly better, but not much.

The old woman wasn’t worried.

Because these little worries,

Were probably only there because she truly liked someone.

That night,

On the city wall, after midnight, Wei Jin stood beside Zuo You, drinking a pot of Qing Shen Mountain wine that he had finally managed to buy. The shop only sold one pot a day, and his purchase meant that no other sword cultivator would get any today.

Wei Jin asked with a smile, “Did Chen Ping’an say I was scamming him before practicing his sword?”

Zuo You shook his head, “It would just be asking for a beating. My little martial brother wouldn’t do that.”

Wei Jin said helplessly, “He’s that clever?”

Zuo You smiled, “Master said that you once had a sword strike, plus my sword at Jiaolong Valley, that had a great impact on Chen Ping’an.”

Wei Jin paused for a moment and nodded, “A long time ago, at a ghost bride’s place, according to my agreement with Senior Ah Liang, my sword saw the young Chen Ping’an before I did.”

Zuo You was silent for a moment, “Do you feel that being trapped by love, being sentimental, makes it difficult for the sword intent to be pure, and makes it difficult for a person to reach the summit?”

Wei Jin nodded, “I do have this worry, and in fact, it is so.”

Zuo You smiled, “Then you are wrong, completely wrong.”

Wei Jin put away his wine and sat up straight, “I am willing to listen to Senior Zuo’s teachings.”

Zuo You said, “What is most important to a sword cultivator?”

Wei Jin shook his head, “I have many answers in my heart, but they are definitely not what Senior thinks.”

Zuo You raised a hand, making a gesture of holding a sword, “It is a person who wields the sword. Therefore, no matter how high the sword skills, no matter how great the sword path, to us sword cultivators, they are all minor matters. Even if you hold the legendary five immortal swords, no matter what your current cultivation level is, whether you are a sword immortal or not, you are the one wielding the sword.”

Zuo You lowered his hand and turned his head, “If you just like a woman, and your sword cannot be drawn, what kind of sword immortal are you? You, Wei Jin, only have good talent for learning the sword, that’s why you have a Jade Pure physique. In the long run, relying solely on talent will not support you in reaching high places. I dare say, if you do not break through your mental barrier for a long time, your ultimate achievement will be very ordinary. Talk to me less in the future.”

Wei Jin took a big gulp of wine and muttered, “But I still feel that in this world, only the love between men and women is longer than sword qi. I cannot bear to part with it, and I don’t even want to let it go. Thinking of her, drinking wine, in a daze, a person lost in the mountains, wandering in circles. Compared to liking one person less, drinking less, and ascending to the heights with a sword, it is better for me.”

Zuo You shook his head, “There’s no saving you then.”

Wei Jin tentatively asked, “Then in the future, I won’t be able to chat with Senior anymore?”

Zuo You laughed, “Sword Immortal Wei Jin, get lost early. Drunkard Wei Jin, you can come often.”
Wei Jin laughed heartily, enjoying his wine. He was about to ask a question when he remembered a universally known fact: there were only four immortal swords in all the four corners of the world. Why would Zuo You speak of five?

Dao Lao Er of the Azure Profound Heaven possessed one immortal sword. The Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain in the Central Earth Divine Continent held another. And then there was that scholar hailed as the most accomplished man on earth, who owned a third. Besides these, it was rumored that the Sword Suppression Tower, one of the nine grand fortified towers of the Magnificent Heaven, suppressed the final sword. The four corners of the world were vast, and while immortal armaments were not scarce, only these four swords, throughout the ages, truly deserved the title of “immortal sword,” and there would be no more.

But before Wei Jin could finish his wine and pose the question, he departed from the city wall.

Because the Old Sword Immortal had arrived.

Wei Jin left the city wall, bowing in farewell.

Chen Qingdu stood by the wall, “Are you surprised to find you have such a junior brother?”

Zuo You nodded but remained silent.

The youth Zhao Gaoshu, who had mastered eighteen forms of sword energy.

At the time, Zuo You had isolated the heavens and earth with his sword energy, and Chen Ping’an had spoken these words.

In truth, Chen Ping’an had simultaneously spoken with his mind, uttering a different name: Zhao Shuxia.

For one so young to possess such cautiousness was astonishing even to Zuo You.

The old man didn’t take offense at Zuo You’s seemingly disrespectful nod and silence. If he couldn’t tolerate even that bit of arrogance from Zuo You, how many would have survived under Chen Qingdu’s sword, of all the sword cultivators in the city north of the Great Wall?

And Zuo You was not surprised that Chen Qingdu knew about this.

Upon this very city wall beneath their feet, Chen Qingdu was practically invincible, perhaps only slightly inferior to the Sage when within the Confucian Temple, the Dao Ancestor upon the Jade Capital, or the Buddha seated upon his lotus throne.

This was also what frustrated Zuo You the most.

But at the same time, it was what Zuo You admired most about the old man.

Why, after ten thousand years of siege by the Barbarian World, did the Sword Qi Great Wall still stand tall?

All the great demons of the immense Barbarian World knew full well that as long as Chen Qingdu lived, even if the entire Sword Qi Great Wall crumbled, they would never reach the Inverted Mountain or the Magnificent Heaven.

Only Chen Qingdu could suppress the rebellious sword cultivators north of the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years.

Only this old man could say to the Hidden Official, “I tolerate you because you’re young.”

Chen Qingdu said, “Once the troubles, big and small, within the city have passed, have Chen Ping’an come stay at my thatched hut. Sword practice requires focus. When he becomes a true sword cultivator, I’ll leave the city wall to help him propose marriage. Otherwise, I’ll have no face to speak of it. An exception made by an Old Sword Immortal, a liquor store, a small schoolhouse, cannot afford it.”

Zuo You said, “It depends on his own will. If you don’t go to the Yao family then, I will.”

Chen Qingdu chuckled, “That’s not very kind. Neither your master nor your junior brother would speak thus.”

Zuo You frowned, “You’re also watching the children in the alleyway near the wine shop? Chen Qingdu doesn’t care about so many things, yet he cares about this?”

“Or else?”

Chen Qingdu countered, “My swordsmanship is higher than yours, my sword intent is higher, my sword path is higher, even my knowledge is greater. If you care about it, why can’t I take a few more looks?”

Zuo You said expressionlessly, “I’ve tolerated you twice.”

Chen Qingdu smiled, “If your greatest strength, your sword energy, still falls short of others, then meekly endure.”

Zuo You sneered, “Three times.”

Chen Qingdu asked, “Do you know why I’m willing to take a look at the teaching of literacy in the alleyway?”

Zuo You remained calm, “This involves the biggest problem of the Sword Qi Great Wall. For ten thousand years, sword cultivators have drawn their swords and slain enemies, and more and more people are losing sight of why. Why they live, why they die.”

Chen Qingdu nodded, gazing at the lights of the northern city. In the grand mansions, the lights blazed, as bright as day. In the humble alleyways, it was dim and dark, with only a few scattered lights where the two met.

“The why of life and death is still easy to understand, after all, private desires are heavy, making it difficult for people to truly feel anything.”

Chen Qingdu looked melancholic, “I’ve always hoped that someone there would do it themselves, think for themselves, feel for themselves. Knowing the causes and effects, the entire history, knowing what price they and their ancestors paid, to still enable the sword cultivators of this generation, even if they harbor resentment, grievance, anger, to still draw their swords, for both person and sword to head south, and die if need be.”

The old man extended a palm, slowly raising it, “The lights of humanity, first there is one spark, one becomes two, two becomes three, three ignite a vast river of stars.”

Zuo You shook his head, “Too late, lost.”

Chen Qingdu chuckled, “Zuo You, in this you’re not as good as your junior brother. Knowing that it is of little use, unable to change the predetermined ending, still patiently doing it.”

Zuo You remained silent.

Chen Qingdu asked with a smile, “Four times now?”

Zuo You said, “No.”

Chen Qingdu nodded, “Then I won’t hit you, I’ll leave you some face, lest you feel awkward when teaching your junior brother swordsmanship in the future.”

Zuo You said, “Now there are four times.”

Chen Qingdu clasped his hands behind his back and walked away, leaving behind only one sentence, “Compared to talking to you, I still prefer listening to Chen Ping’an.”

In the night, Chen Ping’an strolled to the Dragon-Slaying Platform. Ning Yao was still cultivating, so Chen Ping’an walked onto the training field, simply taking a walk, moving in circles. As he approached completion, he slightly shifted his steps, then drew a larger circle.

Without knowing when, Ning Yao had already arrived beside him. Chen Ping’an was not surprised.

Ning Yao had long since learned Nalan Yexing’s stealth and concealment.

What Ning Yao had refined over the years was not that Natal Flying Sword of extremely high quality, but something else entirely.

But even if Ning Yao only unleashed her Natal Flying Sword, it would be enough for her to surely kill Pang Yuanji, Qi Shou, and others.

This was what she had said casually during a chat with Chen Ping’an, saying it lightly and naturally, but she had stared at Chen Ping’an.

At the time, Chen Ping’an had wanted to reach out and place his hand on the back of her hand, but he quietly withdrew his hand, then smiled and raised his hand, fanning the breeze.

The two strolled onto the pavilion.

Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged next to Ning Yao.
Ning Yao continued their earlier conversation, “Wang Zongping’s generation initially gathered about ten people. Compared to us, they were far inferior in both number and aptitude for cultivation. Among them, Mi Quan was originally predicted to achieve the highest Dao attainment, but sadly, Mi Quan died in his first battle outside the city. Now, only three remain. Wang Zongping suffered severe injuries, caught in the crossfire of a battle between two Immortal Realm cultivators, and has been stuck at the Nascent Soul bottleneck for years, unable to progress. Then there are Wang Wei and Su Yong. Su Yong’s innate talent was actually better than Wang Zongping’s, who was the worst of them all back then, but his sword heart wasn’t firm or clear enough. He participated in battles, but he intentionally played it safe, afraid to fight with abandon. He always believed that if he cultivated quietly and lived to a hundred, he could steadily advance to the Upper Five Realms before engaging in a full-force struggle. As a result, in the most dangerous attempt to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck in Sword Qi Great Wall, Su Yong not only failed to reach Jade Pure, but was also rejected by the sword intent of the heavens and earth, directly falling in cultivation, becoming a Golden Core sword cultivator with a shattered inner sanctum and leaky defenses. After years of obscurity, he now spends his days in the city’s alleys, a gambling addict and drunkard, owing countless debts, living worse than a rat. Qi Shou and the like enjoyed buying Su Yong drinks when they were young. As long as Su Yong could get a drink, he didn’t care about being the subject of ridicule, living a half-human, half-ghost existence. When Qi Shou and the others reached higher realms and found it boring to laugh at Su Yong, Su Yong became a courier between the city and the mirage, earning small money to buy alcohol and gambling with big money.”

These were things she hastily learned from Granny Bai.

Chen Ping An directly asked, “Could this Su Yong harbor resentment towards the entire Sword Qi Great Wall?”

Ning Yao thought for a moment and shook her head. “Probably not. In the years before A-Liang left Sword Qi Great Wall, Su Yong often accompanied him, whether he was drinking or gambling.”

Chen Ping An nodded. “Only Wang Wei is now a Sword Immortal. He became a minor retainer of the Qi family when he was a Golden Core cultivator. Twenty years ago, he successfully entered the Upper Five Realms, opened his own mansion, and married a woman from a prominent clan, which can be regarded as a fulfilling life. I heard people chatting in the wine shop that Wang Wei’s later rise to become a Sword Immortal was quite unexpected.”

Ning Yao said, “Wang Wei is indeed unremarkable. Reaching the Upper Five Realms around the age of ninety is rare in the Vast World, but here, Wang Wei, as a surviving Jade Pure Realm sword cultivator, naturally became the leader of the early ten or so people, and it’s easy to compare him to others. Wang Wei is far too ordinary compared to the earlier generation. Compared to our generation, not only do Pang Yuanji, Qi Shou, and Gao Yihou look down on Wang Wei, who likes to bow and scrape even after becoming a Sword Immortal, but even Sanqiu, Fatty Yan, and the others despise him.”

Ning Yao said softly, “However, in Sword Qi Great Wall, being able to live is the greatest ability, no matter what your cultivation level is. What does it matter if you were a genius or a Sword Immortal if you’re dead? Even for us young sword cultivators, we might be drinking and laughing at Zhao Yong’s downfall and Wang Wei’s lack of swordsmanship today, but perhaps after the next great battle, Wang Wei will be drinking with friends, talking about certain young people, referring to them as the deceased.”

When they arrived at the Dragon Slaughtering Platform pavilion, Ning Yao suddenly asked, “Give me a pot of wine.”

Chen Ping An reached into his sleeve and handed her a pot of Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven wine from his own wine shop. Ning Yao drank it and said, “Little Grandpa Dong, now *he* was a real genius. He was at the Cave Dwelling Realm on the city wall, the Sea Gazing Realm below the city wall, and in the Dragon Gate Realm, he had already killed more than a dozen demonic creatures of the same realm and three Golden Core demons, earning the nickname ‘Sword Madman’. Later, he left Sword Qi Great Wall alone to hone his sword intent in the Wilderness, and when he returned, he was already an Upper Five Realms sword cultivator. After that, he killed countless demons in battles. At that time, Little Grandpa Dong was considered the most promising young person to become an Ascension Realm Sword Immortal.”

Dong Guanpu colluded with great demons, and after his actions were exposed, the crowd was enraged. Before the Hidden Official could act, he was personally beheaded by the Great Sword Immortal Chen Qingdu with a single sword.

At that time, Chen Ping An was on the city wall and witnessed that scene with his own eyes.

Ning Yao drank her wine, “Not long after Little Grandpa Dong’s death, there was a rumor that Little Grandpa Dong had personally orchestrated my assassination in the mirage.”

Ning Yao smiled. “I don’t believe it, but I can’t stop people from gossiping.”

Chen Ping An asked, “Regardless of the truth, does hearing these words make you sad?”

Ning Yao shook her head. “There’s nothing to be sad about.”

Chen Ping An nodded. “That’s good then, otherwise I won’t leave the house recently, except to practice swordsmanship on the city wall.”

Ning Yao asked in confusion, “Besides the assassination attempt on Green End, is something else going to happen?”

Chen Ping An smiled. “Definitely. Someone plans to test my mettle and isolate the Ning Mansion as much as possible. In the end, they want to distract you as much as possible and hinder your breakthrough. They didn’t have a chance before, but after the mirage incident and Dong Guanpu’s affair, which provoked the Great Sword Immortal to personally draw his sword, no one dared to openly attack the Ning Mansion. Now that I’ve arrived, they have an entry point.”

Ning Yao asked, “Why do you seem so unconcerned about these things? I actually get annoyed, but I know that being annoyed is useless, so I ignore it and don’t think about it at all.”

Chen Ping An reached out to ask for the wine pot. Ning Yao subconsciously went to hand it over, but quickly glared at Chen Ping An.

Chen Ping An failed to get the wine and continued with his hands clasped in his sleeves, “The question of what kind of person the outsider Chen Ping An is boils down to cultivation and morality. As for how a pure martial artist’s fist measures up, Ren Yi, Pu Yu, Qi Shou, and Pang Yuanji have already demonstrated that for me. As for morality, it’s tested both at the highest and lowest levels. If the other party is skilled in scheming, they will test both. For example, if Guo Zhujiu were assassinated, the Ning Mansion and the Guo family, guarded by Sword Immortal Guo Jia, would be completely estranged, regardless of how understanding Sword Immortal Guo Jia is. The Guo family members would all harbor resentment. Of course, now that the little girl is fine, it’s a different story. How is morality tested at the lowest level? It’s simple. If a child in the slums dies, the Stacked Brocade wine shop’s business will soon be ruined, and I won’t be a storyteller there anymore. Even if I did, no one would listen to my stories about mountains and rivers. Killing Guo Zhujiu would come at a great cost, but who cares about killing a child in the city?

But if I don’t care, what will the many sword cultivators of Sword Qi Great Wall think of me, Chen Ping An? If I do care, how should I care to the right degree?”

Ning Yao frowned.

Listen to him, what Granny Bai said was wrong. This guy is clearly calculating and has thought of everything.
Chen Ping’an chuckled, “What’s there to worry about? I’ve already anticipated it, so their chances are slim. It’s just that some things, even if foreseen, can only be dealt with when they make their move.”

Ning Yao inquired, “Such as?”

“Such as widely proclaiming me as a disciple of the Literary Saint, a junior brother or something. That’s just a tickle; the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall value true cultivation above all else.”

Chen Ping’an continued, “Or, for instance, a young sword cultivator with no backing, pretending to be drunk in front of me, rehashing old Ning family matters. Their words probably won’t be too extreme, otherwise, it would be unreasonable and provoke public outrage. Drinking companions might even step in to help. So they’ll have to carefully craft their words, perfectly measuring the heat, so that it can enrage me to act, but also not seem like they’re instigating trouble, purely a heartfelt expression of righteousness. In the end, whether I kill him with a single punch or not, it’s a losing proposition for me. A young man’s fervor doesn’t last, and a deeply scheming mind isn’t fit for a sword cultivator.”

Ning Yao pondered, “Then should we frequent Diezhang Wine Shop less in the future? If you only travel between the city wall and the Ning residence, it’s unlikely someone would deliberately obstruct you – that would be too obvious. There are many sword cultivators in the Sword Qi Great Wall, but not many fools.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I must go.”

Ning Yao was puzzled.

“An accountant likes to use an abacus, but he also has his own life to live; he won’t sit behind the counter calculating profits and losses all day long. Who am I? I’m used to a life of having nothing. It’s been so many years, what am I afraid of?”

Chen Ping’an stood up, gazing at the training grounds, and slowly said, “You’ve heard so much nonsense over the years, I want to hear it myself. You didn’t want to bother with them before, that’s fine. But now that I’m by your side, if someone still dares to harbor ill intentions and come knocking, if I don’t directly punch them, am I supposed to invite them for drinks?”

At this point, Chen Ping’an laughed, “It will definitely just be a casual punch, because their cultivation can’t be high. It has to be even worse than Ren Yi’s, otherwise, no one will sympathize with them.”

Ning Yao asked, “When are we going to the shop?”

That was Ning Yao’s temperament.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

Back in the small town, even setting aside affection, Ning Yao’s way of doing things had a significant impact on Chen Ping’an.

Among them, the saying “The Great Dao shouldn’t be so small” was one thing, which allowed Chen Ping’an, after leaving Lizhu Cave, to never truly look up to the mountain immortals when viewing mountain cultivation.

And Ning Yao’s decisive and direct actions, especially the attitude that “since things have come to this, what should be done” is the most important thing, was something Chen Ping’an remembered deeply.

With this clear and bright state of mind, one can truly not fear unexpected troubles. When things come to a head, just resolve them.

Chen Ping’an turned his head and smiled, “After I recover from my injuries, I’ll let them plot and scheme well. To be honest, many times, I worry for my enemies, wishing I could personally teach them how to make their moves, to maximize their benefits, and at the same time be the most disgusting.”

Ning Yao remained silent.

Chen Ping’an sat down next to her and softly said, “Don’t think I’m a stranger. I’ve always been like this, but as I said to you before, there’s only one thing I never overthink. It’s not a pleasant thing to say, just the truth.”

Ning Yao softly said, “If you didn’t love me, if you didn’t come here, there wouldn’t be so many troubles. You could have lived a better life. You could have even waited until you became a Sword Immortal in the future before coming to find me. I would still wait for you.”

Grandma Bai was right, she had to be herself, and she also had to believe in Chen Ping’an. She had to accumulate her inner thoughts and tell him, one sentence at a time, regardless of whether it was reasonable or not. Anyway, he was the most reasonable person, so there was no need to worry that the two of them would have nothing to talk about.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say anything to Ning Yao. He just took out the small Dragon-Slaying Platform that Ning Yao had given him when they parted on Upside-Down Mountain, with “Ning Yao” and “Innocence” engraved on the front and back. Chen Ping’an lowered his head, looked at the words “Ning Yao”, bent his index and middle fingers together, gently tapped the name, widened his eyes, and scolded as he tapped, “Who do you think you are? You’re so bold, and you have such great abilities, you almost broke my heart. If you’re so disobedient again, I’m going to pretend to ignore you in the future…”

Ning Yao turned to the side, leaned on the railing, narrowed her eyes with a smile, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

The bright moonlight painted her eyebrows.

That day, the second shopkeeper of the wine shop, who hadn’t shown his face for a long time, made a rare appearance for a drink. He didn’t compete with customers for a table, but squatted down next to some familiar sword cultivators to drink. One hand held a wine bowl, the other held chopsticks, and in front of him on the ground was a small dish of pickled vegetables from the Yan family shop. Everyone was like this, there was nothing shameful about it. According to the second shopkeeper, a great man and a sword immortal stand tall, so what if the vegetable dish is on the ground? That’s called the approachable nature of a sword cultivator, the uninhibitedness of a sword immortal. Try drinking in other expensive restaurants, would you have this opportunity? Try putting your bowl and plate on the ground? Even if the shop assistant doesn’t stop you, and the surrounding diners don’t say anything, they’ll definitely give you a glare, right? There’s absolutely no such unpleasantness here.

The sword cultivators who came here to buy and drink wine, especially those who were a bit short on funds, thought it made perfect sense.

No Sword Immortals came to drink today. Chen Ping’an took small sips of wine, smiling and chatting with familiar sword cultivators on both sides.

Suddenly, a young man with an unfamiliar face, drunk, stood up, holding a wine bowl, swaying, and came to Chen Ping’an, hiccuping, slurring, “Are you Chen Ping’an, the Ning family’s son-in-law?”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile.

The man was about to speak when Chen Ping’an raised his hand, lightly tapping two chopsticks together. Diezhang, wearing a straight face, ran into the shop and brought out a piece of paper.

Ignoring all that, the man continued, “Are you worthy of Ning Yao? I don’t think you are. So what if you defeated Pang Yuanji and the other four? You’re still not worthy of Ning Yao. But you’re lucky, you’re worthy of the Ning family. You know why?”

Chen Ping’an picked up a piece of pickled vegetable, then raised his wine pot and pointed behind him.

Diezhang unfurled the piece of paper, on which was written a sentence, “Today, anyone who discusses old Ning family
matters with me, will only drink a penalty cup, no payment required.”

Immediately, dozens of drinkers in the entire wine shop held their breath, some stopped drinking and eating, some slowed down their movements only slightly, and still picked up vegetables to accompany their wine.
Ignoring everything, the man took a large gulp of wine, spilling much of it from the white bowl. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, “Sword Qi Great Wall almost fell! Grand Tutor Yin led the charge, and the Great Demons on the other side avoided battle. After that, in life or death, we always won, a string of victories, just one more battle! Those most battle-hardened beasts of the Wild Desolate World were about to be humiliated. But those two immortal lovebirds, the great sword immortals of the Ning Family, oh, they were something else. Whatever those beasts lacked, those two Ning Family great sword immortals joined forces to send! The demons of the Wild Desolate World have no shame, attacking the city even after losing. But we, the Sword Qi Great Wall, have face! If we hadn’t won that last battle, you, Chen Ping’an, wouldn’t even be here to swagger about! So what if you’re a disciple of the Literary Sage, Left Right’s junior brother? Do you even know why Jingjian Pavilion on Upside-Down Mountain didn’t hang portraits of those two sword immortals in the previous years? You’re the son-in-law of the Ning Family, a top-tier chosen one. Why don’t you tell us?”

Chen Ping’an sipped his wine and gently placed his chopsticks on the plate.

Diezhang threw away the paper, took out another from his sleeve, and unfolded it with a snap. “Anyone who speaks ill of Ning Yao’s parents will eat my fist. No mercy.”

The man glanced at it and laughed. “As expected of a scholar from the Literary Sage’s lineage, truly learned, you even guessed that? What, going to beat me to death with a single punch?”

The man raised his arm and smashed the wine bowl to pieces. “I feel disgusted even drinking the Ning Family’s wine!”

Chen Ping’an, holding his white bowl with most of the wine still in it, slowly stood up.

The young man craned his neck and pointed to his head. “Come on, give me a punch, hit me right here if you dare.”

He sneered, “I wonder if your two visits to the Sword Qi Great Wall, both conveniently during the lulls in the fighting, were also predicted by the Literary Sage’s disciple? It’s all skill, anyway. Winning four fights, and then beating me, a Sea Observation Realm sword cultivator, to death, how could that not be skill? Going to the city wall to put on a show, practicing your fists, it’s not that Chen Ping’an doesn’t want to kill demons, it’s that the demons are too afraid to attack the city when they see Chen Ping’an, isn’t it? I think your skills are almost greater than all the sword immortals combined, don’t you think so, Chen Ping’an?!”

Chen Ping’an glanced at the shards of the white bowl on the ground.

The young sword cultivator widened his eyes. “Wine money? I have it. I’ve been to the city wall once, been south once. I didn’t earn much, but it’s enough to buy you a few bowls of your cheap wine!”

He was about to reach into his sleeve to take out immortal coins when he suddenly heard the man in the green robe say, “You don’t need to pay for this bowl of wine.”

The Sea Observation Realm sword cultivator laughed, certain that the man wouldn’t dare to throw a punch, and was about to say a few more words.

But in an instant.

The young sword cultivator’s head was struck by a fist.

The force sent him spinning, head down, legs up, instantly killing him. He collapsed limply to the ground, his soul shattered, dead as could be.

Chen Ping’an, holding the bowl in his left hand, pointed at the corpse with his right, and smiled. “You owe a bowl of wine on behalf of the demons. In the next Southern Campaign battle, the Wild Desolate World will repay Chen Ping’an!”

Chen Ping’an raised the bowl of wine high, looked around, and laughed loudly: “Small cup, large bowl, a few ounces of wine, drinking away all the world’s troubles! Future sword immortals, before heading south to the city walls, who is willing to drink with Chen Ping’an?!”

The drinkers present, and those squatting sword cultivators, someone stood up first, then everyone stood up.

Everyone raised their cups and bowls, filled with wine.

Chen Ping’an looked into the distance and said loudly, “My Sword Qi Great Wall! Even sword immortals who only regret not killing enough enemies can drink wine!”

Today, there were especially many wine-drinking sword cultivators and sword immortals throughout the Sword Qi Great Wall.