The first rays of dawn illuminated the towering city walls.

Faced with the overwhelming hordes and the increasingly perilous situation, Dong Huafu and Fan Dache, with heavy hearts, chose to retreat to a more defensible position.

Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, and Yan Zhuo, however, remained steadfast, holding their ground.

Chen Pingan, after a brief respite, returned to their side, now disguised as a middle-aged man. He lent his keen eyes to Chen Sanqiu and Yan Zhuo, observing the battlefield, offering occasional reminders and tactical suggestions.

Unlike his interactions with the precise and detail-oriented Fan Dache, Chen Pingan’s communication with Chen Sanqiu and Yan Zhuo was concise and direct, focusing on patching up minor flaws in their strategy.

He provided advice on their flying sword trajectories and landing positions, offering rapid tactical reviews to elevate their performance. Chen Pingan wasn’t simply being casual because he had shared drinks and camaraderie with these two Golden Core Sword Cultivators. In truth, he was keenly observing their sword techniques, gaining valuable insights from their combat prowess.

Then, Chen Pingan sought out Fan Dache.

Fan Dache’s expression was a mixture of helplessness and wry amusement upon seeing Chen Pingan’s disguised appearance. To be an enemy of Chen Pingan was akin to being cursed for eight generations. His ancestral grave wasn’t simply emitting auspicious smoke; it was billowing forth plumes of dark misfortune, his accumulated wealth unable to quell the ill omen.

Yet, amidst this despair, Fan Dache also felt a sense of gratitude. Had it not been for Chen Pingan’s intervention, he would have remained overwhelmed and struggling for far longer.

Chen Pingan squatted down, tossing a flask of Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven Wine to Fan Dache with a smile, “Remember to acknowledge my good deeds.”

Dong Huafu quipped, “Using Fan Dache’s money to buy wine, then gifting it back to Fan Dache as a favor. I’ve learned something.”

Chen Pingan feigned deafness, applying a yellow talisman to cleanse himself of the pervasive stench of blood and carnage.

Diezhang inquired with a grin, “Did you go elsewhere to pick up some loose coin?”

Chen Pingan nodded. “Just wandering around. I was worried about being more of a hindrance, attracting the attention of some powerful demonic entities lurking in the shadows, so I didn’t dare exert myself too much. I plan to discuss with the Sword Immortals, to single-handedly defend a small section of the wall, acting as bait, for those who are willing to take it. When you retreat from the battlefield, you can come to me, and witness the splendor of a Grand cultivator’s sword control. Remember to bring wine. It’s not free.”

Dong Huafu shook his head. “I’ll pass on that.”

Diezhang chuckled. “Me too.”

Fan Dache, sensing Chen Pingan’s gaze upon him, reluctantly confessed, “I dare not go.”

Chen Pingan smiled warmly. “Dache, even if you don’t come in person, you can always send the wine. Who even wants to see you anyway?”

Diezhang and Dong Huafu practically leaped to their feet in unison, resuming their positions on the southern battlements.

Fan Dache attempted to follow suit, but Chen Pingan gently restrained him with a raised hand, indicating that there was no rush.

Chen Pingan said, “Fighting alongside these comrades, do you feel immense pressure? As if every time you offer help, you’re only holding them back?”

Fan Dache nodded.

Chen Pingan chuckled. “Having such thoughts isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you truly aspire to improve, you must suppress these feelings. Fan Dache, don’t forget, you are a Sword Cultivator at the Dragon Gate Realm bottleneck, and you’re not even thirty years old. Do you know how remarkable a young talent who is destined to enter the Golden Core realm is considered to be in our vast world, even in the Northern Reaches, a land renowned for its Sword Cultivators?”

Chen Pingan pointed to himself. “It’s not that because the Glorious Land has someone like me, everyone is like Chen Pingan. Among our peers on the mountains, those around our age, only speaking of slaying enemies, there are certainly better than me, probably quite a few. But those who are inferior to me, are many, extremely many.”

Chen Pingan said slowly, “In my homeland, the Eastern Precious Bottle Continent, in the many Jianghu that I have walked through, if you, Fan Dache, were to cultivate there, you would be a Heavenly Chosen, on whom an entire dynasty would place its hopes. You might think that I used to joke often, saying that I’m at least a dignified Fifth Realm Grand Cultivator, it’s both playful and self-deprecating, but it’s not all of it. In my homeland, a Grotto Heaven Realm demon, or a ghost, is an undeniably great demon, a shocking ghoul. Think about it, a Golden Core Sword Cultivator with an Innate Sword Physique, perhaps only thirty years old, how highly regarded would they be in the Precious Bottle Continent?”

Fan Dache nodded. “I’ve never thought about these things before. I wasn’t very interested in the affairs of the Glorious Land. From a young age, I felt that my talent was decent, but not good enough.”

Chen Pingan smiled, spreading his hands, tapping his index and middle fingers on both ends, “What I am saying, Fan Dache feeling that he is doing everything wrong around Ning Yao and Chen Sanqiu is one extreme, Fan Dache feeling that he can stand against a nation with his sword in my homeland is another extreme. Neither is ideal.”

Chen Pingan retracted one hand, making a fist with the other, and waved it in the middle of the previously drawn line. “Things may have extremes, that cannot be avoided. But a Sword Cultivator’s Dao Heart should fall here, unmoving. External matters, speaking grandly, are just external matters, difficult to completely control. But the mind of a cultivator is always something we can work on, close at hand, a foundation we can constantly refine and improve. The small world within the human body is like a speck of dust in the universe, but the human heart encompasses all things, able to be higher and greater than heaven and earth, especially for a Sword Cultivator. Where their thoughts reach, their flying sword arrives, their body, mind, and life are free. I think this is very true. I am giving you this saying along with the wine.”

Fan Dache’s eyes were clear. He took a hearty gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and said in a deep voice, “Chen Pingan, if you had told me these words before, I might have just understood them on a surface level, but not really taken them to heart. Now it’s different, I understand.”

Chen Pingan smiled slightly. “Actually, it’s all the same. I’ve also suffered great and small hardships, stopping and going, thinking this and that, to get to where I am today.”

Fan Dache was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked curiously, “Who said that saying that you gave me with the wine? The more I ponder it, the more it makes sense.”

Chen Pingan reached up and rubbed his chin. “Dache, it’s one thing that your little brain isn’t so bright, but why are your eyes also so bad?”

Fan Dache laughed as he got up, and slammed the empty wine jug, and headed towards Chen Sanqiu and the others.

Unexpectedly, Chen Pingan reached out and grabbed the empty wine jug, scolding loudly, “Little Dragon Gate Realm Sword Cultivator, showing off your heroic spirit in front of a dignified Second Realm Grand Cultivator, wine jugs aren’t free, you know.”

Fan Dache was a little embarrassed, and quickly left, but couldn’t help turning his head to see the Second Shopkeeper, tilting his head, his fingers pressed against his temples, then slowly removing a disguised face.
Fan Dache asked, “Chen Ping’an, I just can’t forget her. Am I really that pathetic?”

Chen Ping’an stowed away the face mask crafted by Zhu Lian into his sleeve and chuckled, “When it comes to being a devoted lover, a man of deep affection, there’s nothing finer.”

Fan Dache looked puzzled, “You didn’t say that when we first met, did you? You were scolding me left and right.”

Looking weary, Chen Ping’an took out his Sword-Nurturing Gourd, took a swig of wine, and smiled, “I don’t have the energy to explain the intricacies to you. Figure it out yourself. And show a little of the spirit of a Dragon Gate Realm Sword Immortal. Like roosters in a fight, heads facing each other. Sword cultivators don’t hold grudges.”

Chen Ping’an wasn’t really worried about Fan Dache’s heartbreak anymore. Fan Dache didn’t seem particularly outstanding in cultivation or behavior among them, but Chen Ping’an was certain that Fan Dache’s path of cultivation could be very long. Chen Ping’an was more concerned that Fan Dache, after hearing his reasoning and understanding it, might find himself unable to do it, or unable to do it well, which would be another kind of trouble.

A principle, unknown, is itself a form of implicit rejection. To know and accept it is a form of affirmation. To be unable to do it is a form of re-rejection.

Generally speaking, at this stage, that principle has reached a dead end, a burial ground on the path of the heart, utterly destroyed. The most terrifying part is that a series of similar principles would follow suit, dying en masse.

Unexpectedly, Fan Dache said, “If I can’t achieve the steadfast sword heart you speak of for the time being, if I can’t help but be influenced by Chen Sanqiu and the others, Chen Ping’an, remember to remind me more. If once isn’t enough, then twice. I don’t have many great qualities, but I’m pretty good at taking advice.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Easy to say.”

Fan Dache finally said, “Then you take my advice too. This great battle will last for a while, a few days or half a month won’t make much difference. You should heal your injuries before returning to the city wall. Otherwise, if you keep going like this, when the time comes for us to leave the city wall and head to the battlefield, it will be difficult for you to return to your peak. You are my formation-guarding swordsman. Even if you don’t worry about yourself, you should at least worry about my little life. Don’t you want to drink free wine in the future?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “That makes sense.”

Chen Ping’an actually summoned his talisman vessel and left the city wall.

Fan Dache went to the southern wall, and Ning Yao nodded and smiled at him, “Thank you.”

Fan Dache wanted to maintain a stern expression, but he couldn’t. He simply laughed.

Dong Huafu commented, “Stupid as a rock.”

Among the group, Chen Sanqiu, who was most dashing and unrestrained in killing enemies with his flying sword, smiled and said, “Dong Black Charcoal, do you have the ability to get Ning Yao to thank you?”

Dong Huafu turned his head and asked, “Sister Ning, can you thank me?”

Ning Yao, with her eyes fixed forward, bestowed upon him a “scram”.

Dong Huafu nodded, indicating that he accepted it with a smile, then turned to look at Chen Sanqiu and Fan Dache, and asked, “Sister Ning is never polite with me, can you guys do that?”

Chen Sanqiu gave a thumbs-up.

Fan Dache took a deep breath, summoned his Natal Flying Sword, and with a flash of sword light, swept down the city wall.

Chen Ping’an, piloting the talisman vessel, without anything to do, imitated his disciples and students, lying on the bow of the boat, paddling with his hands. Did it really go faster?

During a lull in the battle, several young sword cultivators from out of town withdrew from the southern wall to the northern wall, and another batch of local sword cultivators, rested and refreshed, silently replaced them. Only, when they passed each other, most of the latter had smiles on their faces.

Yu Juanfu sat on the northern wall, chewing on the last piece of baked cake, his entire being brimming with fist intent, but he was unable to throw a punch. This made Yu Juanfu, who could only watch the battle from the city wall, for the first time in his life, develop an immense thirst for advancing in the martial arts realm. A Seventh Realm Golden Body was, after all, not like an Eighth Realm Distant Wanderer. As long as one reached the Distant Wanderer Realm, one could control the wind like those Qi refiners, and throw punches to one’s heart’s content.

Zhu Mei’s face was pale, still shaken, wiped the sweat from her brow, and remained silent.

After she summoned her Natal Flying Sword, she had faced several dangerous situations. Either she was protected by Bitter Summer Sword Immortal’s formation, or she was rescued by Jin Zhenmeng. Even Lin Junbi, who was still only a Viewing Sea Realm sword cultivator, had helped her once. If Lin Junbi hadn’t seen through the disguise of a demon clan suicide soldier and deliberately baited him with his sword, causing the demon to unleash his hidden weapon, Lin Junbi would have withdrawn his flying sword in a split second, allowing Jin Zhenmeng to seize the opportunity to slay the demon. Zhu Mei would surely have injured her Natal Flying Sword. Even if her foundation of the Great Dao was not severely damaged, she would have had to retreat from the city wall and obediently recuperate at the Sun manor, and the entire war would have been completely unrelated to her.

Lin Junbi was discussing his combat experiences with Jin Zhenmeng from the previous battle.

This should be the first time Lin Junbi had such a casual chat with Jin Zhenmeng in private, talking about the gains, losses, flaws, loopholes, and many wonderful aspects of both sides’ swordsmanship.

Jin Zhenmeng smiled warmly. Although she still didn’t say much, she was clearly more affectionate towards Lin Junbi.

This was also the first time Jin Zhenmeng felt that Lin Junbi, this genius boy who always seemed untouched by the dust of the world, was, uncharacteristically, a little more human.

Lin Junbi took out a delicate porcelain vial made by the Shao Yuan Dynasty’s Imperial Workshop, poured out three pills of different colors, kept one yellow pill for himself, and threw the remaining two dark-green and spring-green pills to Jin Zhenmeng and Zhu Mei respectively.

Jin Zhenmeng and Zhu Mei were much the same, hesitated for a moment, but still chose to accept them. The three swallowed their respective pills.

Lin Junbi began to hold his breath and concentrate, breathing in and out. The pills gradually dissolved, and abundant spiritual energy poured into several key Qi reservoirs.

Lin Junbi allocated a portion of his mind to continue repeatedly pondering the end of the previous Heart-Questioning Game.

Each review allowed Lin Junbi’s Dao heart to be fulfilled a little more.

Back then, the white-clad young man who called himself Cui Dongshan asked a question while gathering the chess pieces from the board into the chess jar, asking Lin Junbi if he dared to stay at the Sword Qi Great Wall and slay demons with his sword.

Lin Junbi said he dared, but the risk was too great and the benefit too small, seemingly not worth it.

“This is not a suggestion, but an order. Because you are too stupid, I have to say more, lest my good intentions be twisted into a dish of donkey lungs by you. Making what was originally a great thing turn into a reason for you to complain about me. When that time comes, I’ll beat you to death, and you’ll still feel wronged.”

Cui Dongshan pinched a chess piece with two fingers and shook it, “First, after staying, it doesn’t matter how many great demons you kill. If you can kill more and win the approval of one or two Sword Immortals, that’s even better.”
Cui Dongshan casually tossed the chess piece into the jar, then picked up another. “Second, with Ku Xia by your side, and if you exercise caution, you won’t die. Ku Xia is dumber than you, but ultimately a rare good man from the mountains. So, the more you act like a good person, the more decisive your swordsmanship, the more demons you slay, the more Ku Xia will approve of you each day on the city wall. Ku Xia already harbors a death wish, so perhaps one day, Ku Xia will be willing to change his method of dying, no longer for himself, but for you, Lin Junbi, for the future pillar of the Shao Yuan Dynasty. At that point, you need to be careful. Don’t let the Ku Xia Sword Immortal truly die for you in battle. You, Lin Junbi, must constantly use Zhu Mei and Jin Zhenmeng, especially Zhu Mei, to dispel Ku Xia’s thought of a generous sacrifice, and escort you away from the Sword Qi Great Wall. Remember, even if Ku Xia Sword Immortal insists on returning alone to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he should escort you all the way to the Southern Suo Po Continent before turning back. How to do it, and what’s the significance? I won’t teach you. Use that brain of yours, rusted as it is at such a young age, to figure it out yourself.”

Cui Dongshan dropped the second chess piece into the jar. “Third, on your return journey from the Upside-Down Mountain, when interacting with Zhu Mei and Jin Zhenmeng, always keep it subtle, never gild the lily, and never try to buy people’s hearts. Let me teach you a trick. The Lin Junbi who spends time with them daily should still be that Lin Junbi who is proud to the bone. He must be completely different from the Lin Junbi who wielded his sword and slew demons on the city wall, otherwise, your previous efforts will be in vain. Zhu Mei and Jin Zhenmeng are not like Yan Lu and Jiang Guancheng. The latter is pragmatic and realistic, while the former is relatively idealistic. They are worlds apart. You need to consider this carefully yourself.”

“Fourth, once you return to the Central Earth Divine Continent, to that Shao Yuan Dynasty famed for its literary style, you will shut your mouth and not say a word. If you can’t shut your mouth, then go into secluded cultivation and refuse all visitors. Before you shut your mouth, of course, you should have a secret conversation with your teacher. Be frank and honest with him. Don’t hide anything from him, big or small, except for my affairs. Don’t treat your teacher like a fool. The Grand Tutor will understand your ambition, and will not only not be disgusted, but will instead be pleased, because you and he are kindred spirits. He will naturally secretly protect your path, and do some of the things a teacher should do for his prized disciple. He won’t personally get involved to make a name for you. That’s too base a method. I believe the Grand Tutor will not only not do that, but will also control the situation and do the opposite. Yan Lu, who is even dumber than you, is already your pawn anyway. Once you return home, he will naturally do what he should do and say what he should say. But the Grand Tutor will block the news in the Shao Yuan Dynasty, not allowing the experiences you had on the Sword Qi Great Wall to be exaggerated. Then you can wait for the Imperial Academy to speak up for you. During this period, the more Lin Junbi remains silent, and the more the Shao Yuan Dynasty remains silent, the more praise will come to you from all directions. You won’t be able to stop it even if you close your doors.”

“Not only the Shao Yuan Dynasty, but all the surrounding dynasties and vassals, emperors, generals, ministers, cultivators of the mountains, and the common people of the streets will know that there is a young man named Lin Junbi who traveled far to the Sword Qi Great Wall, dared not to retreat in the face of battle, and was able to slay demons with his sword.”

Cui Dongshan pinched a chess piece between his fingers and smiled, asking, “In this ‘Fourth’ step, what is the most subtle point? Think carefully. Don’t let me be disappointed with your answer.”

Lin Junbi replied, “Let my teacher feel that my conduct is still slightly immature, and allow my teacher to do some things that his student can’t do. Then, there will be no resentment in my teacher’s heart.”

Cui Dongshan dropped the chess piece. “Good, you’re not completely stupid yet. Wait, the more tragic the battles at the Sword Qi Great Wall become, and the more the Great Bright World is stunned and then slowly regains consciousness, the more valuable your deeds at the Sword Qi Great Wall will become.”

Cui Dongshan picked up another chess piece, and mocked, “Even those Confucian sages, gentlemen, and virtuous men who belong to different literary traditions from your teacher will look at you, Lin Junbi, with new eyes. The Grand Tutor sees you as an increasingly promising disciple, but the Confucian academies and schools may no longer see Lin Junbi as the Grand Tutor’s disciple. Ponder this mystery, and you will feel like you’re drinking mellow wine.”

Cui Dongshan waved his finger and the chess piece. “But don’t get carried away. All the praise you receive today will become criticism in the future, and the people who praise and criticize you are often the same people. This is another marvel. If you understand it, it’s another jar of mellow wine, intoxicating indeed.”

Cui Dongshan threw the chess piece in his hand, which landed in the jar, and the chess pieces collided, creating a crisp sound. He flicked his sleeves and said, “Yan Lu, this person, can be used well. Zhu Mei, you must gain her approval. Especially the latter. If you handle the relationship properly, you will have unexpected benefits.”

Lin Junbi softly asked, “Is it Zhu Mei’s family?”

Cui Dongshan shook his head. “It’s more than that. You really have a brain full of paste. Why are you playing chess? You only look one or two steps ahead. Do you think you can win?”

Lin Junbi sincerely said, “Please, Mr. Cui, enlighten me.”

Cui Dongshan said, “What Zhu Mei says is almost the same as what Yu Juanfu sees with her own eyes. The two women are inseparable, and their relationship is intimate and pure. What wouldn’t they say? Yu Juanfu recognizes Zhu Mei’s character, and Zhu Mei recognizes you, Lin Junbi. Naturally, she will say a few truly fair words for you. Precisely because of Zhu Mei’s innocence, Yu Juanfu will listen. Then, your clumsy scheming at the Sword Qi Great Wall will not only not become a flaw in Lin Junbi’s life in the eyes of Yu Juanfu, but can also increase her positive view of you. Do you understand this?”

Lin Junbi softly said, “This junior is afraid of misunderstanding, and not having a profound understanding. I wish to hear the details.”

Cui Dongshan laughed, “A person without any flaws is the least approachable. Once someone denies you and then acknowledges you, that acknowledgment will be more firm and unwavering than an acknowledgment at the first meeting. You don’t even understand that? You can’t play chess, and you can’t understand people’s hearts. I’m starting to regret doing this long-term deal with you. I’m starting to feel like I’m going to lose money. Lin Junbi, I didn’t have any worries playing so many chess games with you. I never thought that partnering with you would make me worry. What should I do?”

Lin Junbi hesitated to speak.

Cui Dongshan narrowed his eyes, “You only know how to ask and not think? Do you know that my patience is limited? I will kill you, do you know why? If you answer wrong, you will die.”

Sweat broke out on Lin Junbi’s forehead. “I can die from my own stupidity, but I can’t let Mr. Cui’s judgment be flawed and choose a stupid person to do business with.”
Cui Dongshan smiled, “Good lad, you’re teachable after all.”

Cui Dongshan’s palm rested on the chess pieces inside the jar, gently stroking them, and casually said, “A Central Earth sword cultivator who is both intelligent and unafraid of death, will not be disliked by a pure martial artist from the Central Earth Continent like Yu Juanfu. What do you think the Yu family, even that old codger Zhou Shenzhi, would think of a young sword cultivator who Yu Juanfu doesn’t dislike? Would they see it as a trivial matter? The Yu family elder, Zhou Shenzhi, these old immortals, how many of those so-called half-baked clever people like Lin Junbi have they seen? The Yu family elder single-handedly controlled the rise and fall of two great dynasties, what kind of smart people hasn’t he seen? Old Zhou has lived for thousands of years, and is used to the vicissitudes of the world. What they haven’t seen much of are young people who are both clever and foolish, full of youthful vigor, who don’t put heaven and earth in their eyes, yet are full of a stubbornness that dares to disregard fame, fortune, and even life itself, on certain matters of great principle.”

Cui Dongshan gently raised his hand, leaving the chess jar by an inch, and with a gentle flick of his wrist, he smiled, “This is the subtle change of the wind and clouds in people’s hearts, the scenery is magnificent, it’s just that you can’t see it clearly. Mind as fine as a hair? Cultivators and immortals, with such good eyesight, yet you choose to play blind, cultivating, cultivating, cultivating a fart of a Dao heart. You, Lin Junbi, are destined to be a mountain dweller who will spread your wings in the high halls of power, if you don’t understand people’s hearts, how will you identify and know people, how will you employ and control them? How can you trust people without doubt?”

Lin Junbi was sincerely convinced and said solemnly, “Mr. Cui is brilliant, Lin Junbi is enlightened.”

Cui Dongshan raised his head, “Brilliant? You use such a mundane term to describe me?”

Lin Junbi shook his head and said, “Both high and bright! Like the sun and moon! This is the realm I am willing to pursue for a lifetime, definitely not the brilliance in the mouths of worldly people.”

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily, “This flattery has the style of my mountain top, very good, very good, if there’s a chance in the future, I might really take you as my disciple, and then you can go to the ancestral hall to kowtow, burn incense, and pay respects to the portraits.”

Lin Junbi actually had a guess in his heart, but it was too unbelievable and he dared not believe it.

Cui Dongshan restrained his smile, looked down at the chessboard, wiped his palm across it, and all the chess pieces fell into the chess jar. Then, he picked out a solitary black piece and placed it on the chessboard, and then picked up white pieces, surrounding it in a large circle.

Cui Dongshan said, “Since I’m treating you as half a disciple, then I’ll have to show some real skill. Taking this black piece as an example, you have to teach this black piece to feel very free, unrestricted by heaven and earth, and full of hope in life. But in fact, its heart, all its thoughts, are under your control. To make it live, to make it die, to make it gain power or lose it, all within your calculations.”

Lin Junbi felt that this principle was simple and easy to understand.

Then Cui Dongshan drew an even larger circle of black pieces outside the white pieces, “This is the hearts of that old codger Zhou and the Yu family elder. How should you break this situation?”

Lin Junbi pondered for a long time, raised his arm to wipe his forehead, and shook his head, “No solution, don’t even think about breaking the situation.”

Cui Dongshan nodded, “Not bad, half right.”

Cui Dongshan picked up a white piece and threw it on the chessboard outside the circle of black pieces, “The situation on the chessboard is difficult to change for the time being, life is not just playing chess, the difference between first and second move is only one piece. But don’t forget that people’s hearts are unrestrained, so you can put an idea, hidden in the distance, and keep your eyes wide open, carefully watching the larger chessboard of heaven and earth, what is Zhou Shenzhi? This is cultivating the heart.”

Lin Junbi stared down at the chessboard that was not a chess score, lost in thought.

“Yoyo deer sing, eating wild artemisia, eating wild duckweed. I have fine wine, playing sheng and reed pipe, but I lack a fine guest.”

Cui Dongshan withdrew his gaze towards the earth, turned to look at the sky, and smiled, “Mountain guest, Lord of the Clouds, seeing a flying bird pass by, drain a large cup.”

On the city wall, at this moment, Lin Junbi also learned from the “white-clothed youth” and looked up.

That person was Cui Chan, who had created the *Rainbow Cloud Score*.

His chess skills were even higher than Cui Chan’s back then.

The white-clothed youth put away the chess jar and chessboard, and after getting up, said one last sentence to Lin Junbi, “Teaching you these things is to tell you that calculating people’s hearts is meaningless, it’s fruitless, completely unproductive.”

Chen Ping’an did not return directly to the Ning Residence, but went to the wine shop.

The shop was not closed, but there were no customers.

Zhang Jiazhen and Jiang Qu, the two young farmhands who had previously helped at the wine shop, had secretly gone to Upside-Down Mountain with the Golden Core sword cultivator Cui Wei. Zhong Qiu, Pei Qian, and Cao Qinglang were going to travel to South Saha Continent, and the two young men would go to the Treasure Bottle Continent with Cui Dongshan.

Now helping in the wine shop were three people, a young man named Qiu Long, a young woman named Liu E, and the youngest child named Tao Ban. They were all shop assistants selected by Diezhang, and were all familiar neighbors.

Among them, Tao Ban was still different from his peer Feng Kangle. Feng Kangle, who had started saving money to prepare to marry a wife at a young age, was truly unafraid of anything, and even knew how to read people’s faces and trim his sails to the wind. But Tao Ban only had fearlessness left, a one-track mind. Qiu Long and Liu E, who were originally chatting at the table, became nervous and stood up when they saw the amiable Second Shopkeeper, as if sitting at the wine table was laziness. Chen Ping’an smiled and pressed his hands down, “There are no customers, you can relax.”

Only Tao Ban was lying on a bench at another wine table, staring blankly at the empty street.

Chen Ping’an sat at the wine table and asked with a smile, “What, you couldn’t beat Feng Kangle in snatching a little wife, and you’re unhappy?”

Tao Ban said sullenly, “Second Shopkeeper, tell me, am I really the kind of sword embryo that no one can see?”

Chen Ping’an was speechless.

Chen Ping’an patted the table, “Go and get me a pot of wine, the usual.”

Tao Ban was unwilling to get up and shouted, “Sister Liu E, go and get a pot of wine for the Second Shopkeeper, don’t forget to collect the money.”

Chen Ping’an took out a snowflake coin and handed it to Liu E, saying that the pickles and yangchun noodles were not needed, just wine. Soon the young woman brought a pot of wine and a white bowl, and gently placed them on the table.

Chen Ping’an poured a bowl of Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven wine and took a sip.

Tao Ban sat up, leaned on the wine table, somewhat bored, tapping the table with his fingers, and said, “Second Shopkeeper, I don’t want to sell wine for the rest of my life either.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Then what do you want to do?”
The Peach Plank said, “I haven’t thought it through either.”

Chen Pingan drank his wine and said nothing more.

The Peach Plank, searching for something to say, continued, “Second Shopkeeper, do you know that many people actually speak ill of you behind your back? Many customers who come here to buy wine feel indignant on your behalf. Some of the things they say are infuriating to hear.”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “I didn’t know. Tell me about it?”

So the Peach Plank began to spill the beans, recounting everything he had overheard.

Seeing that the Second Shopkeeper simply drank his wine, without getting angry, the boy grew somewhat indignant himself, huffing, “Second Shopkeeper, you’re not deaf, are you even listening to me?”

Chen Pingan smiled. “I am listening.”

The east wind lifted the willow catkins, the east wind scattered the willow catkins.

The same east wind, the same willow catkins, rising and falling, what did it matter?

But such reasoning was too dull, and there was no need to lecture a child on it.

So Chen Pingan, as if realizing it belatedly, feigned anger and said, “Those bastards, they’re infuriating!”

The boy eagerly asked, “Shall we do something about it?”

Chen Pingan paused with his wine bowl in mid-air, and squinted at him, “Are you going to help me fight, or are you going to be a lookout for me?”

The Peach Plank sighed and slumped back onto the table. “When there are many customers, I find it tiring, and when there are no customers, I find it boring. What’s the matter with me?”

Chen Pingan teased, “Exactly, what’s the matter with you?”

The Peach Plank glared. “You’re such a bore. You don’t even tell stories anymore, and you don’t care about the shop. I don’t know what you’re busy with all day.”

Chen Pingan waved his hand. “I paid for my wine, so a dish of pickled vegetables and a bowl of yangchun noodles should come with it, on the house.”

The Peach Plank grinned from ear to ear.

Liu E, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, immediately went to greet Uncle Feng, asking him to make a bowl of yangchun noodles for the Second Shopkeeper.

Chen Pingan leisurely drank his wine.

Out of nowhere, he thought of the old Chamberlain Liu’s calamity in the Lion Garden of Green Luan Country.

Scholars who cherish their reputation fear nothing more than a tarnished reputation in their later years.

Cui Dongshan had said that those intertwined, venomous schemes were all the brainchild of the old Chamberlain’s eldest son, Liu Qingfeng, and Li Baozhen, a townsman, was merely carrying them out.

Chen Pingan turned his head to look at the large and small wine shops on the street behind him, that empty street.

In fact, those people and those words that the Peach Plank had spoken of did not surprise Chen Pingan in the slightest. He had even anticipated them, just like the inscription he had carved on the side of that seal: Nothing in this world is unexpected.

For Chen Pingan now, it was difficult even to become angry.

And he was utterly untouched by disappointment.

There must have been those who, having met the young master Chen Sanqiu at a wine table or on Taixiang Street, Yuhu Street, had flattered him without success, and thus secretly harbored resentment towards Chen Sanqiu. Since the Second Shopkeeper was friends with Chen Sanqiu, they would resent Chen Pingan along with him.

There must have been those swordsmen who looked down on Diezhang’s origins, yet envied Diezhang’s opportunities and cultivation, and thus detested the clamor of that wine shop, detested that young Second Shopkeeper who had become the talk of the town.

There must have been those of the same age who had once mocked Fatty Yan along with the crowd, but later Yan Zhuo’s realm grew higher and higher, and the need to look up to Yan Zhuo, who was familiar with the Ning family and Chen Pingan, grew stronger and stronger, making this group of people feel uncomfortable and restless.

There must also have been young wine patrons who had tried to get close to the Second Shopkeeper at Diezhang’s Wine Shop, only to feel that they could never quite connect with him. At first, they didn’t think much of it, but as Chen Pingan’s fame grew, in the eyes of those people, it became a real loss of tangible benefits. Over time, they stopped buying and drinking wine there. Instead, they would go to other wine shops with their friends, and speak ill of the small wine shop and Chen Pingan, feeling great pleasure. The more people agreed with them, the better the wine tasted.

These people, especially when they remembered pretending to be like those swordsmen, squatting on the roadside drinking wine and eating pickled vegetables, suddenly felt uncomfortable, so they gossiped about the wine shop with their companions, becoming even more enthusiastic.

The busier the wine shop was, the better the business, the more those who were drinking elsewhere and speaking sarcastic words would look around, even if there were only a few people around them, they would find many reasons to comfort themselves, even feeling that everyone else was drunk, and that they were the only ones who were sober. Gathering in small groups, they would seek warmth from each other, becoming true friends.

The Buddhist scriptures say, “One rain nourishes, yet all plants and trees are different.”

This is similar to the old saying, “One rice feeds a hundred kinds of people.”

Denying anyone is a very easy thing to do.

Whether it is the Old Sword Immortal of the Sword Qi Great Wall, or the Confucian moral sage of the Vast Sky, or the sages of the Hundred Schools, anyone in the world, as long as others want to find fault, can be easily denied, killed in my heart.

Everyone can do it, it can be done, otherwise you will be ostracized. You cannot only do it, otherwise you will be mediocre, and ultimately you will suffer.

Changing to truly recognize someone will be very difficult.

Chen Pingan’s current pleasure lies not in competing with them, but in taking the time, whenever there is an opportunity, to try to look at these people’s complex lives, to see the rivers and lakes of the human heart.

Chen Pingan took a big gulp of wine, his bowl already empty, and poured another bowl.

Looking at the Peach Plank who was gobbling down his noodles, Chen Pingan laughed, “Eat slowly, no one’s going to take them from you.”

The Peach Plank ignored him.

Chen Pingan drank his wine, feeling a little homesick.

In his childhood, in his small town, a child once climbed a tree to retrieve a broken kite hanging on a high branch, but was called a thief.

Once, he was watching the play of children of the same age from afar at the Immortal’s Tomb, someone was bitten by a snake, and the child immediately relied on the herbal remedies that he had inquired about, learned, and eavesdropped on from Yang’s shop, helping the child who was bitten by the snake to apply medicine.

After that, when they saw this dark-skinned boy from Mud Bottle Lane, who was always alone and watched them play from afar, the ones who scolded the loudest and threw the most mud were precisely those peers who had had contact with the orphan from Mud Bottle Lane.

In those years, Chen Pingan did not understand why this was the case. As he gradually grew up, he came to understand that if they did not do this, they would lose their friends.

But this did not prevent those children, when they grew up, from being filial to their parents, and helping the elderly neighbors fetch water and搶水 (a local term for a midnight scramble for water).
There were also those young scoundrels who gave up on themselves. Some were fortunate enough to become lackeys of the wealthy young masters in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane. They would seize every opportunity to glare and scowl, putting on a fierce act.

Even so, it didn’t stop some of them from using their reward money to buy a large pile of New Year’s goods in the town shops for their poorly dressed younger siblings who were always “outside the door,” and then have their parents prepare a hearty meal for a lively family reunion.

They would make small bamboo dragonfly and bamboo sword toys for their younger siblings.

There were also those who had a family full of ill intentions since childhood, and remained so even after growing up. They could make a living, though not a great one. The family never argued over right or wrong. All of their perceptions seemed to possess a kind of harmoniousness, like a small, self-contained world. Even when Chen Ping’an became a kiln worker apprentice, he didn’t understand why. It was only after traversing many paths of the pugilistic world and reading many books on principles that he understood the reason.

The child in Mud Bottle Lane grew up day by day. Each moment of his childhood brought both small and large unhappiness, and he felt wronged.

He could only squat alone, shaking his head and playing with weeds, or near the Immortal Graveyard, he would mold crude clay figures in front of the dilapidated statues of deities.

He would also pick up a dry branch and hop and skip alone on the lush countryside road, treating the dry branch as a sword, slashing all the way, panting, and feeling very happy.

He would also suffer from a toothache, his face swollen, and he could only chew on some folk remedies in his mouth, not wanting to speak for several days.

But as long as he was free from illness and pain, even if he had to skip meals sometimes, he was happy.

He would also be unable to sleep for most of the night, so he would run to the Dragon Locking Well or the old locust tree alone. Just looking at the bright starry sky, he felt like he had nothing, yet also had everything.

Later, the snot-nosed kid from the same lane grew up, able to walk and talk.

The straw sandal boy from Mud Bottle Lane also met Liu Xianyang.

Later, after becoming a kiln worker apprentice, he felt that life had a little extra hope.

He wanted to take care of the snot-nosed kid a little more, and learn more skills from Liu Xianyang.

Chen Ping’an hoped that the three of them would definitely be well-fed and warmly clothed in the future. No matter what happened, whether it was a major disaster or a minor setback, they could pass through smoothly, endure through it, and make a name for themselves.

The snot-nosed kid said that he must earn a lot of money, so that his mother could wear gold and silver every time she went out, and also move to a house in Fortune Street.

At that time, all the bastards who had bullied them would be so scared that they would slap themselves, and they would proactively bring chickens and ducks to apologize. Otherwise, he, Gu Can, would not forgive them. For every hundred sentences they had cursed him before, he would curse back several hundred sentences. For every kick they had given him before, he would kick back seven or eight kicks, kicking them to the ground, nearly dying.

Liu Xianyang said that he wanted to become the best craftsman in all the dragon kilns, to learn all of Old Yao’s skills. The porcelain he personally fired would become objects placed on the Emperor’s table, and the Emperor would treat them as family heirlooms. When he got older and became an old man, he, Liu Xianyang, would definitely be more imposing than Old Yao, scolding the clumsy disciples and apprentices every day until they were covered in blood.

Liu Xianyang also hoped that he could break bricks with a single punch, and cross the widest stream with a single step. Everyone who had studied in the school, all those guys who could write a few lines of pretentious prose, would have to look at him, Liu Xianyang, with new respect, begging to write Spring Festival couplets for his old Liu family.

At that time, the aspirations of the three of them were all felt to be very big, the biggest.

But no one expected that compared to their future life experiences, those big aspirations at the time seemed not that big, even very small.

It was just that Gu Can became the kind of person that all three of them hated the most back then.

Liu Xianyang also did not become that kind of great hero, but became a true scholar.

Chen Ping’an, who only wanted to live a peaceful life, did not live such a life.

He earned a lot of money, traveled far in the pugilistic world, and met many people and things that he never dared to imagine before. He was no longer the straw sandal boy who carried a large basket to collect herbs on the mountain, but had replaced it with a large invisible basket, filled with all the big and small stories that he could not bear to forget and had picked up along the road of life and put into the basket on his back.

The endings of some stories were far from perfect. Lovers failed to become a couple, good people did not seem to get good rewards, and some separations that were not sad at the time actually had no chance of reunion. The endings of some stories were beautiful, but also had regrets. Some stories have not yet reached their ending.

But Chen Ping’an always believed that seeing light in the darkness and finding hope in despair would not be wrong.

Chen Ping’an put down his wine bowl, lost in thought.

He remembered Old Yao, who liked to stand alone with his hands in his sleeves.

He remembered the first time he followed the old man into the mountains to find suitable clay for firing porcelain. Suddenly, a heavy snow fell, the cold wind was biting, and the snow was knee-deep, almost freezing the sparsely clothed straw sandal boy to death.

The silent old man went on his way in front, only slowing down his pace, and rarely said a few words, “Walking in the mountains in the dead of winter, it’s freezing cold. You barely earned some money, and you’re not willing to spend a single coin, just to freeze yourself to death?”

“It’s cold and the road is far, so just wear more clothes yourself. Can’t you even think of that? If your parents don’t teach you, can’t you think for yourself?”

On the seemingly endless snowy road, the suffering boy couldn’t even cry, listening to the even worse words.

The old man never cared about Chen Ping’an’s life or death.

But when Chen Ping’an once again truly felt that despair, someone caught up, not only bringing Chen Ping’an a large package containing a thick cotton-padded jacket and dry food, but also cursing the old man he had officially apprenticed to and kowtowed to as a worthless thing.

Chen Ping’an was caught off guard and was grabbed by the neck, his body pulled back and falling.
Instead of withdrawing, that fellow increased the pressure on the arm draped around Chen Ping’an’s shoulders. His other hand vigorously ruffled Chen Ping’an’s hair, bellowing with laughter, “So you’ve shot up like a weed, eh? Did you even ask for my permission first?!”

Chen Ping’an’s eyes reddened, and he murmured, “Why only now?”

In all the world, the only person who could interfere with Chen Ping’an’s life and whom Chen Ping’an would willingly listen to had arrived at the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Because it was Liu Xianyang.