For the moment, the desolate world has no inkling that atop the Great Wall of Sword Qi, a historically powerful Hidden Official has departed, replaced by one whose cultivation is, historically, the lowest.

Even if they knew, they would likely treat it as the greatest joke imaginable.

In fact, even on the Great Wall of Sword Qi, few truly take it seriously. Especially the sword immortals, who see it as just another one of the old sword immortal’s “it doesn’t matter” decisions.

A new official brings three fires to his post. Upon taking his seat, Chen Ping An, without exaggeration, did precisely three things.

The Hidden Official lineage possessed two private residences, both located outside the city—one for escaping the summer heat, the other for warding off the winter chill. All secret files accumulated over the past century were moved to the Zouma Path, stacked layer upon layer behind Chen Ping An, forming a mountain.

The previous Hidden Official had neither taken the jade plaque bearing the ancient seal characters for “Hidden Official,” nor had he destroyed the archive, a legacy of the Hidden Official lineage for millennia.

In addition to the “backing” behind Chen Ping An, he also had a treasured immortal artifact moved over: the Sword Forge.

Each member of the Hidden Official lineage received two communication flying swords, specially forged by the Sword Forge’s artisans. At Chen Ping An’s request, the sword forgers inscribed each person’s name upon their respective swords.

Chen Ping An, Mi Yu, Pang Yuanji, Dong Bu De, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, Guo Zhujiu, Lin Junbi, Deng Liang, Song Gaoyuan, Cao Gun, and Xuan Can.

These were all the sword cultivators currently within the Hidden Official lineage on the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

However, the two flying swords belonging to Chen Ping An were directly inscribed with the characters for “Hidden Official,” rather than his given name.

The third matter was that Chen Ping An spoke frankly and openly with his “subordinates,” saying, “Everyone, including myself, totals twelve people. All of us sword cultivators present here are intelligent, and should know very well that we share a common trait: our cultivation realms are not high. Our sword skills and killing power are, in the current defense, completely insignificant. However, our minds are still sharp. When we encounter problems, we are willing to think more. Habit becomes second nature. The thoughts that ordinary sword cultivators might turn over once, we might already turn over several times. This is called practice makes perfect. Bestowing the identity of Hidden Official upon each of you is the greatest recognition you can receive. But this is not a guaranteed position. Every suggestion we make, especially every strategy that ultimately affects the entire sword formation, will involve the swordsmanship of tens of thousands of sword cultivators, and even the lives of hundreds or thousands of sword cultivators, and even many sword immortals. My only requirement is that everyone exhausts their efforts and gives their best advice. If I discover anyone dragging their feet in any stage, whose mind seems sharp but is actually useless, I will directly expel them from the Hidden Official lineage. Your reputation, no matter how valuable, is not as valuable as the lives of sword cultivators, not as valuable as their natal flying swords.”

“So this is definitely not an easy task. So please prepare yourselves mentally. We need to be responsible for every person who dies in battle. The bigger problem lies with those sword cultivators who are worse than dead, or whose friends and family have died in battle. They may harbor resentment towards us twelve, towards us useless sword cultivators who only know how to talk. Their hatred is human nature. We cannot change it. But we ourselves must not be disappointed by it. Not even a little bit. If anyone harbors resentment because of this and deliberately sabotages things, once I detect it, I will have Sword Immortal Mi Yu deliver a sword strike to directly kill them. I will not listen to any excuses. Once I suspect someone, that person will die. So my last question is, who wants to withdraw from the Hidden Official lineage? It’s not too late to withdraw now. Otherwise, rather than scheming against me, Chen Ping An, competing in depths of craftiness, it’s better to cleanly and directly go to the city wall to wield your sword and kill demons, earning as much merit as possible. That would be much better than wasting time here to a dead end, harming oneself and others.”

The remaining eleven sword cultivators were silent, their eyes filled with resolve.

Chen Ping An nodded and said, “Very good. Even a young sword cultivator like Lin Junbi, whose great path is foreseeable, has not hesitated at all, daring to bet his great path and his life here. I believe the hearts of the people are trustworthy.”

Lin Junbi immediately felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Could this fellow Chen Ping An be taking the opportunity to exact revenge for personal grudges?

Chen Ping An narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the faces of each sword cultivator, and slowly said, “Sitting here, we are no longer cultivating, nor are we refining swords. We are simply conducting the biggest transaction under heaven on behalf of the Great Wall of Sword Qi with those beasts from the desolate world. We must create the most profitable business for the tens of thousands of sword cultivators on the Great Wall of Sword Qi. We must exchange the fewest lives on our side for the most lives on the enemy’s side! Everyone, we will never have such an opportunity again in our lives. No matter how profound your future fortune is, allowing you to reach the peak of the great path, becoming immortals, ascending to the Ascension Realm, and then dissolving into reincarnation, even if you have a next life, you are destined not to have such an opportunity again. Even if you become the master of a sect in the Vast Sky World, with clouds of sword cultivators within your sect, how many sword immortals can you mobilize, so that they willingly draw their swords and generously go to their deaths?! Cherish the present, because this is a feat that only the twelve of us can accomplish for thousands of years, before and after, across multiple worlds!”

Guo Zhujiu, sitting behind his desk, with firm eyes, suddenly clasped his fist, but remained silent.

Dong Bu De followed suit, also spirited, clasping his fist high.

Lin Junbi, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, and everyone else, even Sword Immortal Mi Yu, all clasped their fists one by one.

Especially those young sword cultivators from other continents, their hearts were stirred.

Those who dare to come to the Great Wall of Sword Qi to practice swordsmanship from other lands, especially those who dare to draw their swords after the great battle and are unwilling to leave, the younger the sword cultivator, the higher their aspirations and the purer their hearts!

Chen Ping An said, “Don’t rush to issue orders to the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Let’s first familiarize ourselves with the battlefields on both sides. First, follow Lin Junbi’s established plan, each performing your respective duties. After half an hour, I will make further decisions.”

In Chen Ping An’s view, Lin Junbi’s plan was too rough, but it was Lin Junbi’s quick-witted achievement in an emergency, and no more could be demanded. However, if the Great Wall of Sword Qi, or rather, the Great Wall of Sword Qi from now on, continues to respond to the sixty military camps of the desolate world with this kind of collective effort, Chen Ping An does not think that his Hidden Official lineage has the slightest chance of winning.
Chen Ping’an began to browse through the secret files of the old Hidden Official lineage. He flipped through the pages with great speed, with more than a dozen blank notebooks at hand. When he saw a crucial point, he would transcribe it. At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he would glance at the battlefield painting from time to time, and then carefully observe the subtle changes in the expressions of the eleven people.

The elegant handwriting belonged to that Bamboo Hermitage Sword Immortal.

The bold strokes, on the other hand, were those of the female Sword Immortal Luo Shan.

Truly, the writing reveals the person.

The content was clear, clean, and naturally flawless.

Even though the three Sword Immortals had betrayed the Great Wall of Sword Qi, if we only talk about this matter of filing secret records, it can still be said that they were conscientious and responsible.

Exactly half an hour later, Chen Ping’an held a folded fan, unopened, and lightly lifted it before tapping it heavily on the table. He said, “Continue to watch the battlefield, and listen to my words at the same time. From now on, everyone must handle three things at once. The first is their primary duty; everyone must keep a close eye on the painting. The second is that everyone begins to take notes, so that others can read them, and if there is a need, they can directly ask others for notes as a reference. The third thing is to send flying sword messages to various places at certain times.”

Chen Ping’an continued, “Let’s start with the third matter. The flying swords of the Hidden Official lineage’s sword workshop are extremely fast. Apart from some major strategies, which I will personally transmit via flying sword to all sword cultivators, the rest, some subtle adjustments and transformations of the sword formations, you each have your own tasks. Among them, Mi Yu, Dong Bude, and Gu Jianlong are responsible for sending flying sword messages to all the local sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, dividing the entire Great Wall of Sword Qi into three major territories: left, center, and right. Guo Zhujiu and Wang Xinshui are responsible for notifying all the Upper Five Realms Sword Immortals via flying sword.”

Hearing this, Mi Yu frowned. Because this didn’t seem reasonable. Logically speaking, he should be the one contacting the other Sword Immortals.

Chen Ping’an explained, “Sword Immortal Mi Yu, if Sword Immortals speak to each other, the difference in cultivation realms is a threshold in their hearts, not pure enough, and prone to extraneous complications. Many opportunities on the battlefield are fleeting, and a moment of stagnation or hesitation is enough to lose them. Can you understand it this way?”

Mi Yu nodded.

In fact, this Hidden Official Lord was quite polite, and some unspoken words were even more reasons, such as Mi Yu’s terrible impression in the minds of other Sword Immortals of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Relatively speaking, having Guo Zhujiu and Wang Xinshui, whose realms were extremely low, send flying sword messages to the Sword Immortals was indeed a more direct and official matter. If he, Mi Yu, a famous showman Sword Immortal, were to issue orders, many Sword Immortals would simply not buy it.

Chen Ping’an continued, “If you have such doubts in the future, ask me directly. It would be best if you can convince me to change my mind. In addition, Pang Yuanji is responsible for contacting the supervising officials of the old Hidden Official lineage, as well as the merit record officials of the Confucian disciples. The number is small, so Pang Yuanji is also responsible for the sword cultivators of the Central Earth Divine Continent. Lin Junbi is responsible for the sword cultivators of the Southern Poshuo Continent, Deng Liang is responsible for contacting all the sword cultivators of the Northern Ju Lu Continent, Song Gaoyuan sends flying sword messages to the Golden Armor Continent, Xuan Can is responsible for the Flowing Sunset Continent, and Cao Gun is responsible for the Snowy Continent.”

Most of these people, who inexplicably became sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, were good at mental arithmetic, calculation, and proficient in chess, such as Lin Junbi and Xuan Can, who were all veritable masters.

Mi Yu really did ask the Hidden Official Lord directly when he had a question, “Why doesn’t a sword cultivator from one continent contact sword cultivators and Sword Immortals from their own continent? Wouldn’t that be even less stagnant?”

Chen Ping’an retorted, “Deng Liang and the others, these foreign sword cultivators, came to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, risked their lives, and now they have been pulled in to be sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, doing such a thankless task, and you don’t even allow them to earn a little extra goodwill?”

The words were very direct.

It was clearly a business-like attitude.

Lin Junbi smiled knowingly.

The other sword cultivators from other continents were also somewhat embarrassed, but at the same time, they were even more delighted and felt a little more sincere gratitude towards this Hidden Official Lord.

If one can live, who would want to die? If one can not die and live with a clear conscience, then thinking more about the future path of the Great Dao is a matter of course.

Mi Yu pondered for a moment, figured out the key, and the Sword Immortal smiled helplessly, cupped his fists, to show that he understood and had no more questions.

The local sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi were responsible for sending messages to the local sword cultivators. But there was a hidden meaning in the flying sword messages of Lin Junbi and other outsiders, which was very particular. For example, he would send messages to the sword cultivators of the Poshuo Continent to the south of the Central Earth Divine Continent, Deng Liang of the Snowy Continent in the far north, was responsible for the Northern Ju Lu Continent in the northeast of the vast world, and so on for the other sword cultivators, all sending flying sword messages to the adjacent continents. This kind of goodwill was like a cross-continental ferry, but doing the fairest and least profitable business in the world. Such extremely sincere goodwill would naturally last for a long time, allowing the other party to remember it for a long time. As for the sword cultivators of the native continents of all the outsiders, they had long looked up to this group of young sword cultivators who had joined the Hidden Official lineage. Naturally, there was no need for the Hidden Official Lord Chen Ping’an to help Deng Liang, Xuan Can, and the others add more icing on the cake.

Lin Junbi was the first to think of it, and the other young foreign sword cultivators, since they could be selected by the Great Wall of Sword Qi to become members of the Hidden Official lineage, as Chen Ping’an said, their realms might not be high, but none of them were not quick-witted, and they quickly thought of it too.

Therefore, the only one who really needed to ask was Mi Yu, the highest-realm Jade Pure Realm cultivator.

Chen Ping’an picked up a stack of booklets beside him, more than a dozen, all with only one title written on them, “The second thing to do next is the most important thing. Listen carefully.”

Chen Ping’an took out the top two booklets, titled “Book A – Main Register” and “Book A – Sub Register”, and explained, “These two books record in detail the names of our Upper Five Realms Sword Immortals, their natal swords, and the natal divine abilities of the swords. The main register is for the Sword Immortals of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, and the sub register is for the foreign Sword Immortals. One page records only one person, and there will be a page number in the lower right corner of the page. You must be familiar with the page numbers and the corresponding Sword Immortals.”

Then Chen Ping’an put down these two booklets and explained the functions of the remaining booklets one by one.

Book B was responsible for recording all the Upper Five Realms demon races from the Wilderness World that had appeared on the battlefield.

Also with main and sub registers, the main register records all the Ascension Realm and Immortal Realm Great Demons, as well as the demon races who are Jade Pure Realm sword cultivators, in addition to the peak Great Demons who own fourteen thrones in the Hall of Valor.

The sub register records all Jade Pure Realm demon cultivators other than Jade Pure Realm sword cultivators.
If the name is unknown, just give them a random one, write about their appearance after human transformation, their true form, key magical treasures, innate divine abilities, and which faction they roughly belong to in the desolate world, who they partner with in battle, the more details the better.

Book Bing, without a supplement.

Record all of our Earth Immortal Sword Cultivators. Pay special attention to screening out those whose natal flying swords are naturally suitable for the battlefield, how they are matched, and whether they can create an effect similar to that of the Earth Immortal couple “Painting Dragons and Dotting Eyes”.

Chen Pingan also gave several examples, such as the Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator Cheng Quan, this kind of special Earth Immortal Sword Cultivator similar to Jade Pure Realm Sword Immortal Wu Chengpei, must be given special attention.

Book Ding, recording the monster race that are also in the Earth Immortal realm.

Chen Pingan’s tone was extremely serious when he described this book, saying that the reason for listing it separately was because this group of monster cultivators from the desolate world deserved to die the most, and were relatively easy to kill compared to the Great Demons. In the past, they were easily ignored or not valued enough by the Great Wall of Sword Qi. In a certain stage of the war, the killing power of this group of beasts might not be obvious, but if we review and trace the war situation, the longer a war lasts, the greater the damage this backbone force will cause to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, perhaps even more terrifying than some Upper Five Realm monster races.

In Chen Pingan’s words, killing this batch of monster races is the most cost-effective. The swords of the senior Sword Immortals don’t need to be too strenuous, and they can also earn considerable combat merits. Accumulate little by little, killing is better than not killing.

Chen Pingan obviously held this “Book Ding” in his hand for a long time, and was always unwilling to put it down, “So if we can write a relatively detailed framework for this Book Ding, and use extremely detailed details to deduce a fact that is infinitely close to the truth, then we can re-open Book Jia, both the main and auxiliary volumes, and ask those senior Sword Immortals with great killing power and extremely fast swords to find opportunities on the battlefield to kill the monster race cultivators in this book. This is the most effective measure for our Hidden Official lineage at the moment, so everyone should think carefully, every pseudonym and item crossed out in Book Ding is the most tangible combat merit for everyone present!”

Xuan Can asked, “What if the senior Sword Immortals have their own reasons and are unwilling to draw their swords? What if our flying sword messages are useless? On the battlefield, both sides have a long-standing grudge, I’m just saying what if, what if one of our Sword Immortals has set his sights on an enemy and insists on fighting them one-on-one, unwilling to obey our orders, are we going to start fighting among ourselves first?”

Chen Pingan smiled and said, “If they have too much airs and are unwilling to move, or refuse you with the excuse of not daring to leave their posts without authorization, or if the situation Xuan Can mentioned happens, then use the identity of a Sword Cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage, this is a military order. If that doesn’t work, then three times is enough. After reminding the Sword Immortals twice with flying sword messages, don’t waste any more words. I will personally ask Sword Immortals with greater airs and greater killing power to beg them to draw their swords. If we can’t invite them, then we beg!”

The atmosphere was a bit heavy.

This young Hidden Official Lord made jokes in his words, but in fact, this is definitely not an easy thing to do.

The defection of the previous Hidden Official, the following of the two Sword Immortals, especially the serious injuries suffered by Zuo You, the low morale of the Great Wall of Sword Qi is a fact that even a blind person can see. If there are any more accidents, it will undoubtedly add fuel to the fire.

Chen Pingan put down that book and smiled, “Why are you all looking at me? Is it appropriate for the dignified Hidden Official Lord to personally run errands and speak? It’s nothing if I lose face, but I feel uneasy if I lose face for everyone. Right, Brother Gu? Isn’t this a fair statement?”

Gu Jianlong nodded vigorously.

Chen Pingan restrained his smile, “You probably don’t know the weight of the four words ‘Hidden Official Lineage’ yet. In the Great Wall of Sword Qi, these four words can determine life and death, no need to reason!”

Chen Pingan said, “It doesn’t matter if you have doubts in your heart, you can wait and see. Anyway, I’m not afraid to use the head of a Sword Immortal to prove whether this matter is true or false. As for you, why worry about these things? If the sky falls, just say that the twelve of us in the Hidden Official lineage, naturally whoever is the Hidden Official will carry it.”

Chen Pingan picked up the latest blank ledger, which was “Book Wu” following Book Ding.

Book Wu, recording the siege strategies of the desolate world in the first three battles, recording everything in detail. The distribution of troops, the conversion speed of troop deployments in the sixty small battlefields of the desolate world, whether the siege style is always stable, or often flexible and adaptable, must be recorded in detail.

Therefore, this book must be extremely thick and heavy, and the content will be supplemented at any time, becoming more and more.

Book Ji.

Writing down all the merits and demerits of the twelve Sword Cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, one by one, will be written in this book.

This is a book of merits, and also a book of self-examination.

There is only one writer, naturally the new Hidden Official Lord Chen Pingan, but the only person who can read it is Chen Pingan.

Book Geng.

Recording the names of all the Sword Cultivators who died in battle or whose natal flying swords were destroyed in the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

This one is also destined to be not thin.

Deng Liang asked, “Should we immediately record the Sword Cultivators who died in battle or lost their flying swords in the previous two battles?”

Chen Pingan said straightforwardly, “No. We’ll add them later. This book can only be written when we have free time.”

The living are always more important than the dead.

This is war.

Deng Liang nodded, without any objection, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Chen Pingan answered wrong on this question, then the morale that all the Sword Cultivators, including Deng Liang, had managed to gather would immediately dissipate.

Everyone is extremely intelligent. Whether Chen Pingan is the new Hidden Official Lord, or the Second Shopkeeper with the identity of a closed-door disciple of the Literary Sage lineage, if he cannot suppress them everywhere in this “small world” and convince others, then nothing else needs to be said, just the Book Ji is a huge joke, and the Hidden Official lineage, which is now just taking shape, is even more of a decoration with more disadvantages than advantages.

Because in this small world, only the one with the strongest self-cultivation can convince others with reason.

The Great Wall of Sword Qi has always had a seemingly ridiculous but extremely cruel saying.

Lower Five Realm Sword Cultivators will also recite a sentence, “I am more powerful than Zong Yuan.”

It should be known that the old Sword Immortal was the one who fought alongside Chen Qingdu for the longest time after Dragon Lord and Guanzhao, the one with the highest status, and was known as the one with the most hope of breaking through the “huge bottleneck” of the Ascension Realm Sword Cultivator.
Amidst the fierce battle where the demon horde blanketed the city walls, it was he who, with sword in hand, slew two ascending realm great demons, and joined forces with Chen Qingdu to repel the savages.

Based on his military exploits, Zong Yuan was undoubtedly entitled to have his name inscribed, even two characters, but death prevented him from having them etched upon the Sword Qi Great Wall.

How formidable could a dead old sword immortal, a great sword immortal, be if he could no longer wield his sword? Utterly powerless.

Chen Pingan set down the blank book in his hand.

*Geng*, meaning renewal, represents the autumn harvest and anticipation of the coming spring.

It was originally a beautiful concept, yet now a monumental aspiration.

Chen Pingan continued to discuss the *Xin*, *Ren*, and finally the *Gui* volumes.

The *Xin* volume:

Accounting for the war losses of the savage lands.

The *Ren* volume:

Calculating the assets of the Sword Forges, Clothing Forges, Pill Forges, and all other resources of the Sword Qi Great Wall, with a focus on liaising with the Nalan and Yan families, who were responsible for the Great Wall’s commerce.

A war drains not only manpower but also intangible resources, divine coins, and precious materials.

The *Gui* volume:

In every battlefield moment, the twelve members of the Hidden Official lineage could offer their individual assessments, deductions, and conjectures regarding the next offensive or defensive engagement. They were to write down any thoughts or insights and submit them to Guo Zhujiu, who would then pass them on to Chen Pingan for aggregation.

Chen Pingan carefully placed all the books, saying, “Having addressed the third and second matters, we shall now discuss the first. Lin Junbi’s previous division of responsibilities was adequate, but given the current changing circumstances, we shall implement some revisions. This will be a core principle of our Hidden Official lineage going forward. We can no longer react to every situation with inflexibility, as in past battles. We must constantly adapt, and every adaptation must represent the best result of our collective wisdom. Each of our twelve flying sword transmissions must provide an advantage to the sword cultivators wielding their blades for the Sword Qi Great Wall!”

Chen Pingan meticulously delineated, segmented, and defined the detailed responsibilities of the twelve, emphasizing that each sword cultivator must also monitor the overall flow of the war beyond their designated area. Failure to do so would easily lead to localized gains at the cost of large-scale battlefield losses, resulting in a murky situation for the Hidden Official lineage, a debt that could not be evaded, and a greater price: the unnecessary deaths of hundreds, even thousands, of allied sword cultivators.

“To slay villains with heroism lies in the strokes of a pen.”

Chen Pingan finally smiled, bending down to pick up his folding fan. Opening the jade bamboo fan, he said with a smile, “Then, I invite you all to conspire with me against the savage lands. Earning money is no great feat. Let us earn the heads of those great demons!”

It was at this moment that Lin Junbi truly submitted to Chen Pingan, heart and soul.

Worthy of being the nominal teacher of that Mr. Cui!

A consistent lineage, a mastery of practical affairs!

Chen Pingan closed his fan, looking at Pang Yuanji with a smile, addressing him by name. “Pang Yuanji, remember to write in the *Yi* main volume: ‘Xiao Xun, also known as Zhengyun, sword cultivator at the bottleneck of the Ascension Realm, natal flying sword unknown.’ Do not record this in the *Jia* main volume. If you have any clues about her natal flying sword, you may, of course, add them to the book for reference. I can record a merit for you in the *Ji* volume for that.”

Pang Yuanji’s face was ashen. He nodded in silence.

The previous Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall was named Xiao Xun.

It was a name that many young sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall had already forgotten.

Because they had grown accustomed to reverently addressing her as Hidden Official.

Chen Pingan squinted, asking, “You nod but say nothing. Forgive my obtuseness, but I cannot discern whether you know her natal flying sword.”

Pang Yuanji shook his head. “I do not.”

Chen Pingan smiled. “It matters not. The war is protracted, and she is unlikely to act for the time being. If you forget and then accidentally recall, the merit will still be yours.”

This exchange left Sword Immortal Mi Yu, and the foreign sword cultivators who had remained aloof, with goosebumps and a chill down their spines.

Chen Pingan surveyed the surroundings, lightly waving his fan, his temples swaying in the breeze. “I already know your names, origins, and cultivation realms. However, I have a request: Please share your greatest strengths and weaknesses. This is a minor matter; attend to your other tasks first. When I ask, simply convey your thoughts to me mentally. I hope you will be frank and open, as this is no trifling matter.”

Lin Junbi was somewhat perplexed.

Chen Pingan’s move was unlikely to be well-received.

But Lin Junbi soon understood.

Chen Pingan needed to understand the hearts of all members of the Hidden Official lineage as quickly as possible.

If the standoff between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the savage lands was the largest battlefield, and the Hidden Official lineage with all sword cultivators of the Great Wall was the second, then the internal dynamics of the twelve Hidden Official members comprised the third. And the seemingly smallest of these battlefields, the fluctuations in their hearts, could greatly impact the flow of the first two battlefields due to their position of power.

As the Hidden Official, Chen Pingan could, of course, judge their qualities based on their actions, but this would be too slow. If the Hidden Official lineage’s strategies were delayed, the battlefield maneuvers would follow suit. However, with this request, regardless of the answers given, it was a form of testimony. The meticulous Chen Pingan would naturally form his own further judgments.

After a moment, everyone gave their answers. Chen Pingan remained impassive, not directly recording them in the *Ji* volume, but writing them on a piece of paper tucked within the *Ji* volume.

Yu Juanfu walked over, silent for a moment, and asked, “Can I help?”

No one turned to look at the woman from the Central Earth Divine Continent. Even Lin Junbi dared only to momentarily divert his attention to this potentially significant question.

Chen Pingan shook his head. “No.”

Yu Juanfu was equally direct, going to a quiet corner of the wall to sit, alone and drinking.

Chen Pingan looked at Mi Yu. “Sword Immortal Mi Yu, please designate a sword array within a three-mile radius as a forbidden zone. Then, select a group of young sword cultivators, their realms are not important, even the lower five realms will do, three to five people are sufficient. They will be responsible for informing all passing sword cultivators of the new rules. All irrelevant people are not allowed to approach, sword immortals are no exception.”
Having said that, Chen Pingan smiled, “Sword Immortal Mi Yu, among us, you possess the highest cultivation. This villainous role can only be taken by you. Once conflict arises, unleash your sword without hesitation. If you can’t prevail, I will personally reason with the other Sword Immortals.”

Mi Yu felt somewhat relieved and, accepting the order, rose to carry out the task.

The rules of the Hidden Official lineage, whether previously loose and arbitrary or meticulously strict, will only become more unforgiving in Chen Pingan’s hands. He believed the Great Wall of Sword Qi would soon realize this.

Chen Pingan closed his folding fan, gently placing it on the table alongside the “Hidden Official” jade pendant. He then began drafting two volumes, designated Jia (甲) A and Jia B, under his personal supervision. The names had long been formulated in his mind, allowing him to write with exceptional speed.

Named after the Heavenly Stems (天干), with accompanying auxiliary volumes for Jia A and Jia B.

Precisely twelve volumes in total.

Currently, the Hidden Official lineage also comprised a total of twelve individuals.

Chen Pingan hoped that after the great battle, each could take a volume as their own.

If they were all still alive.

Suddenly, Xuan Can said in a deep voice, “Great Sword Immortal Yue Qing is currently exerting tremendous sword qi, but it’s impacting the overall sword formation. Two nearby Sword Immortals are forced to follow suit. Although the localized Sword Immortal coordination is effective, the surrounding Earthly Immortal Sword Cultivators and other Middle Five Realms Sword Cultivators are significantly slower to unleash their swords. This leads to a higher rate of attrition for the natal swords of the Middle Five Realms Sword Cultivators.”

Soon, two other Sword Cultivators nodded in agreement, stating, “Indeed.” and “That is true.”

Chen Pingan glanced at the scroll painting, continuing to write in the Jia and Yi volumes, and casually said, “Send a flying sword message to Yue Qing.”

Wang Xinshui quickly focused his mind, controlling a message-carrying flying sword and succinctly explaining the situation. Glancing at the Sword Immortal defense map everyone possessed, the flying sword vanished in an instant, heading towards Great Sword Immortal Yue Qing. Sweat beaded on the young Sword Cultivator’s brow; he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. Wang Xinshui was merely at the Dragon Gate Realm, albeit one of the most talented Sword Cultivators in the Great Wall of Sword Qi’s history. However, directly instructing a Great Sword Immortal, a potential candidate for the top ten, on how to wield their sword would naturally cause unease.

Moments later, Chen Pingan looked up but continued writing, glaring askance at the scroll painting. He suddenly said sternly, “Wang Xinshui, send another flying sword message to Yue Qing. Dispense with the reasoning. Tell Yue Qing directly that if he doesn’t change his swordplay, he can get off the city wall! Before he leaves, he should remember to complain to the Eldest Sword Immortal!”

Wang Xinshui trembled as he sent the second flying sword message.

Furthermore, Chen Pingan, seemingly remembering something, cursed under his breath and directly used his own flying sword to send a message to the Eldest Sword Immortal.

Then, he instructed Guo Zhujiu to send a flying sword message to Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal Wu Chengpei, inquiring about the progress of his “Sweet Dew” sword refinement. He then said to everyone, “These matters are your responsibilities. I don’t want to remind you a second time.”

Shortly after, not only did Great Sword Immortal Yue Qing moderate his swordplay, but an unexpected guest arrived at the forbidden area.

It must have been Chen Pingan’s flying sword that prompted the Eldest Sword Immortal to personally order the arrival of a major figure to prevent similar situations. Otherwise, it shouldn’t have taken two flying sword messages to achieve the desired result.

Old Deaf.

Mi Yu naturally wouldn’t dare stop him and was about to lead the ancient existence, one of the top ten, to Hidden Official Chen Pingan to discuss matters.

However, they then discovered that Chen Pingan was staring at their feet.

Mi Yu shuddered.

Chen Pingan raised his gaze, saying to Old Deaf, “Replace him. I don’t trust you.”

Old Deaf stopped in his tracks, scratched his head, and, without the slightest hint of anger, immediately turned and left, vanishing instantly.

Soon, he was replaced by another, the female Great Sword Immortal, Lu Zhi.

Chen Pingan said, “Lu Zhi, be vigilant against demon race ambushes on our Sword Cultivators here. If anyone dies, I will hold you accountable!”

Lu Zhi nodded, heading to the northern city wall to oversee the battlefield. Her words were blunt: “I will not give Hidden Official Chen Pingan any opportunity for blame.”

Lin Junbi glanced at Chen Pingan, who didn’t even deign to acknowledge Lu Zhi’s words.

He felt admiration in his heart.

Chen Pingan put down his pen, rose from behind the desk, and squatted down over the scroll painting. “I’m even more concerned about you. I’ll monitor you for half an hour. So I’ll give you only half an hour. If any of you fail to meet my expectations, you’ll still be Sword Cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, but you must relinquish the mentally demanding duties to others. If others can’t do it, I’ll do it myself. I refuse to believe that the smartest people in the world are inferior to a Lower Five Realms Qi Practitioner! Don’t let it come to the point where, besides Chen Pingan, everyone in the Hidden Official lineage is idle. I believe that wouldn’t be a good look. ”

All the Sword Cultivators felt their nerves tighten, feeling more like they were on the battlefield than in the forbidden area.

Mi Yu’s feelings were mixed.

This young man was truly terrifying.

Half an hour later, Chen Pingan evaluated each of the eleven individuals, stood up, and tapped his palm with the closed folding fan. He smiled and said, “Very good. You are all excellent at slapping my face. It turns out I’m the idle one. Especially Pang Yuanji, Lin Junbi, and Guo Zhujiu, who were almost flawless in the past half hour, forcing me to nitpick. The rest of you also exceeded my expectations. Keep up the good work. Anyway, as someone said, I’m thick-skinned…”

Before Chen Pingan could finish, Gu Jianlong, while watching the battlefield, eagerly said, “Hidden Official Chen Pingan, may I speak a word of fairness?!”

Chen Pingan smiled faintly, “Get lost.”

Gu Jianlong said with emotion, “Hidden Official Chen Pingan, you are truly magnanimous!”

Chen Pingan waved his hand and said, “In the next quarter of an hour, identify twenty Earthly Immortal demon race cultivators. Without interfering with the overall strategic situation, let’s deliver some easy merits to our Sword Immortal seniors. The specific candidates on both sides are for you to strategize and come up with a list. After confirming its accuracy, send a flying sword message to our Sword Immortals. In the meantime, there’s another matter. Who among you is skilled in the art of stele rubbing? Replicate the eleven volumes I’ve compiled here, apart from the Ji volume, and strive to have a copy on everyone’s desk. This matter is not urgent.”

Cao Gun smiled and said, “I am.”
Chen Ping’an then carried the eleven books from his own desk to Cao Gun’s, squatting down beside him. He shared his insights with Cao Gun through whispered thoughts, the latter listening attentively, nodding occasionally, or asking questions.

An hour passed.

The great demon Huang Luan, seated on the railing beside Yang Zhi, chuckled, “I truly feel like cursing.”

Yang Zhi’s heart seethed with rage. The vassal armies on the flanks of the torrent of magical artifacts were suffering heavy losses. Each time, a flash of sword light would bypass the main force, leaving several Earth Immortal cultivators slain. This was not the most infuriating part; what truly tormented her was the “casual” strikes of the Sword Immortals from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, launched in the lulls between maintaining the sword array!

The precision and ruthlessness of those Sword Immortals’ attacks were as if someone from the wildlands was feeding them information.

Yang Zhi, a peak great demon still bearing sins, had initially been ready to venture into the wildlands to intercept rogue Sword Immortals. Now, she could no longer remain seated, nor could she leave the battlefield with any dignity. Rising to her feet, she gazed towards the city wall, her fury uncontrollable. “What in the world is going on?!”

“They’ve started fishing again, Yang Zhi. But even if you take the bait, success isn’t guaranteed. How about you and I join forces?”

Huang Luan pointed towards a spot on the city wall, where Lu Zhi stood. Next to the female Grand Sword Immortal was a young man holding a folding fan, who had appeared there without anyone noticing.

Yang Zhi glanced at Lu Zhi.

If she acted rashly and attacked the city wall alone, she might be lost forever. But with Huang Luan by her side, the two of them together should be safe. Even if they didn’t gain a significant advantage, they certainly wouldn’t be cut off from retreat by the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Just as she was about to agree, the young man beside Lu Zhi on the city wall seemed to look in their direction.

The young man raised his hand high, a radiant smile on his face, and extended his middle finger. Not only that, but his lips moved, as if he were saying three words.

“Fuck your mother.”