The Jia-shen Account, led by a sandal-wearing leader who was not a sword cultivator.

Liu Cha’s only disciple, bearing a satchel. Li Zhen, a closed-door disciple of Tuo Yue Mountain. Yu Si. Tan. The female sword cultivator, Liu Bai.

The group appeared at the southernmost edge of the battlefield, where the two sides engaged in sword duels. Yu Si squatted down, pinched a small clump of soil with two fingers, gently crushed it into powder, dusted off his palms, and stood up, saying, “The ebb and flow of sword intent between the two sides, the degree of transformation, is about as expected. This is the only good news left.”

Liu Bai frowned and said, “Why jump into the trap when it is clearly a trap? Moreover, it’s not just our Jia-shen Account that feels something is amiss. The Jia-zi Headquarters still ignores it. What is going on? Our Earthly Immortal sword cultivators are clearly being targeted. How many have died? As of yesterday, there were already nine, right? How many more battle merits are we going to send to the Great Wall of Sword Qi? This is war. How can we fight like this, clinging to face while suffering the consequences! Sandal, what exactly is going on? After you came back, you were unwilling to say half a word. If you were really mistreated there, I, Li Zhen, and Satchel can all speak to our respective masters.”

She was one of Zhou Mi’s direct disciples. Following that gentleman known as “The Sea of Learning,” she was well-versed in military strategy, accustomed to meticulous calculations and interlocking plans.

Yu Si also followed up, saying, “Sandal, don’t keep everything bottled up inside. Here, there’s nothing that can’t be said.”

Sandal said, “The Jia-zi Headquarters didn’t give a specific reason either, only saying that after the sword duels, including Senior Yang Zhi and Senior Huang Luan, who were making amends for past mistakes, would carry the heads of sword immortals intercepted from the rear and throw them at the Great Wall of Sword Qi as a return gift after the duels.”

Liu Bai angrily said, “What gift?! Does that mean the Earthly Immortal sword cultivators die in vain if there are no heads of hidden sword immortals? These are two completely different things!”

Sandal sighed and said, “Yes. I don’t understand either. I don’t understand why there have to be so many of our sword cultivators dying here, as if it is a must.”

Tan smiled and said, “What can we do now that things have come to this? We can just stand here and watch.”

On the battlefield far ahead.

A sword immortal from the desolate world manifested a hundred-foot-tall true form, standing alone on the battlefield, holding a sword in both hands, and striking the ground with a single blow.

Above the waterfall of sword formations of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, hundreds of scarlet lightning bolts fell from the sky, like the wrath of gods, wielding thunder whips and smashing them wildly towards the earth.

The sword immortals of the Great Wall of Sword Qi responded accordingly, using clouds of sword qi to intercept the lightning, preventing it from falling on the sword formations and harming the middle-five-realm sword cultivators.

A slender female sword immortal on their side carried no sword, but with a spin of her sleeves, sword qi condensed over several miles of land, transforming into hundreds of flying swords, shooting towards the magnificent sword formation of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, which seemed to have fallen from the sky.

Yue Qing, a Grand Sword Immortal on the city wall, confronted her with Yun Que soaring in the sky, one of his two natal flying swords.

In the midst of the torrent of magical treasures from the demon race cultivators and this sword duel, several originally unknown cultivators from the desolate world seemed to have emerged in response to the times.

A demon race cultivator who was not originally a sword cultivator, but merely a Qi cultivator of the Cave Realm, after drawing his sword, who was originally just there to make up numbers in their sword formation, unexpectedly obtained two strands of ancient sword intent from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, and of extremely high quality. The youth was destined to enter the ranks of the Hundred Sword Immortals with this, with a lot of resources being poured into him. Perhaps when they arrive in the Boundless Continent, he will be a seed of sword dao with the hope of establishing a sect.

A Golden Core sword cultivator’s natal flying sword, which was originally useless, achieved unbelievable feats of war. It twice made enemy sword immortals use their full strength, not only saving two Earthly Immortal sword cultivators, but also inexplicably causing the opposing sword immortals’ flying sword magic to smash into the sword formation of the Great Wall of Sword Qi. On the Great Wall of Sword Qi’s side, two Golden Core sword cultivators were instantly lost one after the other, and a large number of middle-five-realm sword cultivators below the Earthly Immortal realm had their natal flying swords severely damaged and were directly withdrawn from the battlefield.

This Golden Core sword cultivator was immediately ordered to withdraw from the battlefield, and was then repeatedly placed back on the battlefield by a Flying Ascension Realm senior using illusions, specifically targeting the full-strength attacks of the opposing Grand Sword Immortals.

As for why a Golden Core sword cultivator could foresee when a sword immortal would attack, apart from the Jia-zi Headquarters knowing the truth, these Jia-shen Account military headquarters had no right to ask.

In addition, a pair of Nascent Soul sword cultivator dao companions broke through to the upper-five-realm one after the other during the great battle.

If it were not for these “radiant embellishments,” the desolate world’s sword cultivator duel would be a joke.

Because the rate of attrition of sword cultivators on the Great Wall of Sword Qi was not in line with the predictions of the various military headquarters, it was much slower than expected.

Sandal said, “War is nothing more than a matter of people and money. The enemy’s sword cultivator attrition is less than expected, but it is still attrition. It’s not like no one has died. Next, we’ll see about the matter of immortal money. In fact, this is even more crucial than the sword cultivators. Now, the spiritual energy of the sword cultivators on the Great Wall of Sword Qi is gradually beginning to dry up. The spiritual energy on the battlefield of the Great Wall of Sword Qi is so turbid that neither side can absorb it. However, we have the entire desolate world behind us, and we are being drawn by the great supernatural powers of two seniors. Two streams of spiritual energy are gathering, like rivers, and are constantly pouring in here. But behind that city wall, how much space is there to accumulate spiritual energy? The further the war progresses, how many full-strength attacks of sword immortals can it support? The Yi-wu military headquarters had long ago made an accurate calculation on this matter. As long as there are no accidents, the sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi are only delaying their deaths. When the time comes, they will die very quickly and in large numbers.”

Yu Si laughed and said, “It is even very likely that they will die of exhaustion, silently and without a sound. Even if they release their flying swords, they will not be able to retrieve them.”

Liu Bai said in a low voice, “The premise is that there are no accidents! That the Great Wall of Sword Qi has no unexpected source of spiritual energy! But in this battle, have we had few accidents?!”

Sandal nodded and said, “Then let’s roughly calculate. As for the Eight Continent ferries of the Boundless Continent, let’s not talk about the Northern Ju-lu Continent. It is possible that they will take out half of the continent’s resources. Fortunately, only the Northern Ju-lu Continent can do such a thing. The Tong Ye Continent has no ferry, and the closest to the Upside-Down Mountain is the Southern Po-suo Continent and the Southwestern Fu-yao Continent. The Fu-yao Continent ferries are led by the Mountain and Water Cave, and there is an old feud, so it will not be easy to talk to them. They might even be helping us a lot now. As for the Po-suo Continent, it is difficult to say. Even if the ferry owners are crazy and willing to do their best to help the Great Wall of Sword Qi, they have to see if their sects dare to agree.”
The wooden-soled sandal chuckled, “Fortunately, the Sword Qi Great Wall has never been good at dealing with the Great World.”

Liu Bai, accustomed to speaking in reverse and dissenting, retorted, “What if? What if someone from the Sword Qi Great Wall could persuade the Eight Continent Ferry to resupply the Sword Qi Great Wall on a grand scale?!”

Tan raised his head, gazing at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and sneered, “Rely on what to persuade them? On the face of a Sword Immortal? How could a good-hearted person, unwilling to make big money, become the spokesperson of the ferry, how could they conduct business in the Inverted Mountain? Are you suggesting the Sword Immortals personally deliver spirit money to them? Coincidentally, the Sword Qi Great Wall is most lacking in pure spirit money.”

The wooden-soled sandal looked up at the city wall, and said, “Given the chance, I would very much like to meet that person, just sitting atop the city wall, and review the situation with them.”

Li Zhen said, “That depends on whether he can live to see that day.”

Liu Bai had a flash of inspiration, and was just about to speak.

The wooden-soled sandal seemed to have guessed her thoughts, and shook his head, saying, “Unexpected events should be corrected with unexpected methods. On the Inverted Mountain side, there are some beings who will not remain bystanders forever.”

Mi Yu had finished building a snowman, and even secretly plucked flowers and leaves from the garden, dressing the snow-woman in a floral garment, the colors and style all resembling her appearance when they first met.

Arriving at the main hall, he saw the young Hidden Official squatting on the ground, examining a table. Mi Yu crossed the threshold, leaned against a small table, and asked curiously, “Hidden Official, is this Four Immortal Table actually a valuable treasure with hidden secrets? Are you planning to move it to the Summer Palace?”

Chen Ping’an stood up, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Mi Yu straightened up, and glanced at the Four Immortal Table again, seemingly not that valuable.

As one of the four great private residences of Inverted Mountain, the Spring Banner Retreat occupied a vast area, with winding corridors, ancient trees reaching the sky, especially renowned for its artificial mountains and strange rocks, with cascading waterfalls and flowing springs complementing the lush flowers and trees. Chen Ping’an and Mi Yu walked along a stone-paved path, the air filled with mist and vibrant spiritual energy.

Mi Yu asked, “Hidden Official, allow me to waste a few more words, fiercely clinging to one’s own rice bowl, and then snatching food from others’ rice bowls, tastes especially good, but those people are not ordinary people, simply giving benefits, they still don’t learn their lesson.”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Are you blaming me for making such a fuss, calling in so many Sword Immortals to support the scene, and in the end, no one died?”

Mi Yu said, “How dare I.”

Chen Ping’an explained, “Eleven Sword Immortals arrived at Inverted Mountain, their killing intent was so heavy, it couldn’t be faked, to put it bluntly, do Sword Immortals need to pretend to want to kill someone? But in the end, not a single sword was drawn, do you believe it?”

Mi Yu said, “I don’t believe it.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “So Wu Qiu, Bai Xi and their ilk, will believe it even less. Don’t look at them later discussing serious matters, each merchant seeming to return to their world of ledgers and abacuses, in reality, they are still worried about matters of life and death. If you paid attention to many details, instead of only caring about which of the female ferry masters looked good, where were their flaws, it wouldn’t be difficult to discover the truth I’m speaking of.”

Mi Yu felt somewhat abashed.

Habits become natural, this could also be considered his small world, it’s just that it couldn’t compare to the Hidden Official’s deep plans and far-reaching considerations, Mi Yu’s opponents were only the beautiful women of the world.

Chen Ping’an stopped, turned around, and looked at the waterside pavilions and towers not far away, “Either kill a few more, Wu Qiu from the Central Earth Divine Continent, Jiang Gaotai with the strongest cultivation, Bai Xi who has the most grudges against the Sword Qi Great Wall, and Liu Shen, the lowest in cultivation and the least valuable background, all of them must be killed. Kill the group of people they think are least likely to die, kill them all, only then can you force the other side into a corner, with no way to retreat, the situation and people’s hearts are both like this.”

Above the artificial mountain, between the porous, thin, and wrinkled rocks, grew small, verdant pine and cypress trees.

Chen Ping’an sat on a step, “If the situation doesn’t warrant it, then don’t kill a single one, leave them. Let them guess who will be killed, you wait and see, as long as you give a little hint, there will be clever people to help me pick people to kill, and in turn, hint to me, who dying would be the least costly, without needing Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan to pay much compensation, and perhaps even not requiring Sword Immortal Sun Juyuan to apologize. Since they feel that the Sword Qi Great Wall definitely needs to kill someone to establish their authority, the ferry will definitely have to lose a few people to give the ‘Hidden Official’ and the Sword Immortals an explanation, then it’s better to let a fellow Daoist die than to impoverish oneself.”

Chen Ping’an pointed to those gnarled and sickly pines and cypresses, “They can survive in the mountains and swamps, and they’re living well here too.”

Mi Yu suddenly understood, the accumulated depression in his heart, vanished like smoke.

Chen Ping’an, however, said, “Killing people is not a fun thing. Just talking about feelings, I would feel satisfied if I killed all the ferry masters in the main hall. But if you calculate more, and single them out, who do you think truly deserves to die? Bai Xi? He’s ultimately not the old ancestor of the Mountain and Water Grotto. Wu Qiu? Why should he die? Jiang Gaotai, if it weren’t for my nonsensical entanglement, and him being too eager to help himself and the Eight Continent Ferry take advantage, would he need to fall into a deadly situation?”

Mi Yu was silent for a moment, sat down next to Chen Ping’an, and said in a deep voice, “It’s even less fun to make a fortune from dead people, but aren’t they all doing it with great enthusiasm and happiness? If I were the Hidden Official, I would have already acted. Of course, the consequences would be terrible.”

Chen Ping’an rarely offered Mi Yu words of comfort, “Sword Immortals naturally only do what Sword Immortals should do, if I remember correctly, you were already a Golden Core Sword Cultivator at my age, then you reached the Nascent Soul realm at sixty-four, and broke through the Nascent Soul bottleneck at one hundred and ninety-six. In fact, your aptitude among the many Sword Immortals is truly not at the bottom, but rather, can be considered among the top. Excellent aptitude guarantees that Mi Yu can enter the Upper Five Realms that others dream of, but in the process, you turned to do something familiar outside of sword practice, something you truly liked. The result obtained, in the eyes of outsiders, is not good, but you yourself feel that there is no problem, at most, you feel guilty towards your elder brother Mi Hu.”

Mi Yu was somewhat embarrassed, “Hidden Official, feel free to speak frankly, Mi Yu is simply more interested in romance, and more skilled at flirting and being intimate with women than practicing swords and killing enemies.”
Chen Ping’an smiled, “Each land nurtures its people. The Great Harmony World cannot produce so many sword cultivators, but the price is that there must be an outsider familiar with foreign rules to serve as this Hidden Official. However, if I am distracted by this and my Dao heart grows further from purity, then continuing down this path, even if I achieve success in scheming hearts and minds, once my focus tilts too much towards this, my future cultivation bottlenecks will become increasingly large. But I can guarantee that, barring major accidents, my Great Dao achievements, especially my combat skills, should still be higher than those of Sword Immortal Mi.”

Mi Yu nodded, “Cultivation realms cannot solve everything, but they can solve many things.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Cultivation realms can solve many things, but they cannot solve everything.”

Mi Yu praised, “There is a reason why the Hidden Official is the Hidden Official.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t pursue that line of conversation, and instead laughed, “Earlier, Shao Yunyan spoke a few words with me in a way that pushed the boat along the river, expressing his attitude through a different method. It was roughly the opposite of yours, advising me not to act impulsively and slaughter indiscriminately. He spoke very tactfully, but if I don’t heed his advice, the venue for future discussions might have to be moved to the Water Crystal Palace or the Lingzhi Retreat. Do you think Shao Yunyan is really just a gatekeeper for our Great Wall of Sword Qi, sitting at the entrance? A sword immortal’s spirit is not low.”

Mi Yu frowned deeply.

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, “There’s no need to bear a grudge against Shao Yunyan because of this. As long as what he says makes sense, we’ll heed his advice. Moreover, after that, Shao Yunyan doesn’t mind us employing some ruthless methods. I tested him, and he accepted it. Not only that, he’s willing to personally take action and has agreed to help me find that merchant genius who excels at cooking the books. So, in the end, after all the twists and turns, I still got the result I wanted.”

Mi Yu said softly, “It’s been somewhat arduous.”

The absence of the respectful address “Hidden Official” usually indicates that Sword Immortal Mi is speaking from the heart.

Chen Ping’an stood up, “We can’t just knock people senseless with a club. We need to give them some real benefits. Otherwise, once they come to their senses, they’ll still engage in some clever little tricks. I can handle it, but I can’t afford to waste time.”

Returning to the main hall of the Spring Banner Studio, everyone was already seated.

Chen Ping’an sat in the head seat and smiled, “No fighting, no arguing, no friendship. Since we are friends, I have a small gift to give to everyone.”

Unexpectedly, no one felt relaxed. They were all holding their breath, and many old boat owners had even tucked their hands into their sleeves, prepared to… flee at the slightest provocation.

Now that the row of sword immortals across from them was gone, was this Hidden Official finally going to start killing people?

This young Hidden Official’s mind seemed to work differently from ordinary people. He could really do it!

Chen Ping’an laughed, “It’s just a small gift for each person. Everyone doesn’t need to be so formal.”

Mi Yu slowly stood up.

A few of the more timid boat owners across from him almost subconsciously started to stand up, but they realized it was inappropriate and quietly sat back down.

Mi Yu held one hand behind his back and gently flicked his robe sleeve with the other, releasing strange jade pendants that shimmered with precious light and were wreathed in sword energy, one by one, suspending them in front of the fifty-four boat owners from the Eight Continents.

Mi Yu moved his will slightly, without causing any ripples, and all the jade pendants instantly stood upright and slowly rotated, allowing those guys across from him to open their eyes wide and see them clearly.

Everyone had no time to pay attention to a Jade Purity Realm sword immortal’s supernatural powers.

Wu Qiu focused his attention. It was the most common “Safe Journey” style jade pendant in the Great Harmony World. It didn’t really have a front or back. One side was engraved with “Great Wall of Sword Qi,” and the other side was engraved with “Great Harmony World.” However, next to the four characters “Great Wall of Sword Qi” were the small seal characters “Hidden Official,” and even smaller, fly-sized characters, which were a number: Nine.

Wu Qiu quickly looked elsewhere. Tang Feiqian’s number was “Twelve,” and Jiang Gaotai’s was Sixteen.

Bai Xi, the “Earthen Basin” ferry manager from Floating Cloud Continent, had the number Thirteen on the jade pendant in front of him.

Liu Shen, the “Rainbow Skirt” boat owner closest to the door, had Ninety-Six.

Chen Ping’an leaned against the Four Immortals table.

Mi Yu began to speak, “Don’t worry about the size of the numbers. In any case, everyone has a unique one. This jade pendant was personally drawn with talismans and engraved by the Hidden Official. Each jade pendant contains the sword energy of two or three sword immortals. As for which sword immortals favored which jade pendant, no one knows except the Hidden Official. You can explore and investigate to figure out the answer yourselves. In short, no one in the entire Great Harmony World can imitate it. If you’re talking about value, it’s not much. You all do big business and have seen all kinds of good things. But if you’re saying it’s worthless, it’s still a rare item that exists only once.”

Mi Yu emphasized as he spoke, “In the future, if anyone else wants to get such a jade pendant, it depends on whether they have the opportunity to meet our Hidden Official and whether they have the qualifications to become a distinguished guest of the Spring Banner Studio. I can say with certainty that it will be extremely difficult. Moreover, there are only ninety-nine of these jade pendants in total, and no more will be made. Therefore, the largest number is ninety-nine. So, in the future, if anyone sees a jade pendant with the number one hundred, just treat it as a joke.”

Shao Yunyan suddenly laughed and said, “I’m also a guest. Why am I the only one without a jade pendant? I think the smaller the number, the more distinguished the guest. Then I want that jade pendant with the small seal character engraving of ninety-nine.”

Mi Yu didn’t dare to act on his own, so he turned to look at Chen Ping’an.

Jiang Gaotai suddenly stood up, clasped his fist, and said solemnly, “Hidden Official, can I exchange my jade pendant for the one with the number ninety-nine?”

This time, it wasn’t because the young Hidden Official had said anything to him. It was Jiang Gaotai himself who sincerely hoped to exchange his jade pendant for the one with the largest number.

A small gamble for enjoyment?

Perhaps it was not just a small gamble.

Jiang Gaotai had always believed in his intuition. In many crucial moments on his cultivation path, Jiang Gaotai had relied on this unreasonable and ethereal feeling to earn his current wealth.

Shao Yunyan smiled, “Boat Owner Jiang, are you trying to snatch this from me? Isn’t that too unkind? Moreover, the smaller the number, the higher the cultivation realm of the two or three sword immortals who poured sword energy into the jade pendant. Why bother caring about the size of the numbers?”

Jiang Gaotai smiled and turned around to clasp his fist again, “I beg Sword Immortal Shao to part with it.”

Shao Yunyan shook his head, “This matter is not negotiable.”
Chen Ping’an said, “These jade tokens are just for everyone to enjoy a little gamble. Bet on which sword immortal’s sword qi is contained within, whether you want to exchange them with each other, or whether you simply have an affinity for the one in front of you, it’s all up to you. You can discuss it in private, but afterwards, it needs to be recorded with me, who obtained which jade token. Although I am the one giving the gifts, I need to at least have some idea. Before leaving Chunfan Study, remember to say goodbye to our Sword Immortal Mi. As for whether you give the jade token to your sect, mountain, keep it for yourself, or sell it off, just treating it as a piece of jade, since it’s not worth much anyway, you’re free to do as you please. Now, let’s not talk about these trivial matters, let’s continue with the main business.”

Mi Yu resumed his seat.

Shao Yunyan and Jiang Gaotai also sat down.

Earlier, on the way here, Mi Yu felt a bit awkward and asked a question, “Even I find it awkward, don’t those sword immortals? Knowing that these jade tokens are going to be given to this bunch of bastards?”

“They know. I explained it clearly to every sword immortal.”

Chen Ping’an’s answer at the time was simple, “What’s so awkward about it? In the future Vast Expanse, every time someone sees a jade token, they will mention the sword immortal’s name and deeds, their name, realm, what heroic acts they performed, which great demons they killed. Maybe they’ll know more about them than they know about you, Mi Yu.”

Mi Yu immediately said with a wry smile, “Hidden Official, I am also a sword immortal. Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

Chen Ping’an said with a smile, “Many sword immortals who agreed readily without saying a word would ask an extra question face to face, whether there was the sword qi of Great Sword Immortal Mi in the jade tokens. When I said no, they seemed relieved. What do you want me to do? You’re supposed to be the leading figure of the Hidden Official lineage, a renowned name, yet you’re so unwelcome? Even if I tear off the page with your name, Mi Yu, from the first copy’s supplement and put it at the very front, what good would it do? If you think it would help, make you feel better, tear it off yourself and put it near Yue Qing and your brother Mi Yu’s pages. I can pretend I didn’t see it.”

Mi Yu felt a pain in his heart, as if his sincere heart had been torn apart, a pain even worse than heartbreak.

He wasn’t awkward at all now.

He only regretted not being able to participate.

At this moment, everyone in the hall had carefully put away the jade tokens.

This caution, besides treating them as precious objects, was of course also because they were worried that someone might have tampered with them, that the jade token and sword qi might explode for no reason, or that the jade token sword qi wouldn’t kill them, but would betray their whereabouts, or that all their words and actions would be seen and heard by the young Hidden Official. After all, the jade tokens worn by every gentleman and sage of the Confucian Academy had this function.

Mi Yu was filled with emotion.

He recalled some of the guidance the young Hidden Official had given him on the way here.

“With these merchants, no matter how much you talk about past favors or make grand promises for the future, it’s all for show.”

“You need to see the big picture from the small.”

“We don’t need to explicitly tell them what they can get from Sword Qi Great Wall with this jade token, just let them guess. It doesn’t matter whether the answer guessed by smart people is right or wrong, it’s reliable enough anyway.”

The discussions in the hall became smoother and smoother. The more disputes on the table, the less it meant it was a bad thing.

It wasn’t until dusk that they temporarily paused.

During this period, the various calculations, the eight-continent ferry boats colluding to plot against Sword Qi Great Wall, the one-continent ferry boats banding together to plot against their neighbors in other continents, the ferry boats within one continent plotting against each other, Mi Yu was really not interested, but his duty was to participate, which made Mi Yu have the idea for the first time that concentrating on sword practice was not a hard chore.

Everyone dispersed again, returning to their courtyards for secret discussions. In fact, after most of the sword immortals had left, communicating with words and thoughts in the hall was safe enough, but having such a process still made the intercontinental ferry boat managers feel much more comfortable, at least more at ease. Otherwise, often looking at the opposite side, with the sword immortals gone, even the empty chairs where the sword immortals had sat were a kind of invisible deterrent, making it difficult for people to feel at ease.

Chen Ping’an continued to wander around Chunfan Study alone, agreeing to meet again in two hours for discussions.

Sword Immortal Mi Yu had things to do.

Because the young Hidden Official had instructed Mi Yu to do two things.

At the Summer Resort Palace, facing those young sword cultivators, Mi Yu still felt a bit redundant. He never thought that when he came to the Upside-Down Mountain, so many responsibilities would fall on his shoulders.

One thing was to mention the four words “reciprocity” to the boat owners in private.

He had to hint to them that this was a small private favor with the Hidden Official, not a big deal between the intercontinental ferry boats and Sword Qi Great Wall.

You, Mi Yu, are responsible for collecting gifts. Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan are not suitable to do this.

Mi Yu then asked where these benefits would ultimately go.

Chen Ping’an frankly said that they would all be handed over to Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan, but before that, all the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage could each choose a favorite item first.

Mi Yu then curiously asked if he would also have a share.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said of course, if he really couldn’t help but cherish beauty, he could return the two treasures handed over by that Nascent Soul female boat owner, considering it Mi Yu’s advance payment.

Mi Yu greatly admired him, the one who knows me best in the world is the Hidden Official.

Another thing was to have Mi Yu find Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan, and the three of them would come up with a resounding name for this Chunfan Study meeting, so that all the ferry boat owners would feel honored, feel that this meeting was a joint undertaking, not being coerced, at least not let outsiders think so. It was also necessary to make everyone feel that the Chunfan Study meeting was an excellent topic worth talking about. As long as it started well, even if these merchants left the Upside-Down Mountain, all the ferry boat managers would naturally secretly help to fuel the flames and publicize it. Some small boat owners who originally had to hand over the jade token to their sect would be able to keep the jade token as a private collection.

The cultivators of Vast Expanse all value face, so give it to them, anyway, Sword Qi Great Wall and the Hidden Official lineage don’t have to pay a single coin.

A full eleven sword immortals personally showed up to entertain guests.

How difficult it was for the boat owners in Chunfan Study before, the more relaxed they would be after they left Chunfan Study, as long as both sides understood each other and had tacit understanding, then once properly operated, these boat owners would be dashing and be able to earn a great deal of prestige, everyone would become a part of this great and wonderful tale.
Chen Ping’an was truly just strolling idly, casually forming a large snowball and storing it within his pocket dimension, intending to gift it to Guo Zhujiu, as the Sword Qi Great Wall was currently sweltering under the scorching sun.

Lingzhi Zhai’s business would likely be booming in the coming days.

This portion was the sect’s contribution, chargeable to the account, but he reckoned everyone would still need to dip into their own pockets, offering up a respectable immortal treasure, ensuring gifts were never solitary, seeking the auspiciousness of doubling good fortune.

Mi Yu arrived to seek out the young Hidden Official after an hour and a half.

Chen Ping’an teased with a smile, “They didn’t agree, but it was even better than agreeing, allowing you to gain favor for free? Did she, in the end, glare at you with watery, captivating eyes, cursing you and ordering you to leave? However, with Sword Immortal Mi’s cultivation, you must have successfully left behind the treasure.”

Mi Yu helplessly replied, “Hidden Official, if you devoted even a sliver of your attention to women, the results would be astonishing. I ultimately left the treasure at the doorway.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, “I asked you to do two things, so I’ll give you an extra treasure. Once you return to the Sword Qi Great Wall, choose one to give to your elder brother.”

Mi Yu once again grew awkward.

He knew this was the Hidden Official’s kindness, and he knew his brother, Mi Hu, would be pleased to see him making progress within the Hidden Official’s faction, at least not wasting away. His brother should be gratified.

But Mi Yu simply couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing.

There were too many small matters in life, a simple thank you, a simple apology, that he couldn’t bring himself to utter.

The two walked side by side, Chen Ping’an slowly saying, “I’m not asking you to deliberately scheme or force yourself to be something you’re not, to curry favor with your brother. If that were the case, I would be simultaneously belittling the two of you and myself. A person who calculates many things ultimately does so to avoid calculating a few specific things. Your awkwardness stems from your inability to discern which is more important, your own thoughts or your brother Mi Hu’s thoughts. In terms of giving and taking, can you, Mi Yu, ever repay Mi Hu? If Mi Hu hadn’t been burdened by you, he would have long been a Sword Immortal on par with Yue Qing, yet he only recently broke through and ascended to the Immortal realm. The entire Sword Qi Great Wall knows why. I suggest you go see Mi Hu, not to repay him, because Mi Hu doesn’t need you to repay him anything, but rather for Mi Yu to use an action or a word to make his brother understand that all his sacrifices are known to his younger brother, who isn’t playing dumb.”

At this point, Chen Ping’an didn’t want to speak too solemnly, so he joked, “If you’re feeling particularly shameless, upon seeing Great Sword Immortal Mi Hu, Mi Yu should just say, ‘Brother, I’ve given up hope of ever reaching the Immortal Realm, but the Mi family’s lineage and its expansion in the Sword Qi Great Wall will surely be noteworthy. The little ones calling you uncle will certainly be more than just a couple.'”

Chen Ping’an concluded, “This is just my opinion as an outsider, what you, Mi Yu, truly think is ultimately the most important.”

Mi Yu chuckled, “I also think… it sounds pretty good. I’ll give it a try later.”

After Mi Yu departed, Chen Ping’an walked along a stone path amidst mountains and waters, separated from the artificial hills and springs. The path was paved with colorful stones, undoubtedly sourced from immortal peaks. Spring Pennon House didn’t see many customers, so the stones were barely worn, reminding Chen Ping’an of the Jade Luster Cliff in the Northern Ju Lu Continent’s Spring Dew Garden.

Coincidentally, Shao Yunyan was nearby, holding a delicate porcelain basin, tossing fish food into the water.

Chen Ping’an walked over and leaned on the railing, watching the fish vying for the food, and said, “So many small fish in the emerald water.”

Shao Yunyan smiled, “Elegant and fitting.”

After a moment, Shao Yunyan asked, “Are there still concerns weighing on your mind?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I’m concerned that among the ferry stewards, there might be a sect that has already colluded with the Wilderness World, and that the collusion is so deep that they’re willing to sacrifice their lives to destroy the Spring Pennon House agreement. I also fear that unexpected individuals from Inverted Mountain will resort to brute force. Regardless of the type of concern, if it happens, regardless of the truth, the result people see will be someone dying at the hands of the Sword Qi Great Wall’s Sword Immortals. The ship owners from Floating Continent and Aiai Continent, especially Bai Xi from Mountain Water Cave, are most likely to die. Afterwards, there will be a sufficiently disgusting and clumsy excuse. By then, morale will collapse, and the previously agreed upon matters will be null and void.”

Shao Yunyan questioned with bewilderment, “You’ve done so much. Even if someone dies in this way, there are loopholes everywhere, it can’t withstand scrutiny. Can it really turn the tide?”

Chen Ping’an reached out and wiped away the accumulated snow on the railing, “People’s hearts don’t operate on logic. Building a table or a bench is hard work, but destroying it is a matter of a few swift actions. If you’re plotting against someone, you must be prepared to be plotted against in turn.”

Then, Chen Ping’an smiled and countered, “What if I were to further speculate that someone, indiscriminately, leaves Inverted Mountain and starts wantonly slaughtering those ship owners? Would any intercontinental ferries dare to dock at Inverted Mountain in the future?”

Shao Yunyan’s expression grew serious, “Regarding this matter, it seems inappropriate to tell the ship owners, and equally inappropriate to remain silent. If we tell them, everyone will seek profit and avoid harm. If we remain silent, once it happens, they will be even less likely to come in the future.”

Chen Ping’an leaned on the railing, “So I’m not afraid of accidents happening, I’m afraid of an accident that is clearly hiding. As long as the other party is patient and doesn’t act, I can only wait it out with them.”

Shao Yunyan asked, “How do you plan to respond?”

Chen Ping’an sighed, “That’s why I need to meet with that Great Heavenly Lord. I hope I won’t be turned away.”

Shao Yunyan’s expression was strange, “Just received news, he’s already entered secluded cultivation.”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. After pondering for a moment, he said, “That’s fine, it’s like he’s making the decision for me. The third Sword Immortal candidate to accompany Sword Immortal Shao to Southern Saha Continent is settled.”

It was the female Great Sword Immortal, Lu Zhi.

In truth, the war merits she had accumulated were already sufficient for her to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall.

It seemed she was more interested in roaming the Wilderness World to hone her swordsmanship than in Hao Ran World.

The premise was that she herself was willing to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall and be stationed at Inverted Mountain.

Otherwise, not even the Hidden Official’s title would be effective, and likely even invoking the Old Great Sword Immortal would be meaningless.

However, even if Lu Zhi agreed to this matter, her leaving the Sword Qi Great Wall early would have a significant impact.

It truly was a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

Chen Ping’an reached out and gently tapped on the railing, discussing countermeasures with Shao Yunyan.
Should we leak some details of the Spring Pennant Study deliberations beforehand, create a stir, and deliberately leave out our own Sword Immortal Mi Yu, to entice them to weigh the options and strike immediately?

Should we notify Xie Songhua, who has already gone to the Jiaolong River and Rain Dragon Sect area? Lu Zhi, Mi Yu, Xie Songhua, and Shao Yunyan, as long as the enemy reveals themselves, the higher their realm, the better. Even a soaring realm great demon will be unable to escape.

Two days later, the young Hidden Official returned laden with gifts, having received quite a haul.

Sword Immortal Mi Yu remained at the Spring Pennant Study.

There is no wall in the world that doesn’t have cracks.

The Spring Pennant Study’s deliberations became the talk of the entire Upside-Down Mountain overnight.

The general gist was that the Sword Qi Great Wall had reached an agreement with the Eight Continents Ferry manager, one side providing swords, the other providing money, to jointly deal with the current siege from the Savage Desolate World.

Mi Yu, Shao Yunyan, and Xie Chunhua were hidden on three ferries in three different directions, and even those three ferries were unaware that they had a Sword Immortal “escorting” them.

Southwest Floating Cloud Continent, South Poba Continent, East Treasure Bottle Continent.

Lu Zhi, who had quietly arrived at Upside-Down Mountain, was stationed there, responsible for coordinating with a certain wandering Sword Immortal at any time.

On the “Earthen Basin” ferry of Floating Cloud Continent, Bai Xi sat in the cabin, frowning, when a knock sounded on the door.

Before this Nascent Soul cultivator could open the door, an old man appeared inside the room. After removing the illusion, he transformed into a lazy young man.

Bai Xi stood up and said in a deep voice, “I don’t know what brings senior here, what is your purpose?”

The young man smiled, “Don’t call me senior, I’m Bian Jing, a minor sword cultivator from the Central Earth Divine Continent. I’m here to ask you about the details of the Spring Pennant Study deliberations, and then decide whether to start a massacre.”

Bai Xi remained silent.

The young man’s eyes turned pitch black, and he wrote a line of words on the table, then said in a hoarse voice, “Your Mountain Water Cave patriarch is an old friend of mine. That natal treasure of his was an opportunity I gave him back then. Every ‘Earthen Basin’ ferry manager is told this sentence before they die, you should be curious why every retired ferry manager dies violently within a few years? It’s to hide this strange little secret. You brat have the best luck, being born late, you have the chance to meet me, and get an unexpected windfall. Your unbreakable Nascent Soul bottleneck can be easily broken by me.”

Bai Xi immediately clasped his fists and bowed, “Welcome, Senior!”

“Bian Jing” sat down and asked with a smile, “You and the ferry, you don’t even know if someone has tampered with you, do you?”

Bai Xi did not sit down, but remained standing, saying, “The ferry has been carefully searched, especially my residence, there is absolutely no possibility of being tampered with. As for that jade pendant, I left it in my private residence on Upside-Down Mountain. Moreover, all my words and actions are reasonable, and even deliberately complained a few times afterward, just to put on a show for the Spring Pennant Study. That scheming young Hidden Official will not only fail to find any clues, but will instead dispel his doubts.”

Bian Jing smiled, “What jade pendant? Young Hidden Official? Tell me about it.”

Bai Xi first explained the general details of that jade pendant, receiving great praise from the “old senior” before him, who said that he was very careful, but it was a pity that he was not used for their cause. Bai Xi then carefully recounted the Spring Pennant Study’s deliberations.

Bian Jing nodded, “If it succeeds, it will be a huge trouble. It’s worth the risk of this trip.”

After saying this, Bian Jing laughed loudly, “Being confined and concealed by this skin, you just guessed that I was in the Immortal Realm, you underestimated me.”

Bai Xi clasped his fists and saluted again.

A Soaring Realm Great Demon!

Bai Xi finally asked cautiously, “When does Senior plan to strike?”

Bian Jing glanced at this ant. Bai Xi braced himself and said, “I implore Senior to sink the ‘Earthen Basin’ ferry after taking action. It doesn’t matter if more people die. Otherwise, our Mountain Water Cave will be highly suspected, which will only delay Senior’s future actions and affect the overall situation.”

Bian Jing nodded with a smile, “That’s good to hear. Since you’re so clever, you deserve a great opportunity.”

There was a layout in the Southeast Tongye Continent, but it was exposed in advance, only damaging the vitality of the Divination Sect and the Taiping Mountain. One of the layouts in the Southwest Floating Cloud Continent was this Bian Jing, who was from the Floating Cloud Continent but went to travel in the Central Earth Divine Continent. It was very hard to deceive that Shao Yuan Dynasty’s national teacher, thanks to the young sword cultivator “Bian Jing” he chose, who had considerable abilities.

As for South Poba Continent, with Chen Chun’an there, it was no use to seek death, there was no layout.

Bian Jing said, “I’m not in a hurry to act, the risk is too great. For the time being, I won’t touch the ferries scattered and returning home. When they earn more money next time, they will leave Upside-Down Mountain again, and then happily go to their deaths.”

Bai Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Acting in this way was indeed stable.

Otherwise, he was really afraid that this senior would rely on his Soaring Realm cultivation and only act with brute force.

Bian Jing said with a smile, “That young man named Chen Ping’an is smarter than you think. There’s a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator hidden on the ‘Rainbow Skirt’ ferry, it should be that lackey Sword Immortal Mi Yu you mentioned. Anyway, I’m just traveling and sightseeing, not in a hurry at all, I’ll just play with them again. I want to see how patient these arrogant Sword Immortals are. If their patience is really good, then I’ll just strike later.”

Bian Jing lost his smile, stood up, and Bai Xi felt as if his neck was being pinched, and little by little, in front of a Soaring Realm Great Demon, his feet left the ground, and he slowly “ascended.”

Outside the door, there was a voice very familiar to Bai Xi, as if he was speaking up for him.

“Don’t blame others for your own stupidity.”

Bian Jing sneered, “Chen Ping’an, you’re willing to trade your own life for mine? What are you thinking?!”

Outside the house, a young man cursing, tore off the woman’s mask on his face.

Beside him stood Lu Zhi, who had not torn off his man’s mask.

In addition, both of them had the illusion cast by the Great Sword Immortal Chen Qingdu himself.

Bian Jing asked, “How did you follow?”

The young Hidden Official smiled, “Learn from Mountain Water Cave, bet big and win big.”

Bian Jing was about to make a move when he suddenly froze.

Because an old scholar in a Confucian robe appeared in the room, a person who should not have been there.

Bian Jing laughed loudly, “Good, good, so several Sword Immortals are not enough, you even invited Chen Chun’an!”

The old scholar said indifferently, “Is my name something you can call?”