Upon the towering ramparts of the Sword Qi Great Wall, a kite soared high in the sky.

The kite flitted past.

Zhao Geyi and Cheng Quan, those two sworn brothers who often found themselves at odds, were unusually sitting side by side on the northern ramparts, their gazes fixed on a certain alleyway within the city.

Zhao Geyi glanced at the kite overhead, knowing that only that damned A’liang would be engaging in such frivolous activity on the ramparts.

In the past, that man was always surrounded by a gaggle of stragglers, including Chen Sanqiu and Dong Bu De, the talisman maker, in the most recent batch of children, and Chou Miao, Gao Yehou, and Luo Zhenyi in those before.

Zhao Geyi averted his gaze, continuing to berate Cheng Quan for his subpar talent and the slow progress in refining a mountain, a waste of his initial efforts in forming the protective array to help move it.

Cheng Quan held a seal in his palm, bearing the willow-leaf script “Unintentional,” clutching it tightly in both hands as if carefully protecting that “Unintentional.” Instead of arguing with his old friend, Cheng Quan asked, “Do the sword immortals of the Grand Azure World not have as much of this romantic love?”

Zhao Geyi chuckled, “Not necessarily. Look at Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple, isn’t he a sentimental fool who has been hurt by love? Rumor has it that he has some connection with Chen Ping’an as well. However, sword immortals who are so bogged down by emotional baggage are rare. Most are like Pu He and Xie Zhi, who are not particularly interested in romantic affairs.”

Cheng Quan was silent for a moment, then spoke with his mind, “If we both accumulate enough battle merits, it should be enough for one of us to leave. I am quite familiar with the Second Shopkeeper and get along well with him. Should I give him a word?”

Zhao Geyi sneered, “What kind of bewitching potion did that kid give you? Are you baring your heart and soul to him to this extent? When did Cheng Quan, besides spewing insults, learn to beg for favors?”

The Sword Qi Great Wall had many disappointing sword cultivators.

For example, Mi Hu, whose talent was even greater than Yue Qing’s, still harbored regrets even as a Grand Sword Immortal. Mi Hu should have been the most promising sword immortal to join the ranks of the Ten Men.

Then there was Mi Hu’s younger brother, Mi Yu, whose bottleneck he couldn’t break through, a Jade Purity Realm. And there was Cheng Quan, standing beside Zhao Geyi, having fallen back to the Nascent Soul Realm, as well as Yin Chen, who had never managed to reach the Upper Five Realms. There was also Yan Ming, who had turned into a money-grubbing merchant after losing both arms. There were many such sword cultivators at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Among the younger generation, there was now Pang Yuanji.

Cheng Quan said, “I’m not joking with you.”

Zhao Geyi smiled, “Do you think it’s easier for a Jade Purity Realm sword immortal, who can serve as a cornerstone, to leave, or for a useless Nascent Soul Realm to slink away to the Grand Azure World?”

Sword cultivators accumulate battle merits mostly for nourishing their swords. In order to fill this bottomless pit, the ledger of the Hidden Official lineage was constantly fluctuating, often with very little surplus. Sword immortals were no exception. Grand Sword Immortals had great battle merits, but their flying swords were of high quality and consumed a lot of resources. For example, Grand Sword Immortal Yue Qing had almost no battle merits left. Mi Hu had squandered all his battle merits for the sake of his younger brother Mi Yu, thus delaying his own cultivation. As for people like Lu Zhi, whose battle merits only increased and never decreased, they were ultimately a minority.

Cheng Quan said, “You should strive to go to the Grand Azure World. Take in a few disciples, find a compatible daoist companion on the mountain, and establish your own sect there. If you’re generous, hang a portrait of me in the ancestral hall.”

A man had squatted down behind them unnoticed. The wind on the ramparts was strong, and the kite fluttered overhead.

A’liang chuckled, “Why hang Cheng Quan’s portrait? Two old men standing close together, it’s easy to cause misunderstandings. If you’re going to hang one, hang Cai Yun’s, she’s such a pretty girl. Old Brother Zhao can tell his disciples and descendants every day that she’s the shiniang (master’s wife), the ancestral mistress. Back in the early days of the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was a bastard named Cheng Quan, his swordplay was terrible, and he was ugly as sin, yet he dared to covet the beauty of your ancestral mistress for many years…”

Cheng Quan cursed, “Bullshit! Zhao Geyi accidentally let it slip the last time he left the city to help me move a mountain. He admitted it himself. The person Cai Yun likes is…”

At this point, Cheng Quan stopped, unable to continue.

A’liang said, “It’s good to have one less one if possible.”

After saying this, A’liang stood up and continued to fly the kite.

Passing a certain spot that was deserted, A’liang paused for a long time, releasing the kite, which instantly drifted away into the sea of clouds.

A’liang strolled along, chatting with the sword immortals stationed on the ramparts, most of whom were familiar faces.

At one spot, there were quite a few people, mostly sword cultivators from other regions. Three sword immortals were instructing three junior sword cultivators in swordsmanship. They were all sitting cross-legged, chatting happily.

A’liang trotted over, rubbing his hands. One of the female sword immortals was about to get up and leave, but A’liang couldn’t stand such behavior. What was there to be embarrassed about when seeing Brother A’liang? He quickly wanted to take a stroll with that elder sister sword immortal. The ramparts were extremely high, with many seas of clouds gathering and dispersing beneath their feet. The sunset glow formed a beautiful brocade between the sky and the water. What a beautiful scenery, suitable for talented scholars and beauties to talk, even better than immortal couples.

The woman, seeing that she couldn’t escape, chose the lesser of two evils and sat back down. In any case, she was unwilling to be alone with this man.

The three sword immortals were Xie Zhi from the Floating Cloud Continent, a self-taught cultivator who had remained single his entire life, unwilling to even take a disciple. However, he had just changed his mind and intended to take one or two direct disciples at the Sword Qi Great Wall to carry on his lineage. He wouldn’t choose those children with dazzling talent, but those who suited his taste, those with great perseverance, and those who were strong in innate temperament and tenacity, because Sword Immortal Xie Zhi himself was not a particularly good sword immortal material.

The female sword immortal Song Pin from the Golden Armor Continent wore the sword “Fúyáo”. Her makeup was extremely beautiful. The tiara and hairpins worn on her face were all made by first-rate immortal artisans, ingeniously crafted. Female cultivators rarely liked gold and silver hairpins and ornaments like common women, but Song Pin went against the grain, preferring to use tiaras full of delicate gold flowers to catch the eye. Not only did it not give people a vulgar feeling, but it had a unique charm.

From the Flowing Rosy Continent, Sword Immortal Pu He was a gaunt, tall, and thin old man who was known for his eccentric temperament in the Flowing Rosy Continent. Although he was a proper registered immortal master, he acted even more freely than the mountain wild cultivator sword immortal Xie Zhi beside him. Pu He had stayed here after losing a sword duel at the Sword Qi Great Wall, and had been borrowing the sword immortal residence “Emerald Green Pavilion” outside the city for many years.

Pu He’s face was extremely unsightly when he saw A’liang.
The reason was simple. When Pu He first came to the Sword Qi Great Wall to travel, it was this damn fellow who instigated him to challenge Mi Hu to a sword duel, saying that Mi Hu’s cultivation was not high, but his reputation was great. If he won against Mi Hu and then returned to the Great Harmony World, he could hold his head up high! The key was that winning against Mi Hu was like getting one free, also beating that even more famous Mi Yu. It would be a sin against the heavens to miss such a bargain. But when Pu He actually challenged him, he realized that Mi Hu’s combat power was comparable to that of a Celestial.

The three young sword cultivators came from the homelands of three different Sword Immortals: Song Gaoyuan from Deer Horn Palace, Cao Gun from Flowing Cloud Isle, and Xuan Shen from Golden Armor Isle.

They had all met A Liang at the Summer Palace, especially Song Gaoyuan, who had completed the task assigned by his ancestor, Rong Guan, and delivered a message to A Liang. On this trip, Song Gaoyuan had already achieved his purpose.

Song Pin and the other two Sword Immortals had once been guests at the Spring Pennon Studio on Upside Down Mountain with the young Hidden Official, so they had some extra ties with the three young sword cultivators from the Hidden Official’s lineage.

Otherwise, Xie Zhi and the other two wouldn’t have met up today and invited these three young people to guide them in sword techniques. There was no need for it. Even if they were from the same continent and same village, so what? These predecessors, high on the mountaintops of their continents, didn’t need this so-called mountain friendship. To put it bluntly, if they were good at “socializing,” the three of them wouldn’t have come to this Sword Qi Great Wall, placing themselves in such a dangerous place, but would have already established their own sects in their respective homelands in the Great Harmony World.

Becoming a cultivator above the Fifth Realm and painstakingly being the master of a sect were two different things; the latter was generally considered more difficult on the mountain.

A Liang sat down beside Song Pin, sighing, “Miss Song, how could you bear to part and not meet again after such a romantic literary connection?”

A literary giant from Soaring Clouds Isle, while traveling, had once seen a female Sword Immortal from Golden Armor Isle and fell in love at first sight, writing many tender and moving poems. Unfortunately, he failed to win the heart of his beloved.

Sword Immortal Xie Zhi wasn’t very familiar with A Liang, so he was still in the mood to joke, “Senior A Liang, that popular line, ‘I have seen you and dreamed of you, your pupils are bright as candles,’ and the corresponding poem, ‘Half for cultivation, half for you,’ are indeed a perfect match.”

Song Pin was slightly annoyed, “Xie Zhi, be careful what you say.”

Xie Zhi immediately shut up.

Women who could reach the Fifth Realm, especially Sword Immortals, were not to be trifled with; their spirit was often more heroic than that of men. Song Pin, as well as Xie Songhua from Snowy Isle and Li Cai from Northern Ju Lu Isle, were all fierce and fearless when wielding their swords on the battlefield. Even the local Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator, Nalan Caihuan, was ruthless in her attacks, but her sword heart was not pure enough, and she was still inferior to the three foreign female Sword Immortals.

Xie Zhi inexplicably remembered the deceased female Sword Immortal, Zhou Cheng. He didn’t love her, but he couldn’t forget her.

Such a woman, like a deer disappearing into the mountains, was rarely seen in the Great Harmony World.

Song Gaoyuan and the other two were very curious.

It couldn’t hurt to eavesdrop on the grudges and love affairs of these mountain seniors.

Especially Song Gaoyuan, who perked up his ears. Song Pin had once appeared at a peak opening ceremony in Deer Horn Palace, with extraordinary grace, and she had a very good relationship with Ancestor Rong Guan. Perhaps that was why Song Pin had such a bad impression of Senior A Liang.

Unexpectedly, A Liang changed the subject and asked about the recent situation in the foothills of Soaring Clouds Isle, then entrusted them with a matter, asking the three Sword Immortals to help him out if they returned home together, to take a detour and deliver a message to a Confucian Sage at the Deer Cry Academy on Soaring Clouds Isle.

Before leaving, A Liang transmitted the Eighteen Stops of Sword Qi to the three young men through his mind, and made an agreement with them that this method of circulating sword energy could be passed on to others in the future, but they must carefully select the recipients.

The three of them stood up, bowed, and cupped their fists to thank this senior.

After A Liang got up, he only said goodbye to Song Pin. The female Sword Immortal, with her high cultivation and thin skin, didn’t respond at all. A Liang, understanding her feelings, disappeared in a flash and went straight to one end of the Sword Qi Great Wall, where he saw the Confucian Sage stationed on the city wall.

The Confucian Sage raised his head and looked at the sky, where the three moons of the Wilderness World could be faintly seen, and said slowly, “What did you hear to come, and what did you see to leave?”

A Liang said, “Not seeing the Tathagata in person.”

What the Confucian Sage, who had once been a Buddhist disciple, said was from the poems of literary giants in the Great Harmony World, and what A Liang answered was Buddhist language.

The Confucian Sage, now a member of the Second Sage’s lineage, smiled and said, “In a daze, it’s like traveling the old path, like seeing an old friend.”

A Liang was silent, then leaned back and lay down.

Earlier, at the Ning family’s dinner table, A Liang only told half of the final little story.

But Chen Pingan would definitely understand the unspoken half of the story, because the young man was also a scholar, and had also walked many rivers and lakes.

A lineage immortal, trekking through mountains and rivers, casually slaying demons and eliminating evil, accidentally killed an innocent person. Who could A Liang seek revenge from? How could he seek revenge? If he drew his sword, how heavy should the sword be to be considered reasonable? If he didn’t reason, and only acted on impulse, how could he be sure that the sect of that person didn’t have a little girl with wide eyes, asking why… If he reasoned everywhere, how could he calm the depression in his heart, which was not alleviated by drinking?

The reason why A Liang didn’t continue at the time was that he was afraid that Chen Pingan would dig to the bottom and ask how it ended.

So, every heartbreaking story has a heartwarming beginning.

In the northern city, Yan Ming rarely returned to his mansion. He sat in his study, closing his eyes to rest. The little spirit, who was proficient in accounting, flipped through page after page of ledgers, complaining to the man that the family was running out of money. How could anyone do business like this? She had to complain to that young Hidden Official, or the entire Yan family would become paupers. The quirky little fellow sat on the ledger and asked, “That Cubit Object, is it really impossible to get it back? Cubit Objects are not ordinary items. It can’t just be like this, so unclear. The Hidden Official should at least give our Yan family an explanation.”

Yan Ming opened his eyes and smiled, “Difficult.”

Earlier, in the Spring Pennon Studio discussion hall, Chen Pingan had taken the initiative to mention this matter. He had been trapped in the encirclement of five sword cultivators from the Jia Shen Camp and had been badly calculated by that throne demon. The Cubit Object had been damaged and needed to be repaired before it could be returned, otherwise, it would be too unethical.

Yan Ming naturally didn’t bother to argue.

Yan Zhuo knocked on the door and entered the room, but didn’t know how to speak, still afraid of his father.

In fact, Yan Ming was also not good at talking to his son. And when the head of the Yan family didn’t speak, he was indeed very majestic. The little spirit coughed repeatedly, winking.
Yan Ming finally said, “Don’t listen to A Liang’s nonsense. Actually, you’ve looked like me since you were little. Just lose a bit of weight, and you’ll be fine.”

As soon as Yan Zhuo sat down on the chair, it creaked loudly.

The little spirit giggled behind the ledger.

Yan Ming initially maintained a stern face, but couldn’t help but laugh.

Yan Zhuo scratched his head, at a loss. He wasn’t used to this kind of father.

In a small alley, beside a crooked stone tablet, two busy children squatted, precisely Feng Kangle and Taoban, who were working as shop assistants in the wine shop. The second shopkeeper had taught them the method of rubbing inscriptions, and provided them with the necessary items, letting the two children run errands and earn money. They would be paid afterward, and as long as they were diligent and nimble, they could earn a lot of copper coins, and add an extra egg to their Yangchun noodles.

Feng Kangle said he wanted to learn from Chen Pingan and become a ragpicker, traveling around to collect scraps and exchange them for money. By then, his money jar wouldn’t be enough, and he would have to get a bigger one.

Taoban said that he would open a successful wine shop in the future, not as a shop assistant, but as the owner, doing nothing but collecting money every day.

The two children, while working, chattered on, each speaking of their distant dreams.

On the Great Wall of Sword Qi, facing the battlefield, old sword cultivator Yin Chen sat on a severely worn-out futon.

Sword immortal Sun Juyuan took off his boots and sat in his own corridor, leaning against a incense burner, holding a wine glass and drinking by himself. His sleeves dragged on the ground, and graceful paper-cut beauties danced in the courtyard, charming and delightful.

Sword immortal Guo Jia watched his daughter next to him, hunched over, shoveling rice into her mouth, while his wife nagged her to eat slower, there was no one fighting over it, she was acting like a starving ghost, not at all like a young lady. How would she ever get married like this? Would she be happy only becoming an old maid like Dong Budong?

Guo Zhujiu raised her head, grinned, and quickly shut her mouth, her cheeks bulging.

Li Cai, who had bought the Tingyun Pavilion, went out for a walk, and arrived outside the now-empty armory.

The sword cultivators of the Taiwei Sword Sect had withdrawn from this residence, belonging to the mansion, after the sect master Han Huaizi’s death in battle, and returned to the vast world.

Li Cai stood in place, recalling a visit to the armory, where Han Huaizi had joked to her, saying that Floating Lotus Sword Lake had many female sword cultivators, while Taiwei Sword Sect had too many lonely bachelors, so they could have more marriages in the future. At the time, the ancestral hall sword cultivators of Taiwei Sword Sect were all worthy young talents, looking eagerly at her, the sect master of Floating Lotus Sword Lake. Li Cai agreed, saying that she would bring together the young men and women of the two sects, and give them more opportunities to travel together. As long as the two sides were willing, she, Li Cai, would be happy to play matchmaker.

The slender Lu Zhi was actually quite plain in appearance, but because of A Liang, she was inexplicably praised as a beauty of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

In Lu Zhi’s private residence, the Rosy-Cheeked Lady was brewing tea. This fifth-realm spirit, who had just handed over a plum blossom garden to the Summer Palace, was treated as a fellow Daoist by Lu Zhi, but her words and actions in private still indicated her status as a servant. At this moment, she knelt on the bamboo mat, and offered a cup of tea to Master Lu with both hands.

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady softly asked, “Did the Great Sword Immortal summon Master Lu and many other sword immortals earlier?”

Lu Zhi shook her head.

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady wisely didn’t ask any further.

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady couldn’t help but say in her heart, “Master Lu, the more sword cultivators die in battle, the more sword dao fortune remains on the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Once the city is breached, and a new master takes over, who benefits the most? Of course, it’s the sword cultivators of the Wilderness. Does that young Hidden Official not know, or is he pretending not to know? If he doesn’t know, then his efforts to be a thankless new Hidden Official are truly admirable, but if he knows, isn’t he a fame-seeker… an accomplice? How is such a person different from the strategists of the vast world? How is he worthy of Master Lu’s respect?”

Lu Zhi asked back, “You seem to have some prejudice against Chen Pingan?”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady shook her head, “I just can’t believe that a young man could go this far just because the woman he loves is on the Great Wall of Sword Qi.”

Lu Zhi hesitated for a moment, and said, “I can only tell you that all of this is the Great Sword Immortal’s intention, and Chen Pingan is just following orders.”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady’s eyes suddenly brightened, and she said, “Master Lu, is it possible that one day, we will have our own sect in the vast world? And we’ll only accept female cultivators?”

Lu Zhi laughed, “Girls always want to leave home. Even if the mountain only has female disciples, won’t they want to go down the mountain to gain experience? Once they go down the mountain, won’t they fall in love with men? You’ll still be worried then.”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady sighed and fanned herself with her hand, “It’s all the fault of men like A Liang and Chen Pingan, who attract the most love debts.”

Lu Zhi was puzzled, “A Liang is understandable, but how did Chen Pingan attract love debts? Are there any women on our Great Wall of Sword Qi who like him?”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady reached out to support her forehead, “Oh, my dear Master Lu, there are plenty. Just in the Summer Palace, I’ve noticed that woman named Luo Zhenyi doesn’t even realize her own feelings. She still thinks she’s looking at everyone with cold eyes, and always feels that the man’s words are unpleasant. That’s exactly how one hates a man.”

Lu Zhi thought about it, and remembered her vaguely, she seemed to be a pretty young woman.

Lu Zhi said, “Why doesn’t she like Chou Miao? It seems like they’ve been together day and night, so logically, she should like Chou Miao.”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady immediately became energetic, and felt that she had a lot to say to Master Lu on the subject, “Master Lu, allow me to explain in detail. The learning involved here is vast.”

Lu Zhi regretted it a little, and wanted to stop this boring topic, but the Rosy-Cheeked Lady said plaintively, “Master Lu, just think of it as relieving boredom.”

Lu Zhi drank tea like wine, always drinking it all in one gulp, and handed over her cup.

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady helped pour a cup of tea, and said softly with a smile, “So many men in the world always think that being romantic harms women, but they don’t realize that women aren’t blind. In fact, those truly devoted men are the ones who make women secretly happy. Besides, the good things that are hard to get are even better. As for people like Mi Yu, who are affected and enjoy flirting with women, they’re truly third-rate. And they even have the nerve to call themselves drunken immortals among a hundred flowers, the most immortal?”

Lu Zhi suddenly said, “It seems like Mi Yu and Chen Pingan have a good relationship.”

The Rosy-Cheeked Lady muttered under her breath, “They’re all no good.”

The children who had been practicing martial arts and boxing in the Winter Palace were also allowed to return to their respective homes for a rare visit.
In Taixiang Street, Jiang Yun returned home, boasting to his grandfather about how remarkable this martial artist was, incomparable to sword cultivators.

When it was just the two of them, Jiang Yun practiced the six-stance walk while moving, casually displaying several fist and foot techniques taught by the young Hidden Official, asking his grandfather how they were.

Jiang Chu initially humored his most doted-on grandson, offering meaningless praise. However, when the old sword cultivator saw his grandson perform a so-called “heart-piercing elbow,” he was genuinely impressed.

The old man hesitated for a moment, letting his grandson continue practicing his boxing, seemingly casually inquiring about the old woman who taught the boxing. Jiang Yun said that the old woman’s boxing was passable, but her temper was terrible, and she seemed to deliberately target him.

Hearing this, Jiang Chu did not get angry but laughed, feeling very gratified. In the old man’s heart, Bai Lianhua of the Ning family seemed to have never changed, always with that cold and aloof look of a maiden. He had accidentally encountered her in his younger days, and she was annoyed that Jiang Chu looked at her; the boy insisted on stealing a few more glances.

The young girl Sun Qu returned to her wealthy mansion on Yuhu Street. Her younger sister, Sun Zao, who was already a sword cultivator, rarely took the initiative to chat with her elder sister, asking about the young Hidden Official’s boxing. Was it really as powerful as the legends claimed? She also asked Sun Qu if she knew how the young Hidden Official had single-handedly repelled five genius sword cultivators from the barbarian lands. She further inquired if that fellow really helped them practice their boxing every few days. Sun Zao had too many questions, and Sun Qu was caught off guard. Sun Zao became impatient, rolling her eyes at her sister, saying that even after practicing boxing, she was still so coy. In the end, the two sisters sat side by side on the railing, Sun Zao controlling her natal flying sword to dart around them. Sun Qu answered her sister’s questions one by one, like a disciple facing a master.

Sun Qu tentatively said, “Shall I tell you a story, like an old fox marrying off its daughter or a mountain god taking a bride?”

Sun Zao looked unimpressed but said, “I’ll listen.”

As a result, it wasn’t until a family elder came to call Sun Zao to practice swordsmanship that the young girl jumped off the railing, leaving behind the comment that the story wasn’t good at all, and ran off to practice her sword.

The tomboy Yuan Zaohua returned home and told her mother about the boxing practice, recounting all the trivial details, but never mentioning how hard the practice was. Finally, Yuan Zaohua felt a little sad, saying that she envied Jiang Yun and Xu Gong’s smooth practice and also envied the elder sister Guo carrying the bamboo basket. The woman didn’t know how to comfort her, so she hugged her daughter in her arms, smiling gently and softly, calling her daughter by her maiden name.

Three good friends who had known each other since childhood were now eating at Xu Gong’s house in Mumeng Lane. Xu Gong no longer had elders at home, but Zhang Pan and Tang Qu from Tongqian Lane did, as their family members all worked at the pill refinery. Xu Gong was also friends with Zhang Jiazhen, who had quietly left the Sword Qi Great Wall. They often did odd jobs together, and Zhang Jiazhen was a few years older than the three of them.

Although the three were very close friends, their personalities differed. Xu Gong had been steady since childhood, Zhang Pan had the best family background but was the most timid, and Tang Qu had the most mischievous ideas.

Tang Qu asked with a grin, “When can we drink alcohol?”

Zhang Pan quickly said, “People who have just started practicing martial arts must not drink alcohol. If Mother Bai finds out, we’ll definitely be beaten half to death, and maybe even kicked out.”

Tang Qu pouted, “Mr. Chen always sits far away on the railing, looking so carefree drinking alcohol while we practice boxing. It’s said that Mr. Chen’s wine pot is a gourd for nurturing swords. I’m so envious.”

Xu Gong said, “That’s Mr. Chen. We can’t. Let’s learn boxing first and talk about it when we’re older. But why can’t we drink alcohol, anyway?”

Xu Gong paused slightly, and the three of them laughed loudly together, “No money!”

Old Sword Immortal Dong Sangeng stood outside a courtyard gate in his own mansion.

It used to be his grandson Dong Guanpu’s residence.

Dong Guanpu had been personally killed by Chen Qingdu.

Dong Budhe and Dong Huafu stood behind the old ancestor. They didn’t know why the old ancestor had called them here.

Dong Sangeng asked, “That child Sanqiu isn’t bad, why don’t you like him?”

Dong Budhe said, “Actually, I do like him.”

Dong Sangeng nodded, not surprised.

Only the ignorant Dong Huafu didn’t know why his elder sister had suddenly changed her mind.

Dong Sangeng said, “Then go and tell Sanqiu directly. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Dong Budhe shook her head, “I don’t want to say it. I like him when I don’t see him, but I get annoyed when I do.”

Dong Sangeng glared at her and said, “Look at how awkward you are, so womanly.”

Dong Budhe rolled her eyes.

Dong Sangeng laughed, “I can’t help it. When I see you and Sanqiu, I always feel like you’re the man and he’s the girl.”

Then the old man restrained his laughter, “Now that you’ve figured it out, don’t hide it.”

Dong Budhe shook her head, very stubborn.

Dong Sangeng didn’t force her. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. These children’s temporary gatherings and partings were ultimately different from the old man’s.

Dong Sangeng looked at Dong Huafu and asked, “Don’t you have a girl you like?”

Dong Huafu shook his head, decisively saying, “No time.”

Dong Sangeng said in exasperation, “You have time to freeload every day?”

Dong Huafu nodded, “A-Liang said that he’s seen countless strange people and events in his life, but he’s never seen anyone travel the world without spending a single coin. There’s never been such a person. I’ve done it, and I have to maintain it.”

Dong Sangeng asked, “You’re pretty thrifty, huh?”

Dong Huafu nodded.

Dong Sangeng clicked his tongue and said, “So stingy. If you can find a wife in the future, I’ll take your surname.”

Dong Budhe really didn’t want to listen to the bickering between the old and the young, and asked, “What are we here for?”

Dong Sangeng said, “People who are too young and people who are too old tend to forget things easily, so I called you here to take a look.”

Dong Budhe said, “The reputation that the Dong family lost, I can’t earn or support it as a girl. Relying on Heitan is just passable.”

Dong Sangeng laughed, “That’s not the case at all. The Dong family hasn’t fallen so far that it needs two children to hold up the family. I just want the two of you to remember not to take things for granted in the future.”

At Diezhang Wine Shop, a drunkard who wasn’t a bachelor came, a new face. As a result, a group of sword cultivators shouted “hasty composition”.

This annoyed the drunkard to no end, so he ordered a few more jars of Zhuhai Cave Heaven wine and retorted that those old bachelors didn’t even have a chance for a “hasty composition” in bed.
The young shop assistants were bewildered. They’d heard plenty of drunken babble and lewd jokes, but this refined phrasing was a first.

A young man asked a familiar patron for clarification, and enlightenment dawned. A young woman, curious as well, secretly inquired, but the young man blushed and vigorously shook his head, claiming ignorance.

An old swordsman, who in the last two years had enjoyed a sudden surge of poetic inspiration, lamented to a newly-arrived drinking buddy, “Some dog-gone fellow once said there are two kinds of people you must be wary of: those who frequently drink but never get drunk—don’t provoke them. And those who are constantly bullied but never complain—don’t bully them. Do you think there’s any truth to that?”

The friend, lacking subtlety, asked, “Which dog-gone fellow? Was it Ah Liang, or Second Shopkeeper?”

The old swordsman waved his hand dismissively. “What kind of nonsense is that? Diezhang, another pot of wine! I must drink a few cups of penalty with my friend.”

The swordsman, forced to foot the bill for another pot, nodded. “At the table, one drinks and gets drunk quietly. On the battlefield, one is struck but remains silent. He’s talking about our Second Shopkeeper, isn’t he? So, it must’ve been Ah Liang who said it. These scholars, they just like to make things convoluted, leaving everyone scratching their heads. Come, come, while those two dog-gone fellows are away, let’s drink and curse to our hearts’ content! I won’t pay for the wine, but I’ll take responsibility for every curse uttered. Even if Ah Liang and Second Shopkeeper were here, I’d say the same! In a drinking contest, the two of them combined couldn’t beat me!”

The old swordsman stared blankly. “You too?”

The drunkard offered a knowing smile, feigning profundity.

Outside the Ning residence, an old man wore a complex expression, seemingly unsure whether to knock. Finally, he sighed and returned to the Yao family.

Above the city walls, in the small thatched hut, Wei Jin, his mind stirred by stray thoughts, ceased his deliberate sword nurturing.

The Eldest Sword Immortal stood beside him, chuckling. “I’ve never understood what’s so good about drinking.”

Wei Jin quickly rose. “Drinking might not be particularly good; perhaps it’s merely force of habit.”

Chen Qingdu gazed towards the northern city and said, “Do you know why the taverns along the Sword Qi Great Wall do the best business?”

Wei Jin and the Eldest Sword Immortal both looked towards the city, nodding. “Too many swordsmen, too little space. It seems only drinking can alleviate their worries. In the Vast Expanse, a place this small would be, at most, the cultivation ground for one or two Sword Immortals.”

Wei Jin asked, “Eldest Sword Immortal, why send me back to the Treasure Bottle Continent, rather than the Soaring Cloud Continent? Is it because my cultivation isn’t high enough? I could, in fact, assist some Sword Immortal.”

Chen Qingdu replied, “Yes and no.”

Wei Jin was frustrated.

The Eldest Sword Immortal clearly didn’t want to elaborate, so he dared not press the matter.

Chen Qingdu, hands clasped behind his back, strolled alone.

When the ten had gathered atop the city walls, there was an order to their arrival.

Qi Tingji arrived first.

Chen Qingdu told him, “Qi Tingji, you may retain your cultivation realm and establish a sect on the Soaring Cloud Continent. Before you leave, show some real ability. If you continue to muddle along, you needn’t bother going to the Soaring Cloud Continent.”

Qi Tingji inquired as to why he wasn’t being sent to the Northern Bulwark Continent.

Chen Qingdu chuckled, “You have the gall to go to the Northern Bulwark Continent?! Leaving aside Han Huaizi, consider even Li Cai, who is only at the Jade Purity Realm. Can you, Qi Tingji, compare? Aside from having that extra appendage between your legs, what do you have over that woman?”

Qi Tingji was silent for a moment, then said, “Of all the Qi clan’s descendants among the swordsmen, I will only take Qi Shou with me!”

“He will be following Nalan Shaowei elsewhere; you cannot take him.”

Qi Tingji sighed heavily.

He truly dared not haggle with Chen Qingdu.

In Chen Qingdu’s eyes, this Qi Tingji most resembled the mountain-peak cultivators of the Vast Expanse. Selecting Qi Shou was for the sake of continuing the family line. Or perhaps he simply valued Qi Shou’s talent.

But beyond the haggling, Qi Tingji had some words that needed to be spoken, whether he wanted to or not.

For the first time in his life, Qi Tingji directly addressed the Eldest Sword Immortal by name. “Chen Qingdu, watching so many swordsmen die here, do you feel no remorse? Just because of the word ‘swordsman’?”

Chen Qingdu scoffed. “Without me, would any of you even exist? First come, first served, don’t you understand? You should have changed your surname to Dong.”

Then Chen Qingdu grew tired of arguing with Qi Tingji and called forth the second person, continuing to speak to them with mental voice transmission.

Chen Xi was going to the Fifth World. But he would need to dismantle his cultivation base and be reborn with knowledge. As a member of the Chen clan, Chen Xi needed to give an account to this Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Xi had only one question at the time: what about Sanqiu?

Chen Qingdu said she would go to the Vast Expanse.

Chen Xi then asked who Chen Sanqiu would travel with.

Chen Qingdu didn’t answer.

After that came Dong Sangeng. Chen Qingdu asked him if he truly had no regrets.

Dong Sangeng simply said that from the moment he first picked up a sword as a child, he had never regretted anything he had done in his life.

Chen Qingdu chuckled and asked, “I heard from Ah Liang that you had many female companions and sired a pile of illegitimate children while you were wandering the Wilderness World?”

Dong Sangeng exploded with curses.

Chen Qingdu retorted, “You can’t even curse properly; no wonder your achievements are limited.”

After that, Lu Zhi, the Old Deaf Man, and Nalan Shaowei were successively summoned to the top of the city walls by the Eldest Sword Immortal.

Finally, it was Ah Liang and Chen Pingan.

Chen Qingdu recalled one matter. Being the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall had been too easy for that boy; it was outrageous.

The old man then spoke to Chen Pingan, who was currently at the Summer Palace, “Go visit the Old Deaf Man and do something that is your duty. Don’t worry; it’s a good thing, to save you from being idle and potentially suffering a Dao heart collapse.”

Chen Pingan was about to ask what it was when the Eldest Sword Immortal tossed him in front of the prison door where the Old Deaf Man was stationed.

Seeing the Old Deaf Man’s sympathetic gaze, Chen Pingan knew it definitely wasn’t Ah Liang’s earlier suggestion of practicing swordsmanship.

It was surely the Eldest Sword Immortal’s spur-of-the-moment decision. Chen Pingan had a foreboding feeling.

The Old Deaf Man opened the barrier without a word and led the young Hidden Official into the prison.

Ah Liang frantically ran over to question the decision. “Are you crazy?! Doing this will subject him to the suppression of the entire Great Dao of the Wilderness World!”

Chen Qingdu chuckled. “This is nothing; I’ve endured it for ten thousand years.”