The Sword Immortal’s thatched hut, year in and year out, received almost no visitors. However, the Sages of the Three Teachings frequently received visits from sword cultivators.

For example, Chou Miao often discussed economic strategies with the Confucian Sage. Those virtuous and wise men from the Li Sheng and Ya Sheng branches of Confucianism, serving as war supervisors and recorders of the Sword Qi Great Wall, were all familiar with Chou Miao.

Pang Yuanji, in his earlier years, often went to discuss Buddhist doctrines with the Buddhist Sage, seeking to understand the profound meanings of the Zen Buddhist koans.

Not only were Chou Miao and Pang Yuanji such Heaven-blessed talents, but ordinary sword cultivators were also willing to chat with the Sages at both ends of the city. As A’Liang put it, it was to absorb some of the immortal, Buddhist, and righteous Qi from the Sages. In other worlds, these powerful figures were not someone you could meet whenever you wished.

Only the Taoist Sage, who sat at the highest point of the celestial dome, cultivated tranquility. Therefore, visitors were relatively few. Generally, sword immortals, with nothing to do, would ride their swords and ask about the local customs and conditions of the Azure Underworld.

Today, above the sea of clouds, the old Taoist rested a duster, a tool to sweep away defilement and dispel heat, on his lap, using it to cultivate humility. However, now the duster only had a white jade handle remaining.

It was both a celestial weapon and a natal treasure.

The other two Sages were in a similar miserable state. They had created the golden river of stars three times, helping the Sword Qi Great Wall to divide the battlefield. If they didn’t pay a price, they truly considered those great demon monarchs of the Wildlands to be useless.

The old Taoist opened his eyes and saw that A’Liang had arrived.

The old Taoist had to brace himself.

The fellow looked to be in a bad mood, probably not getting any advantages from the Sword Immortal.

A’Liang lay on the sea of clouds, gently punching a small hole in it, just enough to see the outline of the city. Then, he took out a large handful of ordinary pebbles, picked up from who knows where, and gently threw them down one by one, each with different force and purpose.

Sun Juyuan, the Sword Immortal who was dozing off in the corridor, heard the sound of pebbles hitting the roof.

A female sword cultivator, who was looking in the mirror and applying makeup, also heard a pebble strike the bamboo curtain.

A young sword cultivator from Jade Tablet Street, who was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard, was startled when a pebble struck the tip of his sword.

At a wine table in a tavern, an old sword cultivator, who was loudly cursing, had a pebble appear in his wine bowl. He immediately switched from cursing to praising, seamlessly and without hesitation.

The old Taoist was accustomed to this. A hundred years ago, even more outrageous things had happened.

There was once a couple of immortal partners, enjoying a precious moment in the night. Suddenly, there was a slight disturbance on the roof, ripples on the tiles. The next moment, there was another subtle movement elsewhere, as if someone realized their whereabouts had been exposed and immediately fled. The man was furious, threw on his robe, went barefoot, and ran out with his sword. He leaped onto the courtyard wall and found residual ripples in a neighboring house. He chased after it, only to find a couple on that side about to engage in sweet nothings. The man charged in and seeing the weird fellow whose brain had short-circuited, without saying a word, greeted the fellow’s ancestors for eighteen generations. The two began fighting.

At that time, above the sea of clouds, there was a man who was looking on with his rear sticking up, just like now.

A’Liang clapped his hands and with a flip of his palm, smoothed out the sea of clouds.

The old Taoist asked a question he had always been curious about, “A’Liang, whether it’s a cultivator like me or the sword immortals here, as we get older, we have little interest in worldly affairs outside of cultivation. How do you do it, to always be so…bored?”

The more someone searches for a Dao to follow in cultivation, the more willing they are to dedicate themselves to it. Moreover, it is only reasonable to practice immortal methods without any distractions.

A’Liang leaned back and lay on the sea of clouds, crossing his legs, “After all the hard work of cultivating for longevity, what can we do after we achieve it?”

This was a very high-level question.

You couldn’t discuss this with ordinary Qi refiners, and even less with the native sword immortals here.

However, it was possible to discuss it with the old Taoist.

After all, this high Taoist was the chief disciple of the Great Celestial Master of the Azure Underworld and the lord of White Jade City. The Great Heavenly Sovereign of Upside-Down Mountain was of comparable seniority, but his cultivation of Taoist arts was still slightly inferior.

The old Taoist smiled, “My life is nearing its end.”

A’Liang sat up and threw a token to the old Taoist, a Taoist style token that Chen Ping’an had entrusted A’Liang to pass on to the old Taoist.

It was shaped like a long wooden paperweight, extremely light in the hand, painted with the sun, moon, stars, and ancient talismans, and engraved with a line of words: “By order of the Marshal, grant this ruler to punish demons, point as you will, mountains will crumble, hasten as the law commands.”

The old Taoist took the token, calculated with his fingers, and nodded, “Understood, understood, it should be, it should be.”

A’Liang smiled, “Can you really calculate it?”

The old Taoist nodded, “The general meaning is clear.”

A’Liang then used his heart to inform him of the detailed information, which the old Taoist remembered one by one, “I will inform Upside-Down Mountain later.”

This old Taoist immortal, in addition to his housekeeping skills of divination and deduction, was also proficient in Mohist dialectics and skilled in Buddhist Hetu-vidya.

The old Taoist had a troubled expression, “A’Liang, I have a request.”

A’Liang smiled, “Small matter, small matter.”

The old Taoist stood up and respectfully gave a bow, a not-small courtesy. A’Liang had no choice but to stand up and return the salute.

The old Taoist looked around, no longer deliberately restraining the Qi ripples on the sea of clouds, and sighed, “After all, how many people obtain the true deer, unaware that they dream of being fish all day long. The day has passed, and life is also decreasing, like fish in little water, what joy is there?”

The Buddhist Sage smiled, “The night is still, the water is cold, and the fish do not eat, why the empty joy. The boat is empty, carrying the moon back, why not be happy.”

The Confucian Sage nodded, “Shaking off dust in the mortal world, one can still see the branches full of spring. Standing in the mud, is not the mind like the moon, complete?”

A’Liang pretended to understand, nodding lightly, and then racked his brains to force out a sentence, “What is this night? To meet such a good person.”

The Sword Immortal snorted, “A’Liang, leave some face for the scholars.”

A’Liang laughed. How could the Sword Immortal be praising himself again? Did he not know that he was the person with the thinnest skin on the Sword Qi Great Wall?

Chou Miao suddenly took the initiative to take power, saying that during the time the Hidden Official was not in the Summer Resort Palace, all the affairs of the Hidden Official’s lineage would be handled by him, Chou Miao.

All the sword cultivators in the Summer Resort Palace had no objections. Chou Miao was trustworthy. His realm, character, and means were all outstanding. He was recognized as the second-in-command of the Hidden Official’s lineage. With Chen Ping’an not around, Chou Miao could shoulder the responsibility.

Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui, Cao Gun and Xuan Can, the four fellows who were appointed by Dong Bu De as the four lackeys under the Hidden Official, were inevitably worried.
After so many years of shared days and nights, they had grown accustomed to seeing Lord Hidden Officer sitting in that position. No matter how perilous the battlefield situation, even if Chen Ping’an remained silent, it would bring a sense of reassurance. Judging by the situation, the young Hidden Officer wouldn’t be returning to the Summer Abode Palace anytime soon.

As Chen Ping’an’s direct disciple, Guo Zhujiu, instead, inquired with Sword Immortal Chou Miao, asking if her master had secretly gone to slay Ascended Realm great demons again.

Chou Miao simply said he wasn’t sure.

He only knew that Chen Ping’an had gone to Old Deaf’s prison.

Chou Miao also said he was treating everyone to drinks, with the intention of not stopping until they were utterly drunk.

The Hidden Officer lineage, aside from Lin Junbi, who had already returned home, and the Hidden Officer who was absent without leave, all the swordsmen had gone to Diezhang’s wine shop.

Deng Liang and the other foreign swordsmen knew very well that Sword Immortal Chou Miao was holding their farewell feast in advance. Once the great war started, the ranks of the Hidden Officer swordsmen, already dwindling, would only become busier and busier, making it a luxury to hold a send-off for the four of them.

As it happened, Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, Yan Zhuo, Dong Huafu, and Fan Dache were also drinking at the shop.

In truth, apart from Dong Bude and Guo Zhujiu, the Hidden Officer lineage and that small faction had not interacted much.

Upon seeing Dong Bude, the young master of the Chen family, who had been speaking loudly to the neighboring patrons, instantly lost his libertine air, becoming as reserved as a young man sneaking his first taste of alcohol.

Dong Huafu wanted to say something but hesitated, holding it back with great effort.

Dong Bude glanced at his younger brother, who wanted to speak up for him, and Dong Huafu obediently shut his mouth. Looking at Chen Sanqiu, who was practically hiding his face in his wine bowl, he felt a rare pang of guilt. He decided that Chen Sanqiu wouldn’t be paying for the drinks today, and Fan Dache would settle the bill instead.

Mi Yu, who slumbered amidst the rosy clouds, Wu Chengpei, who sat alone atop the city wall, Pang Yuanji, who only became slightly tipsy from drinking, and Chen Sanqiu, who leaned against the wall after drinking, were all renowned handsome men of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

When the Hidden Officer swordsmen, led by Sword Immortal Chou Miao, took their seats, the atmosphere in the wine shop became strangely subdued, with much of the clamor dying down.

Firstly, Chou Miao’s reputation was considerable; he was the youngest Upper Fifth Realm Sword Immortal of the Sword Qi Great Wall, with remarkable battle achievements, having followed Aliang to the depths of the Wilderness World early on.

Secondly, Luo Zhenyi, Xu Ning, and the other “money-grabbing” swordsmen were known for being aloof. At the Sword Qi Great Wall, their status was similar to that of border scouts in secular dynasties, subtly superior to ordinary swordsmen.

And now, the Hidden Officer lineage held more authority and knew more secrets than any previous Hidden Officer swordsmen in the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

No one liked their little secrets being written down for others to peruse at will.

Finally, there was the crucial reason of Pang Yuanji’s presence.

The previous Hidden Officer, Pang Yuanji’s master, Xiao Xun, had chosen to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall in a most dishonorable manner, taking away two Sword Immortals, Luo Shan and Zhu’an.

Xiao Xun had left behind a lonely Pang Yuanji, as carelessly as she had left behind the Hidden Officer jade token.

And when Pang Yuanji went out to fight, he always managed to escape danger by a hair’s breadth. As a top-tier genius, yet never deliberately targeted by any great demons, it made people wonder.

There were quite a few Hidden Officer swordsmen, so Diezhang personally helped to join two tables together.

Two people per long bench.

Luo Zhenyi glanced, intentionally or unintentionally, at Ning Yao.

Ning Yao’s heart stirred slightly, and she returned Luo Zhenyi’s gaze.

Guo Zhujiu asked for distilled liquor, but Diezhang specially brought over a small pot of rice wine for the little girl.

Guo Zhujiu scorned drinking this kind of wine, mockingly called “young lady’s wine,” finding it not at all heroic. She wanted to drink the distilled liquor that was “only for drinking in silence.” Diezhang smiled and said it was her master’s intention; she could only drink this here.

Guo Zhujiu immediately changed her mind.

After the wine shop’s business grew, besides the existing wines from the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, it also sold distilled liquor. Later, it even launched a type of rice wine. The distilled liquor, named “Dumb Lake Wine” by the second shopkeeper, never lacked customers. Whether rich or poor, people favored it for its low price and strong flavor, truly a fiery liquor. However, Diezhang worried that the soft rice wine would not only fail to command a high price but might not sell at all. The women of the Sword Qi Great Wall, whenever they drank, were no less capable than men, always favoring strong liquor. If the wine shop hoped to attract female customers, it would surely be disappointed. At the time, Chen Ping’an had not given a specific reason, only saying that this rice wine was just a small business to add to the store, and even if it lost money, it wouldn’t be much. He was familiar with the ferry from Osmanthus Island in Old Dragon City and had asked them to help bring some rice wine from his hometown, which wouldn’t cost much in immortal money.

In fact, the second shopkeeper’s business never lost money. Those patrons who weren’t bachelors would often buy a few jars of rice wine before returning home drunk, telling their families that it was wine from the Treasure Bottle Continent of the Grand Desolation, from the young Hidden Officer’s hometown, and swearing that the second shopkeeper guaranteed that it would nourish a woman’s complexion! Some women would laugh and ask if they believed it. The men would sheepishly admit that the second shopkeeper’s tall tales couldn’t be taken seriously, which was common knowledge at the Sword Qi Great Wall, but the women would still smile and drink.

As a result, female swordsmen who frequented the shop later only drank rice wine.

Guo Zhujiu went to her martial aunt’s table to offer a toast, and after making a round, a pot of glutinous rice wine was gone. Ning Yao couldn’t stop her. Guo Zhujiu staggered back to her own table, as if performing drunken boxing.

Ning Yao and the others had finished drinking and left together, with Fan Dache settling the bill. He was much better off now and no longer had to borrow money from Chen Sanqiu. Ning Yao told Diezhang to keep an eye on Guo Zhujiu.

Guo Zhujiu was still drunk and fell asleep on the table. Her drinking capacity was lacking, but her behavior made up for it. When the little girl was drunk, she just slept, not causing any trouble, quiet and peaceful.

Chou Miao laughed, “Some things that weren’t suitable to say in the Summer Abode Palace before can now be said.”

Cao Gun swayed as he stood up, first raising his wine bowl, and said, “Pang Yuanji, Qi Shou and Gao Yehou have both advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm one after another. If you’re still not as good as them when it comes to advancing to the Upper Fifth Realm in the future, I’m going to scold you.”

Pang Yuanji hadn’t drunk much. He smiled and stood up, and after their wine bowls clinked together, he said, “Scold me first, then. If you scold me wrongly, I’ll scold you back if we ever meet again.”

Cao Gun looked at Pang Yuanji, shaking his head vigorously, “Pang Yuanji, in my heart, you have as much potential as Lord Hidden Officer. I hope that many years later, when I look up, I can see the highest place in the world, where there is both the blue-shirted swordsman Chen Ping’an and the white-robed sword immortal Pang Yuanji.”

Pang Yuanji smiled helplessly, “I’m far inferior to the Hidden Officer.”

Both drained their bowls in one gulp.
Xu Ning spoke to Xuan Can, “Judge the matter, not the person.”

Xuan Can then drank wine, his eyebrows dancing with mirth, “Well said.”

Song Gaoyuan drank a bowl to his heart’s content, propped up one foot on a long bench, “It’s a pity I can’t guard the Sword Qi Great Wall once as a sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage, otherwise, it would be extremely interesting! Looking back now, we outsiders, young and seemingly talented fools, are all more deserving of a beating than the next.”

Gu Jianlong said, “Allow me to speak a fair word, the one most deserving of a beating is still Lin Junbi, the youngest and fastest to break through realms.”

Wang Xinshui nodded, “Allow me to speak a truthful word as well, in fact, Lin Junbi is the most obsequious towards Lord Hidden Official.”

Gu Jianlong lamented, “If Lin Junbi were to wear a woman’s face, he would actually be more outstanding than our Lord Hidden Official.”

Dong Bude smiled, “Wrong, Lin Junbi doesn’t need to change his appearance at all, just put on women’s clothes.”

The crowd deeply agreed.

Dong Bude continued, “If Junbi were drunk, his little face flushed red, and he leaned affectionately against Lord Hidden Official, tsk tsk tsk, a sight of unparalleled beauty.”

Chang Taiqing shuddered and quickly poured himself a bowl of wine, picking up a piece of pickled vegetable, but shuddered again, “Calming my nerves, calming my nerves.”

Chou Miao laughed, “Are you bullying Hidden Official and Lin Junbi not being here?”

Deng Liang suddenly said, “Are we forgetting someone?”

The large table of people fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Of course, it was the Great Sword Immortal Mi Yu, who had returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall and then gone to the Upside-down Mountain.

Pang Yuanji drank modestly, but he didn’t drink any less.

The younger generation seemed a little dazed, inexplicably feeling that the current Hidden Official lineage was truly lively, and not bad.

This drinking session lasted for a long time, and they all returned to the Summer Palace.

Luo Zhenyi carried Guo Zhujiu on her back, walking side by side with Dong Bude.

Deng Liang slowed his pace and came to their side.

Luo Zhenyi, understanding the situation, wanted to leave, but was stopped by Dong Bude.

Deng Liang didn’t mind and went straight to the point, “Miss Dong, I like you.”

Dong Bude’s eyes were clear, and she said, “I don’t like you.”

Deng Liang nodded, “I know.”

Deng Liang paused slightly, his expression carefree, his eyes sincere, and he laughed, “I know Dong Bude doesn’t like Deng Liang, but Deng Liang is just afraid that Dong Bude doesn’t know that Deng Liang likes Dong Bude.”

Dong Bude was a little helpless, going around in circles, but since you, Deng Liang, are being so straightforward, then I won’t be polite either, anyway, enduring you, Deng Liang, isn’t just a matter of a day or two, “In the Summer Palace discussion hall, a space the size of a palm, I’m not an idiot, of course, I can see that you like me, not only that, but I also know that you can’t control your eyes, and if you don’t dare to steal glances at Luo Zhenyi’s face, you’ll stare at Luo Zhenyi’s back.”

Deng Liang gave up all pretense, “It’s not just me looking at Luo Zhenyi, didn’t Wang Xinshui look? Didn’t Chang Taiqing glance?”

Luo Zhenyi was an extremely beautiful woman with a cold expression, and at this moment, her face was even more like frost, but she suddenly smiled, pretending to be angry was a little difficult.

These things were all trivial matters.

What couldn’t the two women say in private? What weren’t they willing to say?

Dong Bude said that Chou Miao’s figure was actually extremely good, looking thin in clothes, but actually full of muscle. Dong Bude asked Luo Zhenyi, had she touched it? If not touched, had she at least seen it?

Luo Zhenyi greatly respected Sword Immortal Chou Miao, regarding him as an elder brother, and didn’t allow Dong Bude to make fun of Chou Miao casually.

Dong Bude also said that Cao Gun, although still a young boy, actually had a handsome face, and would definitely be a graceful young master in the future, especially his elegant accent, naturally soft and sweet, truly pleasing to the ear. When spoken by Cao Gun, it was even more crisp, often bursting out with some local idioms, whether they made sense or not, chewing them over and over, very early in the morning… In the future, with his immortal companion, under the flowers and moon, if he affectionately called out the woman’s name, his fingers raising the woman’s chin, it would definitely be very romantic. Saying this, Dong Bude was about to raise Luo Zhenyi’s chin, but imitated Xu Ning’s voice to speak, calling out Zhenyi, Zhenyi, making Luo Zhenyi’s pretty face blush with shyness, increasing her charm.

Luo Zhenyi hadn’t paid attention to Cao Gun’s voice at first, but after being reminded by Dong Bude, it seemed to be true.

Every time she saw Dong Bude propping up her cheek with one hand, chatting with Cao Gun even when there was nothing to say, Luo Zhenyi found it amusing.

Dong Bude also showed her a booklet, full of words from brothels and marriage registries, the women all being fox fairies, alluring ghosts, and flower goddesses, the men mostly being down-on-their-luck scholars. Many of the phrases were truly vulgar, something about a slender waist, making the man look like a one-legged heron standing on the beach, and if they embraced, they would die or their souls would dissipate. Luo Zhenyi only looked at one page before she was too embarrassed to turn the page, only feeling it burning in her hand, pinching a corner of the booklet and throwing it back to Dong Bude.

Luo Zhenyi suddenly envied Deng Liang a little.

At this moment, interrupted by Dong Bude, Deng Liang lost the heroic spirit he had worked so hard to gather.

Moreover, as Deng Liang himself had said, today’s words were just to let Dong Bude know.

Deng Liang clasped his fists and said, “Miss Dong, you must send me a wedding invitation when you get married. If the man is a sword cultivator, I will challenge him to a sword fight.”

Dong Bude just smiled and didn’t speak.

Deng Liang turned and strode away, catching up with Gu Jianlong and the others, only to be elbowed by Wang Xinshui and Chang Taiqing.

Luo Zhenyi teased softly, “Deng Liang is actually alright.”

Dong Bude smiled, narrowing her eyes, “How do you know if Deng Liang is alright or not?”

Luo Zhenyi was helpless, she walked slowly, carrying Guo Zhujiu on her back, the little girl carrying her inseparable little bamboo box.

Dong Bude knew why Luo Zhenyi had rushed to carry Guo Zhujiu.

Some things could be said as jokes, without any restrictions. But some things, not a single word should be mentioned.

Fan Dache went home alone, his footsteps faltering, drinking wine while longing for the person in his heart.

Dong Huafu was strolling around, writing down the things and food she liked under the accounts of Young Master Chen and Fatty Yan.

On Taixiang Street, Chen Sanqiu squatted by the wall, his head against the wall, lightly tapping, muttering to let him pass, or he’d go crazy from the wine…

Diezhang went to the counter to sit down and rest, the young Qiu Long and the young Liu E were busy, and the two children, Taoban and Feng Kangle, were also helping.

Outside the house, it was noisy and chaotic, Diezhang looked up, the plaques on the wall, silent and still, like a row of little mutes.

“Can drink wine, can kill demons, can write poetry, talent not inferior to the Second Shopkeeper, appearance only losing to Wu Chengpei, my life is very complete, just lacking a wife.”
“With coin in my pouch, I’ll drink this dilapidated tavern to the ground.”

“My swordsmanship is…passable.”

“Old Man here, united with A-Liang, could slay a Great Demon of the Ascended Realm.”

“Nalan Caihuan, I’ll be back presently.”

“Shepherd’s flute, camel bells, all whispers carried on the wind.”

“Fine springs and forests are given to idle men, and all the pretty lasses are led astray.”

“In this life, I’ve never been truly drunk, damn the wine.”

“I have yet to visit Inverted Mountain.”

“Chen Li, wielding the sword Obscurity, the flying sword Slumber. A centenarian Sword Immortal, within easy reach.”

“There’s no decent wine in this world, damn you, return my money!”

“Lu Zhi is indeed pleasing to the eye.”

“Life is short, learning the sword is too arduous.”

The Old Deaf One opened the restriction, as a host welcomes guests, Chen Ping’an found himself within, his vision suddenly widening, the world vast and desolate, few objects in sight, only a towering stone stele, inscribed with the three characters “Partridge Sky.”

Chen Ping’an steadied his form and mind, quickly regulating his breathing, blocking the surging, overwhelming spiritual energy from entering his body.

The prison under the Old Deaf One’s jurisdiction was a shattered blessed land, similar to the Yellow Millet Wine Shop of Inverted Mountain, brimming with spiritual energy, without a trace of oppressive sword qi.

There were no other Sword Immortals stationed here, not even a single sword cultivator, only this Ascended Realm demon watching over it since the Old Deaf One took over.

The Old Deaf One wasn’t truly deaf, how deaf could an Ascended Realm cultivator be? But the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall had always scorned and despised him, and the Old Deaf One was a soft target, never retaliating, and rarely showing his face, so he hadn’t caused any major trouble.

Adding to that, the Dong family held the sword forges, the Qi family managed the garment workshops, and the Chen family was in charge of the pill workshops, these were the true four forbidden grounds of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The archival records of the Summer Palace contained little information about the prisons, only a rough record of the identities and origins of the demons imprisoned throughout the ages, the dead ones simply crossed out with a stroke of the pen.

The Old Deaf One smiled, it was normal for the young Hidden Official not to trust him, but did he not trust the Great Sword Immortal? But he quickly came to understand, if he didn’t have this temperament, he couldn’t be the Hidden Official, couldn’t have arrived here. Back on the city wall, when the Hidden Official faction needed a Sword Immortal to protect the formation, it wasn’t him they didn’t trust, it was actually Lu Zhi. Now, it was him they didn’t trust. Would it eventually come to the point where even Chen Qingdu wasn’t trusted? Whatever the answer, the Old Deaf One found it somewhat amusing.

Chen Ping’an and the Old Deaf One moved forward almost simultaneously, Chen Ping’an discovered that the stone stele, which seemed only a hundred feet away, would take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea if they continued walking at that pace.

The Old Deaf One, not wanting to be mistaken for being arrogant due to his position, addressed him respectfully as Hidden Official, then directly revealed the secret, “The smaller your mind, the smaller your thoughts, the smaller your steps, the faster we will travel.”

Chen Ping’an did as he was told, and sure enough, in just a few blinks of an eye, he arrived before the stone stele.

The Old Deaf One was slightly surprised, and couldn’t help but compare Chen Ping’an with the previous two Hidden Officials, the little girl with pigtails, who had a bad temper, refused to believe it and insisted on rushing to the stone stele in one breath, resulting in her being instantly separated from the stele by hundreds of miles. Not only that, Xiao Xun just kept flying away like that, enjoying it, and after ten days, according to the pace of ordinary people, Xiao Xun had crossed a continent, drinking many jars of immortal wine, and just running around like crazy, getting further and further away from the stone stele. The Old Deaf One had seen bored sword cultivators, but he had never seen one as bored as her. As for the Hidden Official before that, he wasn’t bored, just uninteresting, but his hidden contributions were significant, that mirage city was built by him hiring people to create it, but unfortunately his cultivation talent was too poor and his lifespan was short, otherwise the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall wouldn’t have been Xiao Xun, and certainly not the young man beside him.

The Old Deaf One accompanied the young Hidden Official, gazing up at the stone stele together.

The Old Deaf One opened his mouth in a hoarse voice, “Partridge Sky, these three characters are the work of two ancient immortal lovers, of extremely high seniority, only slightly younger than Dragon Lord and Guanzhao, but they don’t have much reputation in the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

The Old Deaf One smiled, “I believe with Hidden Official’s discerning eyes, you should have seen the clues long ago, the characters ‘Partridge’ and ‘Sky’ were carved by the male sword immortal, with excellent strokes, only the character ‘Sky’ was written by the woman, her sword qi sharp, still unable to hide a trace of嬌柔娇弱娇媚 delicate beauty, and at the time she was also seriously injured, slightly tired, so the man compensated, the last character, seemingly energetic, the method rigorous, saving the middle character, but in fact he was already saddened by his lover, compared to the character ‘Partridge’, the character ‘Sky’, which should have been the most powerful, was instead more solemn than necessary, lacking in sword intent, it’s a pity, truly a pity.”

Chen Ping’an honestly said, “I didn’t see any of that.”

Strange, how did he become the closed-door disciple of the Literary Sage lineage?

The Old Deaf One asked, “Hidden Official should be familiar with the River of Time, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I’m familiar with it.”

The Old Deaf One reached out, and the three characters on the stone stele, Partridge Sky, seemed to be disassembled, each stroke leaving the stele, the sword light converging together, like streams converging into a river, the Old Deaf One led Chen Ping’an, wading through it, when the two of them reached the end of the water, there was a whole other world.

The scenery in Chen Ping’an’s vision suddenly changed again, corpses littered the ground, devastation everywhere. There were bleached white bones that were extremely large, stretching like mountain ranges, and also golden bones of divine beings.

It should be the remains of an ancient battlefield where ancient gods and demons fought fiercely.

There was a large pit, with steps carved into it.

Demons with higher realms were imprisoned at higher levels.

Descending the steps, Chen Ping’an suddenly asked, “If there were no Great Sword Immortal, how many sword cultivators would Senior kill in the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

The Old Deaf One didn’t hide anything, smiling, “All who met my gaze would die.”

Then he added, “It’s not because I’m angered by those little bastards’ gossip, it’s not worth it.”

He turned his head and asked, “Senior?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Those who are older than me, have a higher realm than me, and haven’t formed a grudge with me, all count as seniors.”

The Old Deaf One nodded, “Good habit.”

Then the Old Deaf One said, “According to the Great Sword Immortal’s meaning, it is for Hidden Official to act on my behalf.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. He had already understood it on the way here.
The descending stairs twisted and turned endlessly, blurring Chen Ping’an’s vision. He could only see the steps, devoid of any other scenery. However, whenever he encountered the cages, large and small, his vision would clear slightly. He could see that the cells were constructed with materialized sword light as bars. Many of the cells were empty. Old Long Er stopped before one such vacant cell and pointed, “The one in here? The Old Sword Immortal already lopped off its head. The Pill Refinement Workshop should have made a killing.”

Chen Ping’an said, “The two transcontinental ferries of Golden Armor Continent jointly paid a hefty sum of immortal money to purchase the head of that Ascendant Realm corpse. To ensure the safe return of their treasure, they even hired a Sword Immortal as escort at great expense.”

Old Long Er grumbled, “The Pill Refinement Workshop is truly vexing. It’s as if I’m the one stopping them from butchering these high-ranking demon clans. Managing thousands of demons is the same as managing one or two. I don’t get any benefits, so why blame me? Such a simple principle, is it that hard to understand? It’s taxing, so taxing!”

Chen Ping’an replied, “No one blames you. If everyone empathized with each other, were universally understanding, and respected their seniors, would Sword Cultivators not look askance at you because of your demon identity, would you even be alive? Would you have the face to live? Senior, there’s nothing to be vexed about. You should be secretly pleased, right?”

Old Long Er chuckled, “Reasonable, indeed reasonable. It’s a pity I’ve heard such straightforward reasoning too little in the past. That Ah Liang never got to the heart of the matter. He only deceived me, saying that Ascendant Realm Great Demons in the Glorious Azure World live like immortals, and starting a sect isn’t difficult.”

They continued down the path, finally encountering the first demon cultivator.

It was a Mountain-like demon in its true form, reeking of miasma and toxic fumes.

Chen Ping’an approached the cage and stared intently, yet could still not see clearly.

This prison held six high-ranking demons above the fifth realm, sixty-one mid-ranking demons, and only three low-ranking demons.

The dead were all sent to the Pill Refinement Workshop, where their bodies were used to their fullest. Some also left alive, going to that mirage, either to fight each other, or to fight Sword Cultivators. Then there were those disciples that Old Long Er selected when he was idle. Being taught sword arts by Old Long Er was a great opportunity sought after in any world, as he was an Ascendant Realm Dao Teacher. He wouldn’t hold back, teaching sword arts—even in death, people would want to learn.

The problem was that Old Long Er’s sword arts were too profound here. Learning the sword made it too easy to break through realms. Once one reached the Nascent Soul Realm, they would die.

Many demons deliberately stalled at the Golden Core bottleneck, practically killing themselves. If their realm didn’t rise, their lifespan would shorten, and they would die. Either their Dao hearts would shatter, or their Golden Cores would be directly blasted apart by the constantly growing sword qi. As for their physical forms, Old Long Er would still use his means to preserve them, otherwise, the Pill Refinement Workshop would hold him accountable.

Regarding Old Long Er’s origins, the Summer Palace also had records. It was rather strange—an Ascendant Realm Great Demon pretending to be a Sword Cultivator, who had refined several Sword Immortal relics into flying swords. It was the same path as Chen Ping’an refining Early One and Fifteenth as his Natal Treasures. Old Long Er’s realm was high enough, and he had three flying swords refined for his own use, so he appeared even more like a Sword Cultivator than a Sword Immortal. Old Long Er had been a rampant Great Demon in the Savage Desolate World. Arriving at the Great Wall of Sword Qi and contentedly working as a miserable jailer, he was not without the idea of “cultivating a Natal Flying Sword in the Thirteenth Realm.”

As for the Immortal Realm Great Demon before Chen Ping’an, it was also a legendary figure. When it was first imprisoned, it only had a Nascent Soul Realm bottleneck cultivation. Unexpectedly, in this suppressive place, it should have been eking out a living, yet it had broken through to the Immortal Realm over the millennia.

Old Long Er asked, “Hidden Officer, shall we make our move now?”

The old man was somewhat curious as to why the young Hidden Officer hadn’t brought that Sword Immortal-grade magic weapon. To kill an Immortal Realm Great Demon with just his fists… it was hard to say who would exhaust whom first. Old Long Er certainly knew Chen Ping’an had a fist technique where each punch was cumulative, which was quite remarkable. However, a Golden Body Realm bottleneck martial artist’s physique was not strong enough. To kill the Immortal Realm Great Demon before him, Chen Ping’an was destined not to last until the final punch. Facing an Immortal Realm, the disparity in realms was too great. Even Cao Ci would be helpless.

Once he asked someone else to do it, and those means were used, it would lose all its potential, making it meaningless.

Moreover, Old Long Er felt that unless Chen Ping’an was a Ninth Realm martial artist, there might be a glimmer of hope, barely enough to withstand the pain of emaciation and a shattered soul.

Even if the young Hidden Officer’s martial arts realm was similar to that of Cao Ci and Yu Juanfu, who could both be considered a realm higher, Chen Ping’an was still a realm behind, even as a Distant Wanderer Realm martial artist.

Chen Ping’an began to move, “No rush.”

Then, he continued along the way, only taking a few glances before continuing on.

Old Long Er couldn’t help but ask, “Hidden Officer?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Let’s walk through it once first. At worst, we’ll take a trip back. It won’t delay official business.”

Old Long Er asked with a smile, “The matter is just this matter. Is there a difference?”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Just consider it a walk.”

Old Long Er said, “It’s not good for young people to be too steady and able to endure. Although it makes it easier to do things accurately and be ruthless, it also easily depletes vitality and harms one’s fortune.”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Senior’s insights are profound, and his words are mature and prudent. Being too cautious will make one narrow-minded.”

Old Long Er had been trapped at the Great Wall of Sword Qi for three thousand years. This was the first time someone had addressed him so many times as “Senior” in one breath, and he had rarely conversed so much with a Sword Cultivator.

Chen Ping’an asked, “How did the Old Sword Immortal make the agreement with you earlier?”

Old Long Er said, “When I go out to fight with all my strength, first, I must slaughter all the demons imprisoned here. Of course, that’s changed now, replaced by Hidden Officer personally making the move. Second, I can take away three Golden Core disciples from here as exceptions.”

Old Long Er didn’t talk about his cultivation years in the Savage Desolate World. He had endured for a full three thousand years at the Great Wall of Sword Qi alone.

Enduring for three thousand years, and he was still only an Ascendant Realm, unable to obtain the “Sword Immortal” title.

Along the way, they finally saw a fresh face. It was a demon cultivator curled up and lying down. Even though it noticed Old Long Er and Chen Ping’an, it still pretended not to know.
The few demon clansmen of the Upper Five Realms who were imprisoned behind them, although suppressed, still exuded icy gazes that felt tangible. Some of the great demons seemed to have gone mad, slamming into the sword light barriers relentlessly, their flesh and blood blurred, yet unwilling to stop. In the end, they gripped two sword lights tightly with both hands, cursing the Old Deaf One and the unfamiliar young man whose cultivation realm wasn’t high. Chen Ping’an stopped, using the proficient language of the wild lands to ask a few questions, but the great demon only cursed incessantly.

Then there were demon earth immortals who kowtowed and begged for mercy, and charming fox spirits whose bodies were graceful and whose faces still shone with youthful beauty despite their millennia of age. When they saw the young Hidden Official, they looked pitiful, sitting sideways, hands clutching their chests, biting their lips tightly as if on the verge of tears. Still others swore oaths, willing to become slaves, just to leave this place alive. Chen Ping’an remained silent.

The Old Deaf One chuckled, “That fox spirit, although only with seven tails, wouldn’t disgrace Hidden Official if you took her as a maid. I believe Hidden Official has that authority, and you wouldn’t need to worry about her loyalty.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t respond.

Chen Ping’an inexplicably thought of the mountain cliff road in the snowy night when he was returning home from Great Sui.

Over the years of his travels, he had indeed seen many fox spirits, both big and small. However, he never had the opportunity to visit the fox kingdom of the Xu family in Qingfeng City. Xu Yuanxia once said that it was a must-see place, and that a man wouldn’t know what a hero’s tomb of gentle embrace truly was until he walked through the fox kingdom.

Among the four mistresses of the Great Balance World, one was the Mistress of Azure God Mountain in the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, who had a close relationship with Ah Liang. Then there was the Rosy Cheek Mistress, who disappeared from the Central Earth Divine Continent. She used a plum blossom garden to exchange for a secret letter from Chen Ping’an that would eventually be given to Pure Confucian Chen Chun’an, hoping that the Southern娑婆洲 would treat this Upper Five Realms spirit kindly. In the end, while securing a protective charm from a Confucian sage for the Rosy Cheek Mistress, Chen Ping’an was also considering the long-term for Lu Zhi. The higher the realm, the greater the worries, and Lu Zhi was not the kind of sword immortal who was willing to be tactful. Once she went to the Southern娑婆洲, she would be an outsider. The schemes of scholars were complex, and even worse were those open conspiracies, forcing Lu Zhi to draw her sword, which would be a great trouble. Therefore, having the Rosy Cheek Mistress to advise Lu Zhi was more reassuring. However, Chen Ping’an was also worried that the Rosy Cheek Mistress’s resentment was too heavy, and that Lu Zhi would be subtly influenced.

Therefore, once Chen Chun’an stepped in, it would be both protection and supervision, preventing the Rosy Cheek Mistress from acting willfully.

However, the Rosy Cheek Mistress was not yet aware of this matter, and was probably still curious about what kind of reward she could obtain for the meritorious deed promised by the young Hidden Official. Chen Ping’an didn’t intend to tell her in advance, and everything would become clear when she accompanied Lu Zhi to the Southern娑婆洲.

There was also a Mistress regarded as the most orthodox lunar seed, but her life and death were unknown. Chen Ping’an had already confirmed that it was Lady Gui, the hidden backer of the Fan family.

Finally, there was the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, Lady Huanxi, who had reached the immortal realm, but was also missing.

At the bottom of the prison, the last cage was a water prison, no more than two feet deep and about an acre in size. The water was emerald green, and the water energy was rich, directly manifesting as emerald green small fish. The pool water was clear, and every detail was visible. Those emerald green fish that suddenly stood still, as if suspended in mid-air. Imprisoned inside was a youth with only his head above the water. His body below the head was nowhere to be seen, as if he had merged with the water.

Could it be a dragon-raising technique?

The demon youth’s face faintly bore scale marks, and there were slight bulges on both sides of his forehead, resembling antlers.

Chen Ping’an stood with his hands in his sleeves, stopping and looking at the youth.

Cave Mansion Realm cultivation, not long after transforming into human form.

In the end, it still came down to innate talent. On the path of cultivation, to receive the blessings of the ancestors, one must first receive the blessings of heaven. Whether one could cultivate depended on the Heavens.

Chen Ping’an began to return, praising, “Obtaining opportunities, practicing swordsmanship and cultivation, the master leading the way, and questioning the Dao heart, the achievements of these three disciples of yours will be terrifying.”

Including the youth, their current realms were Cave Mansion Realm, Dragon Gate Realm, and the bottleneck of the Golden Core Realm.

This prison didn’t imprison stray cats and dogs picked up from the roadside. The younger the demon cultivator, the more amazing their aptitude and the heavier their roots.

The Old Deaf One said bitterly, “Hidden Official, it can’t be, right?”

This young man was certainly difficult, but he could still be slapped to death with a casual wave of his hand.

The problem was that Chen Qingdu would slap himself to death before he even had a chance to act.

If Chen Ping’an was determined to break the contract, killing all three disciples together, who would Chen Qingdu favor? Did he even need to think about it?

Chen Ping’an said, “You have always adhered to your duty, and I respect you from the bottom of my heart.”

The Old Deaf One chuckled, “But?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You are so good at chatting, then you continue, and I will listen attentively.”

The Old Deaf One never intended to do business with this young man.

The Old Deaf One asked loudly, “Old Sword Immortal, is this okay? Aren’t you going to do something?”

There was no response.

Chen Ping’an continued, “The three you chose should all have the aptitude for the Upper Five Realms, right?”

The Old Deaf One nodded helplessly.

Chen Ping’an said, “Then let’s calculate according to one Jade Pure Realm and two Immortal Realm, of course, sword cultivators. I will ask you for three opportunities for cultivation, Daoist techniques and magical treasures are all acceptable, preferably Daoist techniques suitable for demon cultivation.”

The Old Deaf One breathed a sigh of relief. These things were all external possessions to a Flying Ascendant Realm cultivator, “Two Jade Pure Realm, one Immortal Realm. If you’re unlucky, it will be one Nascent Soul Realm, two Jade Pure Realm.”

The Old Deaf One didn’t lie.

A sword cultivator with the aptitude for the Upper Five Realms was one thing, but whether they could ultimately become an Upper Five Realms sword immortal was another.

Speaking only of the living, Yan Ming, Yin Chen, and Nalan Caihuan, which of them weren’t sword immortal embryos with outstanding aptitudes? What had become of them now?

Chen Ping’an agreed, “I’ll listen to you.”

The Old Deaf One smiled, “Indeed, calling you ‘Senior’ isn’t for nothing.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists, “Senior, please don’t hold a grudge.”

The Old Deaf One shook his head, “It’s not worth it.”

Chen Ping’an said, “This prison is actually the corpse of a headless god, right?”

The Old Deaf One nodded.

Walking to a cage that Chen Ping’an originally thought was empty, a figure suddenly walked out from the mist.
Chen Ping’an turned his head to look, and saw a woman with snow-white skin and scarlet lips, appearing quite young. A small embroidered pouch hung from her wrist.

Below her head, however, was a horrific sight, utterly inhuman, more ghastly than any ghost.

Skinless, almost translucent, her internal organs, blood vessels, sinews, and bones writhed and pulsed in plain view.

Chen Ping’an, a man accustomed to scenes of blood and the bizarre, still felt a shiver run down his spine upon seeing this woman.

The Summer Palace Records contained no mention of her.

The woman approached the fence and then stepped out, almost face-to-face with Chen Ping’an, who remained unmoved.

The old deaf man chuckled, “Her name is Nian Xin, a seamstress who fled here, causing quite a stir in Golden Armor Continent in her earlier years.”

Understanding dawned on Chen Ping’an.

A seamstress…

Extremely rare.

Chen Ping’an had stumbled upon her kind in a secret file within the Summer Palace, one specifically detailing unorthodox cultivators.

Not an old story, but exceedingly heretical and sinister; pure demonic path.

In the history of the Great Li Dynasty, the orthodox talisman faction cultivators hunted them down, killing them on sight.

There were the four most troublesome ghosts of the mountains: sword cultivators, Mo family ledger-carrying knife lenders, Daoist priests from the blade testing chambers, and Legalist disciples. But these cultivators, though difficult and feared by other cultivators, were not infamous. Outside of them, there were ten kinds of cultivators, considered pariahs, worse than rogue cultivators, whom everyone sought to eliminate.

For example, there were the solitary Dragon Catchers of the South Sea, carrying dragon king baskets, capturing exhausted flood dragons for their lords. Their realm wasn’t high, only Earth Immortal, but even Sword Immortals couldn’t kill them, and they loved to go ashore to steal river water veins. There were also the “Passersby” who specialized in refining graveyards, easily causing the passage of Yin troops.

And the woman before Chen Ping’an was none other than the legendary Seamstress, proficient in the art of talismans, but using human skin as talisman paper.

The foundation of their Great Dao was “to make clothes for others.”

The secret records stated that to cultivate this path, one must first peel off their own skin. Enduring the pain of skinning oneself was the first step.

The second step was to truly traverse a realm of the dead, similar to the gates of Fengdu. After that, there were still several more trials.

Chen Ping’an had always been puzzled; what was the point of choosing to cultivate this path?

The woman took a step back, circled Chen Ping’an once, and stopped, asking, “How old are you?”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

The woman, whom the old deaf man called Nian Xin, didn’t mind and continued, “It shouldn’t be an illusion. Are you from a powerful family in Grand Elephant Street? Did your family elders finally persuade Chen Qingdu to help you build a Martial Temple, gaining martial luck from the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “A country bumpkin, who trains his fists diligently.”

The woman seemed somewhat disappointed. “Chen Qingdu is still too cautious. He’s unwilling to use some methods.”

The old deaf man smiled meaningfully and said, “Not that old, and only knows a few flashy tricks. Don’t address the Great Sword Immortal so casually.”

Then, he reminded the woman, “Nian Xin, this is the new Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

The woman tilted her head, staring intently at Chen Ping’an, and said intermittently, “Left-handed. Flood Dragon. Rebuilt longevity bridge. Skin and soul severely patched up. First practiced martial arts, then nurtured a Natal Sword. Meticulous control over the body, almost one of us. A heavy murderous intent, yes, even heavier now. But completely able to control it. Young, but very impressive. Worthy of being the new Hidden Official.”

Chen Ping’an remained standing, smiling. “Miss Nian Xin has keen eyes.”

The old deaf man knew Nian Xin inside and out, so he wasn’t surprised by her abilities.

The three oddities of the prison, freely coming and going, Nian Xin was one of them.

The old deaf man suddenly asked, “Why don’t you call her ‘Senior’ but ‘Miss’?”

Chen Ping’an retorted, “Does Senior drink without any side dishes?”

The old deaf man was stunned.

A childish voice sounded in the distance, “This guy is mocking you for talking drunkenly, saying inappropriate nonsense.”

Chen Ping’an turned to look, and saw a white-haired child sitting cross-legged in the air, with an extremely large forehead, wearing two green snakes as earrings, and two short swords hanging from his waist.

His eyes were bright, and he was boredly gnawing on his fingers.

The old deaf man glanced askance and explained to Chen Ping’an, “It’s an extraterrestrial demon.”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

The white-haired child said, “Old deaf man, quickly call me Grandpa!”

The old deaf man then called him Grandpa.

The white-haired child was angry. “You’re so boring.”

The woman was too lazy to pay attention to the old deaf man and the child, staring intently at Chen Ping’an, and said, “Can you really endure the pain? Don’t die.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “We can try.”

Then, Chen Ping’an felt a chill down his spine, as the woman smiled enchantingly and gracefully performed a curtsy. “To add clothes for the young master in the cold weather, sewing and mending under the lamplight.”