The sixty-one Fifth Realm demonkin imprisoned in the jail were nearly all gone.

Today’s needlework by Nian Xin was of utmost importance, the concluding stage at the spine.

Old Deafie, hands clasped behind his back, had made a special trip to observe the sewing.

Being a demon, watching others suffer was always more satisfying than watching them prosper.

The White-Haired Child called out for his grandson from the sidelines.

Old Deafie acknowledged with a grunt, then pretended to be deaf.

Chen Ping’an had long since entered a meditative trance, his mind immersed, his three souls and seven spirits pinned down by Nian Xin’s embroidery needles, firmly restrained. This was to prevent Chen Ping’an from being overwhelmed by the pain, losing control, and disrupting the interconnected and meticulously planned sewing process.

Nian Xin had put her heart and soul into this sewing, effectively “making a wedding dress” for the young Hidden Official.

The reasoning was simple: such an opportunity to hone her skills would never come again in her lifetime.

Moreover, once successful, at least two continents of cultivators, especially those sanctimonious sect immortals, would know that Nian Xin, a sewer regarded as a rat crossing the street, had accomplished a feat unprecedented in history.

Just as in the mortal realm, whenever chess was mentioned, the White Emperor City would inevitably be brought up, and when discussing Daoist magic, one could not avoid the Celestial Master.

Therefore, Nian Xin desired success even more than Chen Ping’an.

To the point where the sewer, a Jade Purity Realm cultivator, would often feel her eyes dry and sore from wielding the knife and needle for so long. She would then pick up the sword-nourishing gourd beside her, pour out a lush green bead of water essence, tilt her head back, and drip them into her eyes.

Besides the sword-nourishing gourd borrowed from the young Hidden Official, Nian Xin had also taken out two treasures from the bottom of her chest after the two prior sewing sessions: the Golden Register and the Jade Scroll.

Old Deafie lowered his head, looking at the Golden Register and Jade Scroll, nodding, “Good stuff.”

The White-Haired Child lamented, “What a pity. They’ll be useless after this. Otherwise, my Hidden Official Grandpa would surely have his eyes light up.”

Both items were integral to Nian Xin’s path.

Nian Xin had once confided to Chen Ping’an that her cultivation opportunities, besides the various secret techniques and divine abilities of a sewer, also came from the Golden Register and Jade Scroll. They were both extremely orthodox immortal treasures, able to complement her sewing methods. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn’t have lived to this day.

Ordinary cultivators, even those in the Jade Purity Realm like Nian Xin, couldn’t decipher the contents of the Golden Register and Jade Scroll, as if a natural landscape formation existed.

However, both Old Deafie and the White-Haired Child were extraordinary.

The Jade Scroll was a Zen land jade scroll from an ancient dynasty in the Central Earth Continent. The scroll was divided into twenty-four slips, connected by gold threads. Each jade slip had been meticulously cut and polished.

The Golden Register was a “Register of True Lineage,” also known as the Investiture Diagram. The entire scroll was divided into three parts. The first part consisted of sixteen large characters. The first eight characters, “Three Caverns Golden General True Immortal Brief,” were all in cloud script, swirling in mist. The latter eight characters, “Dao and Dharma Endure with Heaven,” were words of prayer, written by a Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. The second part was sixty-one portraits of immortals. The third part was the main content of the entire “Register of True Lineage,” depicting an empress, hoping to become the Daoist immortal, Mysterious Sovereign. Legend had it that after the dynasty fell, the woman dedicated herself to cultivation and eventually ascended into immortality.

The Jade Scroll was fine; when unfolded, it was only a foot long.

But the Register of True Lineage, when fully unfolded, was over ten feet long.

The reason for taking out these two treasures was that Nian Xin would use the unique techniques of a sewer, either extracting characters, stripping off talismans, or copying cloud patterns, and then using the methods of imperial edicts and yellow paper, to place them one by one on the young Hidden Official’s skin, tendons, and bones.

Therefore, it could be said that Nian Xin was sparing no expense, even to the point of ruin, for this sewing.

As for how much tribulation and suffering the young man would endure, Nian Xin didn’t care at all. Since he dared to come here and do this, he should obediently bear it.

At this moment, looking at the Golden Register and Jade Scroll on the ground, Old Deafie remembered a small matter. He had previously agreed to a deal with the young Hidden Official, in exchange for his three disciples leaving the jail unharmed.

The two sides had agreed that Old Deafie would need to provide a Daoist technique suitable for demonkin cultivation, as well as two mountain objects of the magic treasure tier, and they must be rare among magic treasures, with low barriers to both refining and use.

Gifting two magic treasures was a small matter, but the Daoist technique was a bit of a problem.

A mountain Daoist technique with an ordered inheritance would inevitably have many restrictions, like spatial artifacts and certain rare talismans, all with opening and closing methods.

For example, a certain ancestral talisman of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion had been blessed by generations of Celestial Masters. Other than descendants of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, let alone refining it, even an immortal realm cultivator wouldn’t be able to lift it.

The profound techniques of the immortal families, written in the form of incantations, often resonated with the Great Dao. After being compiled into books and scrolls, they naturally contained divine wonders. Firstly, the material used to carry the incantation characters was certainly not simple. Secondly, even if a great cultivator removed all restrictions, low-realm cultivators still couldn’t understand them. Therefore, immortal families often treasure Daoist texts, but they are mostly passed down orally, known as “personal transmission.”

Old Deafie thought about it. He had no interest in keeping the Daoist text, as he had never had the intention of establishing a sect. He might as well remove all restrictions and give it to the young Hidden Official. However, after that, how Chen Ping’an would teach it to others was none of Old Deafie’s business. Handing toilet paper to someone squatting in the outhouse was already very generous, and he couldn’t wipe their backside as well.

The White-Haired Child asked with a smile, “If it were You Yu and Du Shanyin, wouldn’t they be rolling on the ground after one cut?”

Old Deafie shook his head, “They would barely withstand two cuts, still with a chance. Anyway, those two brats don’t rely on suffering to cultivate. Good fortune is more useful than anything. Otherwise, how could it be their turn to enjoy themselves here?”

Nian Xin stopped cutting to rest for a moment. Because her earlier cuts were slightly stagnant, she seemed to be in a bad mood. Hearing the noise from Old Deafie and the Outer Devil, her face became even more gloomy, and she angrily said, “Get lost!”

Old Deafie, known for his good temper on the Sword Qi Great Wall, indeed moved away from the area, ascending the steps. The little girl was ugly enough, but she also had such a bad temper. No wonder she couldn’t get married.

The White-Haired Child floated beside Old Deafie, “Does You Yu’s Dao Heart need Grandpa’s help to sharpen it? You don’t even need to thank Grandpa for such a small favor.”

Old Deafie smiled and said, “I advise you not to do it. The Eldest Sword Immortal is watching this place. If my servant fails to protect his master, before I’m slapped to death, I’ll definitely settle the score with you, both old and new.”

After those two fellows left, Nian Xin exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, and continued to concentrate her mind, slowly cutting again.
The scene, which to mortal eyes would appear a wretched spectacle, was in her eyes, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

The art of seal carving valued ethereal lightness; after the wick-knife descended, engraving the inscription, clouds and mist would arise, giving birth to five-colored Ganoderma lucidum. Conversely, it also valued weighty turbidity, like the dragon veins of a great mountain range, extending endlessly. Lightness mirrored the heavens, turbidity mirrored the earth.

For instance, with a four-character Yang Yun seal, instead of inscribing the true name of a great demon, she would carve the “Doctrine, Scripture, Teacher, Treasure” Dharma seal. Once the seal was complete, auspicious omens would linger, like a sea of clouds circling a mountain.

Then there were the eight ancient Xiaozhuan characters of “Taiyi Adorned Treasure, Arrayed Immortal Inscriptions”, each character overlapping. This required extreme precision in the tiniest of spaces, stacking each character with utmost care, a process that severely taxed the wick-knife’s mind and spirit.

There were carving techniques and talisman patterns, twisting and entwining to the fullest extent. The stopping points of the knife, the finishing strokes of the brush, resembled hanging dewdrops, suspended but not falling, watery energy coalescing like drops of morning dew.

There was also a cutting technique like a carpenter’s plane shaving wood, as Nian Xin lowered her head and gently blew away useless debris – debris that invariably came from the young Hidden Officer’s spine.

After work today, Nian Xin dragged the young man to the small door, grumbling, “Chen Ping An, you can’t even endure this, at most thirty strokes! If I hadn’t stopped in time, your entire spine would have been crippled. Do you want to break your Bridge of Longevity again?!”

The dying young man was already unable to speak, only his lips moved slightly, likely uttering curses.

Nian Xin wasted none of the bloodstains; the blood would spontaneously form lines, eventually all collected into the embroidered pouch at her waist.

Old Deaf stood by the small door, unlocked it, and Nian Xin casually tossed the young Hidden Officer into the “furnace” within, a cauldron of molten gold magma.

Old Deaf closed the door.

As Nian Xin was about to leave, Old Deaf said, “How the Hidden Officer will ascend to the Fifth Realm, the Old Sword Immortal didn’t say. How do you plan to resolve this?”

Nian Xin shook her head. “He didn’t say.”

Old Deaf chuckled. “Was today relatively smooth?”

Nian Xin’s brow was furrowed with gloom. “Chen Ping An’s persistent failure to enter the Distant Excursion Realm is not a long-term solution. In truth, the suffering he endures now, though extremely painful, is three parts self-inflicted. If it were me, I’d have the Old Sword Immortal use some unconventional methods to break through the realm first. Since he’s in such a hurry to leave, why isn’t he utterly desperate?”

Old Deaf hummed in agreement. These troublesome matters were of no concern to him. He said, “Miss Nian Xin, having been neighbors for so many years, how about I treat you to some loach stewed with tofu tonight? My young master’s skills are truly remarkable. It’s better than your five viscera chewing on each other, cannibalizing yourself.”

Nian Xin was unimpressed and drifted away.

Old Deaf went to the great demon Qing Qiu’s prison cell. Without Old Deaf even speaking, the great demon obediently handed over three qian of his natal essence blood and a large piece of flesh, then asked in a trembling voice, “Could you please pass a message to the Hidden Officer?”

At this rate, he truly couldn’t endure it.

Old Deaf ate the Qing Qiu flesh, which was incredibly chewy, but the taste was inferior to cooked food. He chuckled, “Didn’t the Hidden Officer seek you out again? What, you still didn’t reach an agreement last time?”

The great demon Qing Qiu smiled bitterly.

He had indeed met with the young man again, but at the time, he had wanted nothing more than to drag the fellow into the prison, so he had once again “politely declined” the other party’s proposal.

The young man had said, “I heard that loaches like murky darkness and fear the light of the sun.” Then he had tossed a ghost-drawn yellow talisman into the prison cell. The great demon Qing Qiu had grabbed it and eaten it, mocking the young man’s talisman skills.

After that, the young man had not come again, but Old Deaf had come every few days.

Old Deaf ate his fill, clasped his hands behind his back, and said, “Why didn’t you do this sooner?”

Perhaps this day was an auspicious day for the great demon Qing Qiu, for Chen Ping An toured the prison cells of the Fifth Realm great demons.

As the young man passed by, the great demon Qing Qiu immediately appeared near the sword-light barrier, saying, “How can I prevent Cheng Shan from causing me trouble?”

Chen Ping An was taken aback. Cheng Shan was Old Deaf’s alias in the Wilderness World? The records of Old Deaf in the Summer Palace consisted of only two pages, and the previous Hidden Officer, Xiao Xun, had inked out every single word, one ink blob per word. She wasn’t directly tearing out the pages, nor was she haphazardly scribbling large areas. It was as if she were doing something very interesting.

Chen Ping An stopped and met the great demon Qing Qiu’s gaze. “It’s simple. You tell me the inside story of the Great Demon Yang Zhi of the Yeluo River, the more detailed the better.”

The great demon Qing Qiu was silent for a moment, then with a mocking smile, retreated directly into the fog.

Chen Ping An did not force it, and went to the first prison cell where Yun Qing was held. Chen Ping An often came here and chatted with this great demon, truly just chatting, about the customs and traditions of their respective worlds.

Today, the two faced each other, separated only by a barrier.

Chen Ping An had not expected Yun Qing to be so learned, not at all inferior to a Confucian disciple. For example, even the “Monthly Ordinance” which said, “In the late autumn, slay the Jiaos and capture the Turtles, to show that Jiaos can be slain but Dragons must not be touched,” he had unique insights.

Only when Chen Ping An asked did he learn that Yun Qing had studied with Zhou Mi for several years, but without the formal status of master and disciple.

Moreover, Yun Qing enjoyed traveling the world, roaming far and wide, and had even compiled a collection of poems, widely circulated in several dynasties of the Wilderness World.

Today, as the chat came to an end, the great demon Yun Qing smiled and removed the bamboo flute engraved with “Banished Immortal” from his waist, holding it in his hand. “A semi-immortal artifact, useless to me. I gift it to the Hidden Officer.”

Besides the inscription of the three characters “Banished Immortal”, there was also a line of small characters: “Once given a Wind Ticket to Luzhi”.

The great demon Yun Qing had explained the origin of this item, once a love token of a Flying Ascent Realm great demon. If it weren’t severely damaged and irreparable, it would be an immortal artifact.

Chen Ping An shook his head. “I dare not accept it.”

Yun Qing asked in confusion, “Why?”

Chen Ping An said, “Even if we get along well, our allegiances are ultimately different. I don’t want to prevent Senior Yun Qing from going against your will and killing me.”

Yun Qing nodded and smiled. “Likewise, likewise. Hence, we are congenial.”

Inside the suspended building, Chen Ping An paced in circles, but involuntarily, his body became hunched and an arm drooped listlessly.

Nian Xin sat on the distant steps, saying, “If you don’t enter the Distant Excursion Realm soon, the aftereffects will be severe. Even if you ultimately succeed, the results will be greatly diminished.”

Chen Ping An nodded lightly. “I know.”

Nian Xin was also helpless.

The White-Haired Child appeared beside Nian Xin, transforming into the scholarly form of the great demon Yun Qing, smiling, “Miss Nian Xin, I will be honest with you, I have long been enamored with you, ‘Wind-tossed hair, mist-covered temples, unbound, not the adornments of earthly riches.'”

Nian Xin ignored him.
The Outer Demon, ever shifting, rasped, “Nianxin, won’t you despise me for being deaf, blind, and old?”

Nianxin remained unresponsive.

The Outer Demon transformed again, “Senior Nianxin, appearances can be deceiving. In my eyes and heart, you are the most beautiful maiden. There are countless beautiful women in the world, but only one Nianxin.”

Chen Ping’an continued his footwork training, saying, “Enough is enough.”

It turned out the Outer Demon had morphed into Chen Ping’an himself, clad in a blue robe.

Nianxin only pondered the further steps of her mending craft.

The Outer Demon, resuming his favorite form, sat on the steps, “A solitary man and a lone woman, devoid of even a hint of affection! What is wrong with you two? How utterly disappointing!”

After his footwork exercises, Chen Ping’an began practicing the Sword Hearth Stance. After half an hour, he started his breathing exercises, quietly nurturing his natal flying sword.

Nianxin departed.

The Outer Demon in the form of the Ear-Piercing Green Serpent was unwilling to leave, his gaze fixed on the sword-nurturing gourd beside Chen Ping’an.

His short sword, “Dragon Pool,” resided within. The one Chen Ping’an had returned earlier was fastened to his waist, named “River Offering.”

Both possessed notable origins, perfect for feeding the two small creatures dangling from his ears.

Indeed, anything capable of enduring within this realm for an extended period wouldn’t be of low rank.

However, for an Outer Demon, rank held little significance. All that mattered was what pleased the eye.

He suddenly spoke, “What about that Immortal Corpse? I might as well give you my own robe, so she can wield a sword while draped in it?”

Chen Ping’an said calmly, “Respect for the dead is paramount.”

Rising to his feet, he leaned back, supporting himself with one hand on the ground, closed his eyes, and formed a sword seal with his free hand.

The White-Haired Boy, true to his word, didn’t intrude upon the building, simply wandering around, continuously transforming into the various demonic beings who had fallen to Chen Ping’an’s fists and blades. He only asked one question: “Respect for the dead, is it? What about the living?”

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes, pressing his joined fingers against the ground, lifting his feet slightly.

The White-Haired Boy, having reverted to his original appearance, met his gaze, smiling, “Hypocrite! You continuously chastise yourself, the strong, and even the heavens and earth.”

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes once more, stating, “The Law has no fixed form.”

The Outer Demon abruptly transformed into a woman, offering a charming smile.

Chen Ping’an hesitated, opening his eyes to behold a face so realistic it could easily deceive.

What the heart desired, the eyes perceived.

This was the terrifying nature of an Outer Demon.

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes, “Bear the consequences yourself.”

The White-Haired Boy immediately cried out, “Lord Hidden Official, what if your future inner demon is precisely this woman? What will you do then?”

A hint of a smile played on Chen Ping’an’s lips as he slowly said, “I would welcome it.”

The White-Haired Boy raised both hands, lightly flicking the green serpents at his ears, a gentle motion that resonated like a striking bell, echoing throughout the world, asking, “How about we rehearse?”

Chen Ping’an said in a deep voice, “Get the hell out of here!”

The White-Haired Boy grumbled, “I’ve needlessly lost a generation in the hierarchy. This was a bad deal, Lord Hidden Official.”

Then, in the next moment, the Outer Demon fell silent, shrinking back in fear.

Chen Qingdu had seized him by the head, lifting him into the air.

The old man purely overwhelmed him with sword intent, causing the Outer Demon’s face to contort, his entire body melting like a candle, completely disfigured. He wailed desperately, begging for mercy.

Chen Ping’an flipped over, landing gracefully on his feet.

Chen Qingdu flung the Outer Demon away, looked at Chen Ping’an, and frowned, “You couldn’t carve out a single True Name of the key demons?”

Nianxin reappeared on the steps, “Don’t blame me. I can carve them, but only on corpses.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Breaking through a martial artist’s bottleneck is truly difficult. Even confronting and questioning the Outer Demon is useless. What I lack at the moment is that elusive, ethereal divine intent. Otherwise, merely tempering my body, enduring Senior Nianxin’s mending, would be enough to propel me into the Distant Wanderer Realm.”

Chen Qingdu said, “Where am I supposed to find a Tenth-Realm martial artist with perfected divine aura for Lord Hidden Official?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Don’t ask me.”

Chen Qingdu chuckled in exasperation.

Nianxin’s eyes widened in amazement.

The Old Deaf Man, having rushed over upon hearing the commotion, was filled with admiration.

The Outer Demon, huddled on the steps, felt that calling him Lord Hidden Official repeatedly was worth it.

The consequence was that Lord Hidden Official was overwhelmed by sword intent, first bending at the waist, then kneeling, and finally prostrating on the ground, unable to move, nearly becoming a pile of mud.

Fortunately, the Great Sword Immortal still possessed some sense of loyalty, directly tossing Chen Ping’an into the magma furnace.

After Chen Ping’an vanished,

Chen Qingdu waved his hand, and Nianxin and the others left simultaneously.

The old man stood within the pavilion, gazing around, his eyes slowly sweeping over the four pillars.

Chen Ping’an rarely left his imprisonment, taking a moment to breathe fresh air.

The White-Haired Boy soon appeared, urging the young Hidden Official to take a look at the Judge’s cultivation grounds, saying there were many treasures there, all without owners, ripe for the picking.

A look wouldn’t hurt, and picking up free stuff was never a bad idea.

Guided by the Outer Demon, Chen Ping’an arrived at the stream, his expression becoming somewhat dazed, as if he were back in his hometown, heading to collect snake gallstones. Only the large bamboo basket was missing.

The White-Haired Boy was practically a busybody, informing Chen Ping’an about the recent situations of the two masters and servants, saying that You Yu was a simpleton, slow to learn everything, nowhere near as talented as the three disciples Old Deaf Man had taken in. He also said that Du Shanyin’s sword practice aptitude was decent, his luck even better, but unfortunately, he was a lecher. These people were becoming masters of Old Deaf Man and the Judge, and he felt genuinely sorry for Lord Hidden Official.

Chen Ping’an suddenly stopped. On the bank of the stream, not far away, stood a woman doing laundry and a small maid washing silk.

Chen Ping’an gazed intently, feeling it was incredible. He had journeyed throughout the world, seen incense sprites that made their homes in plaques and incense burners, even seen Cui Dongshan’s insect silver, but he had never encountered the two women before.

The White-Haired Boy exclaimed, “Lord Hidden Official truly has sharp eyes! He immediately discerned their true identities. They are the incarnations of the Gold Essence Coin and the Grain Rain Coin. Du Shanyin was completely oblivious, only seeing their pretty faces, large breasts, and slender waists. You Yu was even more pitiful, not daring to look at them even once. Only Lord Hidden Official is the true hero!”

The woman doing laundry raised her head, smoothed her hair at her temples, and gave Chen Ping’an a slight smile.

The silk-washing maiden, seeing the young Hidden Official, touched her cheek with a finger.

Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in greeting.
The white-haired child stamped his feet, saying, “Lord Hidden Official, how can they bear your grand courtesy? It’s too much for them!”

Chen Pingan turned a deaf ear, walking towards the thatched hut while pondering matters of money.

Gold Essence Copper Coins, the Great Li had three types: Spring Welcoming Coins, Offering Coins, and Amulet Coins. Once, they were the toll to enter the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, and Chen Pingan was no stranger to them, after all, his first batch of mountainheads was bought with bags of these coins. The three types of Gold Essence Copper Coins that the Great Li Dynasty sold to various immortal sects were rumored to have been crafted with the help of the Mo family, who first created the three types of master coin molds. These were the most exquisite and top-notch, before being produced on a large scale.

Even the master coin molds used by secular dynasties to mint ordinary copper coins were beloved by many mountain immortals, and collectors would pay a hefty price for them.

Including the Gold Essence Copper Coins, the imperial court issued new coins, including the three types of immortal coins: Snowflake Coins, Minor Heat Coins, and Grain Rain Coins. Above the master coin molds, there was a type of ancestral coin.

The ancestral coin of Snowflake Coins was naturally treasured by the Liu family of the Snowy Continent, but the whereabouts of the ancestral coins of Minor Heat Coins and Grain Rain Coins had always been uncertain. Who would have thought that the ancestral coin of Grain Rain Coins would be in the possession of the Judge, and even have such an opportunity to manifest as a person.

In this world, all sentient beings, as long as they transform into human form, regardless of their origins, having gained sentience, it is all the creation of the Great Dao, and they can be considered cultivators ascending the mountains. Treating them with courtesy is definitely not wrong.

Today, young Du Shanyin had nothing to do, standing under the grape trellis, looking into the distance at the two guests.

The white-haired child was still indignant for his “Hidden Official Grandpa”, walking side by side with Chen Pingan, but walking backward, pointing at the two women who only knew how to wash clothes and pound cloth every day, “Impudent, impudent, reveal your true forms!”

The cloth-pounding woman and the yarn-washing maiden were originally no different from village beauties, but after the Outer Demon spoke the words “reveal your true forms”, strange phenomena occurred. Their skin presented golden and dark green colors respectively, and faint characters appeared. Especially on the forehead of the yarn-washing maid, it was like opening a small skylight, probably because the characters were cut sharply like knife marks when she was born.

However, they were completely unaware and continued to pound cloth and wash yarn.

The white-haired child said softly, “The world’s ancestral coin patterns are often in pairs. If both become spirits and then become a couple, tsk tsk tsk, that would be a rare blessing. Money begets money, Hidden Official Grandpa, as long as you promise to take me to the Vast World, I will help you beg them from the Sword Immortal Judge. Afterward, when we arrive in the Vast World, we will go non-stop, open our eyes wide, and help you find their companions! How about it?”

Chen Pingan said, “No how.”

Sword Immortal Judge was inside the thatched hut, even though the Hidden Official had come to visit, he had no intention of opening the door to welcome him.

Chen Pingan had come to relax, so he didn’t care about the Judge’s attitude, as long as he didn’t get hit by a sword light.

Du Shanyin bowed and said, “Greetings, Lord Hidden Official.”

Chen Pingan smiled, “As you wish.”

Du Shanyin remembered something, patted his head, and went to fetch two bags of gold dust, first handing out one bag, “Please accept this, Lord Hidden Official.”

Chen Pingan actually accepted it.

Du Shanyin handed out another bag of gold dust, “Again, I implore Lord Hidden Official to tell a story of mountains and rivers.”

The white-haired child smiled playfully.

Chen Pingan reached out and pressed the tall youth’s head, smiling, “Even if you become the true master of the Judge in the future, don’t do this kind of thing again.”

Du Shanyin looked up, his expression calm, “May I ask why?”

Chen Pingan stopped speaking, just brushed past the youth, moving to admire the colorful flower god porcelain cups hanging in the air.

The white-haired child jumped up and patted the youth’s shoulder, saying, “A promising talent, keep up the good work! My Hidden Official Grandpa is jealous of your deep fortune. Being carried away with joy is a commendatory term for cultivators.”

Du Shanyin grinned, “You jest.”

The white-haired child asked suspiciously, “Why aren’t you afraid of me at all?”

Du Shanyin’s mind flickered, and a wisp of sword light suddenly hovered on the youth’s shoulder, like a bird perched on a branch.

Du Shanyin said, “Lord Judge gave this to me.”

The white-haired child immediately said, “Just for this, I’ll call you Dad from now on!”

Du Shanyin was about to smile, but suddenly his expression froze.

Chen Pingan was looking up and staring at the bottom mark of a flower god porcelain cup, laughing, “You’re just stirring up trouble.”

The white-haired child laughed heartily.

Chen Pingan turned his head and looked at the back of the tall youth, “Within your rules, why don’t you dare to draw your sword.”

Du Shanyin turned his head and smiled, “In my eyes, you are all enlightened experts, playing in the mortal world, not excessive in the slightest.”

Chen Pingan smiled it off and continued to examine the porcelain cup, the appropriate poem on it was excellent, so he gladly accepted it.

The white-haired child asked, “Du Shanyin, did Lord Judge instruct you to kill all the mountain flower-picking thieves if you have the opportunity to travel the Vast World after you have learned swordsmanship? Did he send you a lot of immortal treasures that you wouldn’t even dare to think about in one go? For example, among them, there is that immortal book dedicated to writing the two characters of gods and immortals? But in your heart, are you regretting that the two big and small ladies were not sent to you as well, so it’s a bit of a pity?”

“It’s okay, it just so happens that my Hidden Official Grandpa has no thoughts about them. I’ll help you ask for a bit of alms from the Judge, no need to thank me! Alas, forget it, after I say this, your thoughts about them will be shallow. You always feel that they are things that the Hidden Official has abandoned like worn-out shoes. In your heart, they don’t have that immortal style anymore, otherwise, they would be inferior to the Hidden Official Grandpa, right or wrong? Don’t worry, this is human nature, no need to be ashamed. If you want to reach the top of the Great Dao cultivation, you should be like this, take what you see, discard what you dislike, crush what you hate, and snatch what you love…”

Du Shanyin was terrified in his heart, his face became more and more ugly, and he could only remain silent.

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment, but still didn’t say anything.

Giving too many opportunities without considering whether they can be accepted, the giver doesn’t think about it, and the receiver doesn’t want it.

But Chen Pingan then thought again, perhaps this kind of temperament is the root of Du Shanyin’s Great Dao. Who said that the level of achievement only lies in the depth of thought?

Besides, Ah Liang is right, what to manage, what to worry about, can you manage it, can you worry about it?

The white-haired child was a little excited. He had been babbling so much, and the Judge in the thatched hut hadn’t said anything, which was a good sign. As expected of Lord Judge, who doesn’t care about anything, he is a completely different kind of person from Hidden Official Grandpa.
He walked over to Chen Ping’an, pointing to a white jade table outside the grape arbor, “Treasure, it’s a pity that the immortal book on the table already belongs to Du Shanyin. A bunch of little critters have been bred inside the book, far from ordinary bookworms, each one is worth a fortune.”

Chen Ping’an walked out of the grape arbor and went straight to the stone table, casually flipping open a page of the book. All the characters in the book were the two words “immortal” written in different styles – running script, regular script, seal script, all of them.

The white-haired boy whispered, “You didn’t even greet Du Shanyin before reading the book, Lord Hidden Official. That’s not like your usual style.”

Chen Ping’an ignored him, just flipping through the book, looking for the traces of those bookworms.

Li Huai seemed to have bookworms in his books, but he didn’t know if they had become spirits now.

The white-haired boy muttered, “The Hidden Official wouldn’t bother with a fool like me, so what’s going on? Is his state of mind changing again? Or is he deliberately trying to trick me, trying to get my short sword?”

Chen Ping’an finished flipping through the book without seeing the so-called “little critters”, so he had to give up.

Ancient books recorded a story of bookworms eating immortal characters.

Bookworms enter classic tomes and Taoist scriptures, and after a long time eating immortal characters, their bodies become five-colored. If a person swallows them, they can become an immortal, or at least have a spring of inspiration and a flowery writing style.

One is just the mundane talk of a person of letters, while the other is the oral tradition of cultivators on the mountain.

However, even cultivators don’t understand the profound meaning of the so-called immortal characters. They only know that the previous form of the bookworm is a type of wall lizard, which only lives in scholarly families, hidden in brush holders, inkstones, or the shadows of lamps. But the people down the mountain are adamant that as long as the two words “immortal” are written on expensive stationery, cut into pieces, and put into a bottle, wall lizards will sneak in, eat all the scraps of paper, and there is hope of growing into bookworms.

The white-haired boy slapped the white jade table, “Ungrateful wretches! Do you believe I’ll write the character ‘wine’ in the book and get you little bastards drunk to death?!”

Chen Ping’an fixed his eyes on it. Between certain lines of the “immortal” characters on the pages, little fellows the size of fingernails were constantly appearing, “climbing over the walls” from different pages, squatting listlessly on the pages from high to low, looking pitifully at him and the white-haired boy.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said “Sorry for disturbing you”, then gently closed the book.

The white-haired boy knelt on the stone bench, reaching out to cover the book, explaining, “After the bookworms become immortals, they are the most fun. They can eat whatever you write in the book, and there are all sorts of transformations. For example, if you write poems about wine, they will really sway around drunkenly. If you first write about beautiful young women, and then write mournful love poems from the boudoir, their appearance in the book will really turn into aggrieved women in their chambers. But it doesn’t last long, and they quickly return to their original form.”

The white-haired boy flipped through the book casually, probably because he had a lot of face, every time he turned a page, the little people would rush over.

Chen Ping’an thought for a while and asked, “What if I wrote about shit and piss?”

The little people were all stunned and speechless, feeling as if life had no meaning. How could there be such a crazy person in the world?

The white-haired boy gave a thumbs up and said loudly, “Lord Hidden Official’s whimsical ideas are rare in the world! If you meet the ancestor of novelists in the future, you will definitely be able to chat and laugh, and regret not meeting sooner! When you follow Lord Hidden Official to the Central Earth Divine Continent in the future, you must go to that White Paper Blessed Land!”

Chen Ping’an sat on the stone bench.

The white-haired boy stopped paying attention to the book, pointing to the stream that was actually water without a source, “This is an extremely rare water-in-fire, like water but actually fire. Lord Hidden Official can use it to refine the last of your five elements natal object. Chen Qing is not stingy, and the Judge is even more generous. I can help move it to the pavilion over there.”

Chen Ping’an remained unmoved, got up and said, “Coming uninvited is already bad enough.”

As soon as Chen Ping’an left, the white-haired boy had no choice but to follow.

Messing around with that Du Shanyin was meaningless. It was better to follow Chen Ping’an, where there were constant surprises.

For example, today’s visit. When facing that thatched hut, the young Hidden Official didn’t salute when he came, and didn’t say goodbye when he left.

The white-haired boy followed Chen Ping’an obsequiously, “Lord Hidden Official, today is a bit different. Your heart is opening and closing, truly following your heart, relaxed and measured, congratulations.”

The two of them walked on foot.

Obviously, the young Hidden Official was not in a hurry to return to the prison.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Do you want to achieve your wish through that stream? Why beat around the bush, just say it directly.”

The white-haired boy asked, “If I say it directly, will it work?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Of course not.”

Pay attention to etiquette, value rules.

Whether he was a dragon kiln apprentice or a wandering Mud Bottle Lane youth, as long as he was trekking through mountains and rivers, he had to do what a person wearing straw sandals and carrying a firewood knife should do.

The Hidden Official in charge, the second shopkeeper selling wine, the pure martial artist asking about boxing, the swordsman nurturing his sword, different identities, doing different things, saying different words.

In the end, of course, it was still the same person.

The white-haired boy lamented, “My Lord Hidden Official, you shouldn’t bully people like this.”

Then the otherworldly demon in the form of a child sighed, “Forget it, I’m not even human.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Whether you are human or not, outside the skin, it still depends on whether you have more of a human heart.”

The white-haired boy scoffed, “A person with evil intentions, is still a person.”

Chen Ping’an said, “A bodhisattva heart, is also still a person.”

They came to the remains of an ancient great demon, lying across like a mountain.

“Let’s go!”

Chen Ping’an took a heavy step, suddenly punching out. The remains were decayed and ruined, no longer tough, so he casually punched out a “valley” path.

The white-haired boy clapped his hands and cheered.

Chen Ping’an squinted at this seemingly naughty otherworldly demon, and said slowly, “The sad story of that fox demon is really nothing new. If you write a book and sell it, it will be difficult to make money.”

Traveling around, he had seen fox immortals ringing bells, female ghosts scratching doors, one disturbing people, the other scaring people.

He had also seen sparrows listening to Buddhist scriptures on branches, and old ghosts wearing straw capes riding foxes, singing “Pan Shan Er”.

The white-haired boy said “Oh”, “It’s okay, I’ll revise it again.”

Then he pretended to be surprised, “Forgot her ending, also nothing new.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “I guessed your origins.”

He looked up, as if looking at the White Jade City in another world.

The white-haired boy sighed, “Adding the suppression objects of the Western Buddhist Kingdom, wouldn’t that be an alternative One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones?”

Chen Ping’an changed the subject, laughing to himself, “A fallen person, is nothing more than doing three things: being a counselor, teaching, and selling.”
When the last Hidden Official in the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall recounted tales of mountains and rivers in the streets, selling seals and fan paintings, his three-pronged attempt at earning a living proved fruitless.

The white-haired boy was listless and dispirited.

Chen Ping’an shot into the sky, a blue-robed figure soaring into the clouds, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.

In truth, he could barely manage to ride the wind besides the sword, only capable of sustaining it with pure Qi, which was rapidly depleted.

He summoned the four flying swords, Beginning One, Fifteenth, Pine Needle, and Cough Thunder, suspending them in different directions.

Above the sea of clouds, he leaped, landing precisely on each flying sword, drifting about in this manner.

The white-haired boy yawned, utterly bored.

Chen Ping’an retrieved his four flying swords, then fell backward, plummeting straight towards the earth.

Yet, he retained a leisurely interest, glancing at the slender stream in the distance.

Is the water in the sky? Or the sky in the water?

Chen Ping’an crashed headfirst into the ground.

The white-haired boy above the sea of clouds felt a slight stirring in his mind, a hint of astonishment. He abruptly looked up, sensing the world around him changing.

Moments later, this extra-territorial demon stood up, his aura completely transformed, finally displaying the imposing presence befitting an Ascension Realm demon, empowered by Chen Qingdu’s “edict.”

He scooped up a handful of water from the sea of clouds, waved his sleeve, and the water vanished within. Then, he hurled it towards the firmament, creating a bright moon hanging in the air, embodying the phrase, “Holding the moon in hand with cupped water.”

He shattered the moon in his palm.

The world shifted once more.

The white-haired boy had already disappeared.

In an instant, the sea of clouds churned, as if someone had haphazardly gouged a massive hole in it. Dimly visible was a cloud-borne immortal, gazing down at the earth and laughing wildly, “Insolent little Confucian! You overestimate yourself. I shall indulge you!”

Then, a golden-bodied giant slowly extended a fist, sneering, “Dare you take this punch?”

Chen Ping’an was already standing on the earth, looking up.

He spat fiercely, rolled up his sleeves, and then smoothed them back down.

A young man in white robes, his spiritual essence detached and wandering afar, stood shoulder to shoulder with the blue-robed youth, sighing, “Long confined in a cage, truly unpleasant.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Speak plainly.”

The white-robed Yin spirit, his sleeves fluttering in the breeze, exuded unrestrained freedom, his eyes burning with fervor, and he roared with laughter, “Let’s wreck their shit! Make them kowtow to us!”

Excellent.

That’s more like it.

Worthy of being me, Chen Ping’an!

The earth trembled violently.

The blue-robed figure shot straight towards the sea of clouds.

The martial artist challenged the heavens with his fists.

Then, the white-robed Yin spirit soared upwards, the earth was my domain and countless flying swords followed him to the clouds.

The swordsman challenged the cloud-borne immortal with his sword.

North of the Sword Qi Great Wall, south of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Streams of martial fortune frantically surged, blotting out the sky, as if searching for the lost one whose fist was in the heavens.