Inside the pavilion on Mount Caizhi, Cui Dongshan had already drunk two pots of wine offered by the maiden Chunqing. Feeling a tad guilty, he shifted his weight, scooted over to her end of the railing, and with a flick of his sleeve, produced a bamboo food container. With a wave of his hand, he conjured mountain mist into a white cloud-like surface. He then opened the three tiers of the container, one by one, displaying them before the two of them. There were various pastries from the Yaosui shop in Riding Dragon Lane, as well as some local delicacies. Chunqing selected a piece of apricot blossom cake, holding it delicately with one hand while supporting it from below with the other, her eyes crinkling with delight as she ate.

Beside her, Cui Dongshan held a piece of food in both hands, tilting his head as he gnawed on it, like chewing on a small piece of sugarcane. The snack was crispy and golden-brown, and Cui Dongshan made quite a bit of noise as he ate.

Chunqing asked, “Is that the ‘melts in your mouth, as crisp as snowflakes’ fried Sanzi from the books?”

Cui Dongshan pointed to a tier in front of him, mumbling through a mouthful, “The origins are the same, to ward off venomous creatures on the second day of the second lunar month, but it’s a little different from the Sanzi you’re talking about. Here in my Precious Bottle Continent, we call it Mahua. The lotus root flour ones are cheaper, the ones with mixed fillings are the most expensive. I bought these specially from a place called Osmanthus Street in Huangli Mountain. My teacher loved to eat these when he was alone on the mountain, and I grew to like them too.”

Unimaginable, how a child who listened to old men tell stories would one day become an old man telling stories to children.

Back then, beneath the old locust tree, there was a lonely, annoying child who crouched a little further away, straining his ears to hear those stories, yet unable to hear them clearly. On the way home, he would skip and jump, his steps light. A child who was never afraid of walking at night, who never felt lonely, who didn’t know what loneliness was, only felt he was alone, with fewer friends. Yet he didn’t know that was indeed loneliness, not just being alone.

Not only was his teacher like that in his youth, but in fact, most people’s lives are like that, filled with frustrations, getting by through perseverance.

Cui Dongshan clapped his hands, placing them lightly on his knees. He quickly changed the subject, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, “The apricot blossom cake that Miss Chunqing is eating is a specialty from our Fallen Phoenix Mountain’s old cook’s hometown. Delicious, isn’t it? Go to Riding Dragon Lane, eat as much as you want, it’s all on my tab.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly fell silent, lowering his head.

After a moment, Chunqing turned her head and discovered a scholar in a blue robe standing behind them. The green shade and scattered golden light within the pavilion passed through his figure, making him appear, in this scene and at this moment, to be truly “in a realm of his own.”

Chunqing wanted to jump down from the railing and pay her respects to this gentleman, but Qi Jingchun smiled and waved his hand, indicating that the young lady should remain seated.

Cui Dongshan didn’t turn his head, asking sullenly, “Being toyed with like this, Zhou Mi must be furious. Can Cui Chan escape?”

Qi Jingchun nodded. “Now that things have come to this, Zhou Mi will only weigh the situation and choose the lesser of two evils. He’s not willing to go for a lose-lose situation with Cui Chan just yet. If he were to kill Qi Jingchun from afar in Tongye Continent, Cui Chan would only drop to the thirteenth realm and return to the Precious Bottle Continent. He needs to prepare this escape route. However, Zhou Mi would lose his extremely stable fourteenth-realm peak cultivation. He might not fall into a lower realm, but an ordinary fourteenth-realm cultivator cannot support Zhou Mi’s ambitions. His thousands of years of long-term planning, all his efforts, would be wasted. Naturally, Zhou Mi is unwilling to do that. What I’m truly worried about, you know very well.”

Cui Dongshan said, “I’m not Cui Chan anymore. It’s useless to talk to me about it. Qi Jingchun, don’t overthink it. Save some of your thoughts and go see Pei Qian. She’s my teacher, your junior brother’s first disciple. She’s on Mount Caizhi right now. You can also go to the Nanyue Temple and chat with Song Jixin, who has changed a lot. After returning to the auxiliary capital, you can still guide Lin Shouyi in his cultivation. Just don’t waste your time and cultivation on me. As for what I should and shouldn’t do, Cui Dongshan knows what he’s doing.”

Qi Jingchun smiled. “I’m just worried about my nephew, Cui Dongshan.”

Cui Dongshan, a master of insults, was uncharacteristically speechless for a moment.

Qi Jingchun remained standing behind the young man and woman. Cui Dongshan spoke to himself, “One can never see enough of the world.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly roared, “With so much knowledge, such high chess skills, then find a way to live! You have the ability to sneakily reach the fourteenth realm, why don’t you have the ability to eke out a living?”

Qi Jingchun shook his head in silence.

Unknowingly, the once middle-aged scholar with only a few strands of white hair at his temples now had hair whiter than the boy’s sleeves, a ghastly white devoid of life.

Cui Dongshan murmured, “If my teacher knew about what happened today, he would be heartbroken even if he returned home one day. My teacher walks so carefully in life, who knows better than you? My teacher rarely makes mistakes, but the people and things he cares about, he misses them again and again.”

Cui Dongshan sensed Qi Jingchun’s strange aura behind him. He raised his head, but still refused to turn around. “They made their move over there?”

Qi Jingchun nodded. “The Grand Tutor of the Dali Empire, the teacher of the Wilderness World, since the two sides have met, no one can be too polite. Don’t worry, Zuo You, Jun Qian, and the Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain will all take action. This is Cui Chan’s return gift to Zhou Mi for the siege of Bai Ye in Fuyou Continent.”

Cui Dongshan frowned and asked, “Xiao Xuan is actually willing to not pester Zuo Daizi?”

Qi Jingchun explained, “Xiao Xuan dislikes the Cultivation World, and she dislikes the Wilderness World just as much. No one can control her whims. Senior Brother Zuo must have promised her that as soon as he returns from Tongye Continent, he will have a clean and decisive life-and-death battle with her. If you have the guts, go persuade Senior Brother Zuo when the time comes. If you don’t dare, then forget it.”

Cui Dongshan remained noncommittal, simply breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s like turning three million volumes of books into Spring Festival couplets pasted on the door, used to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Only you could think of it, only you could do it.”

Qi Jingchun shook his head. “It was just a temporary idea of Cui Chan’s. According to my original intention, things shouldn’t have been done this way. I was initially going to be a temporary guardian spirit… Forget it, there’s no point in saying more. Perhaps Cui Chan’s choice will be better. Perhaps, I hope it will be.”

Cui Dongshan said, “So in the end, you still choose to believe in Cui Chan.”

Qi Jingchun suddenly said, “It is so, and it is not only so. I see a bit… further.”

Cui Dongshan said, “No matter how far one sees, it’s ultimately not as good as walking far.”

Qi Jingchun smiled. “Aren’t you all here?”

Outside the Ancestral Hall on Jise Peak of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, there are already so many chairs.

Since that’s the case, what else is there to say?
The blue-robed scholar who emerged from the Grand Shrine wasn’t the true Qi Jingchun, but Cui Chan, who had temporarily borrowed Qi Jingchun’s fourteenth realm cultivation. This was a meticulously planned scheme, a calculated move to perfect the Great Dao. It was both a conspiracy and an open plot, anticipating that Hao Ran’s Jia Sheng would willingly offer three million volumes of his collection, allowing “Qi Jingchun” to solidify his realm. This would enable the latter’s profound knowledge of the Three Teachings, refined through extensive study, to manifest within Zhou Mi’s inner world. Eventually, Zhou Mi would be misled into believing he could merge with the Dao by leveraging his dominion over the world, using a power akin to a fifteenth realm to crush Qi Jingchun alone. The ultimate goal was to devour the foundational knowledge of the Three Teachings that allowed Qi Jingchun to reach the fourteenth realm, thus making Zhou Mi’s Heavenly Dao cycle even more seamless and complete. If successful, Zhou Mi would become an existence even the founders of the Three Teachings couldn’t eliminate, becoming the ultimate “One” across countless realms.

Deceiving Zhou Mi, the Literary Sea, was no easy task. Qi Jingchun had to be willing to entrust his entire cultivation to the Deep Enmity, Great Li’s Embroidered Tiger. Beyond that, the true key was Qi Jingchun’s unique fourteenth realm aura. This was the most difficult to imitate. It was simple logic; despite being fourteenth realm Grand cultivators, Qi Jingchun, Bai Ye, the old blind man from the Barren Lands, the Chicken Soup Monk, and the old Abbot of the Eastern Sea Guandao Temple all possessed vastly different Daos. Zhou Mi, also at the fourteenth realm, had eyes as sharp as razors; he wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

However, within the lineage of the Literary Sage, the Embroidered Tiger had once taught on behalf of his master. Cui Chan taught everything from the sage’s principles in books to the soothing arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and he taught them exceptionally well. Cui Chan himself had deeply studied the Three Teachings and the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Furthermore, Cui Chan was the only direct disciple of the Literary Sage who had accompanied the old scholar to two debates of the Three Teachings, always listening intently, seated beside the Literary Sage as his foremost student.

Therefore, when suppressing the ancient high-ranking deity attempting to cross the sea and land, Cui Chan intentionally “revealed his identity,” acting in the style of a young Qi Jingchun, repeatedly trampling the deity. He then used Qi Jingchun’s Three Teachings knowledge, accumulated over sixty years of seclusion, to cleanse the battlefield.

A portion of Qi Jingchun’s will was indeed with Cui Chan, forming a “realm-less person” composed of three natal characters, serving as a sanctuary of knowledge.

However, this scheme against Zhou Mi came at the cost of constantly depleting Qi Jingchun’s will and Daoist practice. This was to allow Cui Chan to achieve the fourteenth realm through an unbelievable “shortcut,” borrowing Qi Jingchun’s Dao and knowledge while also stealing Zhou Mi’s sea of books. Cui Chan used these resources to refine and hone his own knowledge. Thus, Cui Chan’s greatest ruthlessness lay in not choosing the battlefield at the old Dragon City site, but directly venturing to the small boat at Peach Leaf Crossing in Tongye Continent, confronting Zhou Mi face-to-face.

This was not merely Cui Chan acting impulsively.

The best-case scenario was the current situation: some remnants of Qi Jingchun’s will still existed, allowing him to appear in this pavilion to meet Cui Dongshan, whom he didn’t know whether to call senior brother or grand-nephew. Simultaneously, this would pave a path for Cui Chan to retreat back to the Grand Shrine in the central capital of Treasure Bottle Continent.

The worst-case scenario was Zhou Mi seeing through the truth. In that case, Cui Chan, at the peak of the thirteenth realm, would drag Qi Jingchun, at the peak of the fourteenth realm with limited time, into a death match with Zhou Mi, the Literary Sea. They would settle the score within the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Given Cui Chan’s temperament, he wouldn’t hesitate to sink the entire Tongye Continent into the sea. Treasure Bottle Continent would lose an Embroidered Tiger, and the Barren Lands would be left with a Literary Sea Zhou Mi whose inner world was shattered beyond repair.

Either outcome was acceptable to Cui Chan.

In the pavilion, the blue-robed scholar and the white-clad youth neither isolated the world nor communicated with spoken words.

Chun Qing was extremely awkward. Eating pastries would be disrespectful to the two scholars, but not eating them would make her seem to be eavesdropping. So, she couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Qi, Young Master Cui, perhaps I should leave? I’m an outsider, and I’ve heard enough. My heart is pounding, and I’m very uneasy.”

Cui Dongshan seemed to be sulking, “Miss Chun Qing doesn’t need to leave. Listen openly and honestly. Our Headmaster Qi from Cliffside Academy is the epitome of a gentleman and never utters a word that outsiders shouldn’t hear.”

Qi Jingchun flashed and sat on the railing next to Cui Dongshan, turning to look at the white-clad youth he actually knew quite well.

Cui Dongshan looked straight ahead, gazing into the distance, gently patting his knees with his hands. He didn’t expect that Qi Jingchun seemed to have water on the brain, staring incessantly. Wasn’t he tired of looking? Cui Dongshan felt uncomfortable all over. He was about to reach for a Yellow Bramble Mountain fritter when Qi Jingchun beat him to it, taking it and starting to eat. Cui Dongshan muttered softly that besides books having some flavor, nothing else tasted right anymore, it was a waste of money.

Qi Jingchun said, “Just now, while helping Cui Chan eat some books in Zhou Mi’s mind, I understood the old teacher’s lament from the Human Academy back then, it really makes sense.”

Cui Dongshan knew what Qi Jingchun was talking about.

It turns out there are so many books I don’t want to read.

Cui Dongshan said softly, “Someone else said it too, actually.”

Qi Jingchun also knew what Cui Dongshan wanted to say.

I don’t want to say anything more to this world.

So, young Cui Dongshan had said baskets of strange, angry, and joking words over the years, but he rarely spoke sincerely, probably only to a few people, a handful. Master Chen Pingan was an exception, and then there was Little Baoping, Eldest Sister Pei Qian, the lotus little person, and Mi Li.

Qi Jingchun smiled and looked away.

Actually, Cui Chan was quite handsome as a young man. No wonder he had countless romantic debts and marriages in the future, even more than Senior Brother Zuo You. From the wine-selling woman near the teacher’s school, who would always offer a discount whenever Cui Chan went to buy wine, to the female guest lecturers who occasionally taught Confucian disciples in the academy, to many sect-leader level fairies, they would all try to get a letter from him, or deliberately send letters to the old Literary Sage, ostensibly seeking academic guidance. The teacher would understand and always have his foremost disciple write the replies. The women, upon receiving the letters, would carefully mount them as calligraphy and treasure them. Then there was A Liang, who would complain every time he returned from travels with Cui Chan that he had been reduced to a supporting character. Heaven and earth bear witness, the girls’ souls had been snatched away by Cui Chan, they wouldn’t even glance at Brother A Liang anymore.

Chun Qing whispered, “Mr. Qi.”

The more thoughts Mr. Qi had, the more his Daoist practice would be diminished.
Qi Jingchun turned his head, reached out and pressed down on Cui Dongshan’s head, shifting it back a bit to keep his nephew out of the way. Then, he smiled at Chunqing and said, “Pure Maiden, if you have the time, you really should visit Fallen Mountain. It’s a wonderful place, with beautiful scenery and outstanding individuals.”

Chunqing nodded, “Alright! I’ll listen to Qi Mister.”

Cui Dongshan wore a look of utter indignation. “Chunqing, what’s going on with you? I put in a Herculean effort to entice you to Fallen Mountain, and failed. How come the moment Qi mentions it casually, you agree so readily?!”

Chunqing blinked, and honestly stated, “You are not sincere, but Qi Mister is a gentleman.”

Qi Jingchun looked towards the Tongye Continent and smiled. “It must be admitted, Zhou Mi’s actions, though eccentric and rebellious, truly astounded the world with his unique path upward, capturing everyone’s attention.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly felt a jolt within his heart. Recalling something, he looked at Qi Jingchun’s weakened state and said, “Both Fuyou Continent and Tongye Continent are part of the Wasteland World’s map. Could it be that just now?”

Qi Jingchun nodded, confirming Cui Dongshan’s suspicion.

Cui Dongshan sighed. Zhou Mi was skilled at manipulating the river of time; this was a crucial aspect in the attempt to ambush Bai Ye.

It seemed a contest of skill had already occurred. Qi Jingchun ultimately prevented Zhou Mi from succeeding.

Even if Cui Chan, that old turtle, were to reach the Fourteenth Realm, he would not possess such methods. He’d be more focused on adding to his meticulously planned killer divine abilities.

Qi Jingchun stood up, intending to meet his youngest brother’s first disciple, who apparently had been chosen with Mister’s assistance. His youngest brother must have put in a great deal of effort.

Cui Dongshan hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.

Qi Jingchun reached out and pressed down on Cui Chan’s shoulder. “In the future, if Junior Brother still feels guilty or believes he hasn’t done enough, at that time, help me tell him something. Talk about that golden incense figurine and how that opportunity arose.”

Cui Dongshan gave a grunt of agreement, lacking his usual energy.

Suddenly, Qi Jingchun gave him a forceful slap on the head, nearly knocking Cui Dongshan over in the pavilion. Qi Jingchun laughed and said, “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. When we were studying with Mister, you were the best at fanning the flames. I fought Zuo You more than ninety times, and you instigated at least eighty of them. You contributed greatly to many of Mister’s later bad habits.”

Cui Dongshan retorted angrily, “Are you tattling? Do you like keeping score? Where do you think Mister and Eldest Sister learned those habits from?!”

Qi Jingchun smiled knowingly, a smile as warm as the spring breeze. His figure faded away, like the spring breeze that comes and goes without a trace.

Cui Dongshan murmured, “Why couldn’t we have chatted longer?”

Chunqing quietly finished a steamer of pastries before finally whispering, “What about that old Sea Gazing Immortal from the Tingyun Pavilion? Are you just going to keep him trapped in your sleeve?”

Cui Dongshan rolled his eyes. “You’re talking nonsense! There’s no such person, nothing of the sort happened!”

This little girl really wasn’t generous. He shouldn’t have offered her those pastries.

Chunqing said, “When we get to Fallen Mountain, do we go to the Riding Dragon Lane shop first?”

Cui Dongshan immediately fawned, “Absolutely.”

Chunqing suddenly said considerately, “Do you still want to drink wine?”

Cui Dongshan fell silent and shook his head.

At the peak of Cai Zhi Mountain, the white-robed old ape descended the divine path alone.

Something felt off. The Zhengyang Mountain guardian quickly scanned his surroundings but found nothing amiss. Strange indeed.

Pei Qian widened her eyes. The azure-robed scholar smiled and shook his head, signaling her to remain silent. He asked her with his heart if she had any worries she could share with her Grand-Uncle.

Outside the Southern Peak Mountain God’s temple, Song Jixin sat alone in a makeshift study, rubbing his brow. The powerful Dali Prince suddenly stood up and bowed to Mister.

Inside the Qi Du ancestral temple outside Dali’s secondary capital, Lin Shouyi was about to put away the second volume of “Cloud Top Luminous Book” when the azure-robed scholar smiled, sat down, and asked Lin Shouyi to bring pen and paper so he could annotate the text.

Inside a nearby great river Water Palace, Wang Zhu, now the only True Dragon in the world, looked at the uninvited guest, her face stubborn, her head held high.

At the blacksmith’s shop by the Dragon Beard River, Liu Xianyang was dozing off, his spirit traveling to a shocking ancient battlefield. He was unaware that next to him, on a small bamboo chair, sat a Qi Mister, also with his eyes closed, silently providing protection for his final journey.

Over at the small town’s school, the azure-robed scholar stood in the classroom, his form gradually dissipating. Qi Jingchun looked towards the door, as if the next moment a shy and timid straw-sandaled youth would summon the courage to speak, first furtively wiping his old, clean sleeves with his hand, then gazing into the classroom with clean, clear eyes and softly saying, “Qi Mister, there’s a letter for you.”