That winter night, Lu Chen was a guest at Hibiscus Mountain. He sat quietly on a bamboo chair outside the thatched cottage, admiring the snow. A venerable old dog lay prostrate beneath the eaves, this canine “Lu Chen” occasionally glancing up at the seated Lu Chen.

Lu Chen, observing the dog, jested, “Could it be Master Zou, observing me once more?”

The guest’s presence overshadowed the host, so Lu Tai, the master of the mountain, went to the observation deck atop the peak. From his spatial pouch, he produced a white jade couch, a celestial wine cup known as “White Snail,” renowned alongside the Wine Spring Cup, and a snow-white whisk with a golden handle. He drank wine and lightly brushed away the snow with the whisk.

Reclining on the white jade, elbow propped on a porcelain pillow, a banished immortal dwelled here, with none to share his White Snail cup.

His eyes blurred with wine, Lu Tai scattered countless snowflakes with his whisk, raising his cup and proclaiming, “There was Daidian, whose great talent could move men.”

His voice softened, Lu Tai set down the whisk and cup, sitting cross-legged, hands tucked into his sleeves, and murmured, “None to share it.”

Three direct disciples were already entertaining the esteemed guest within Hibiscus Mountain, along with a closed-door disciple still wandering the Jianghu. Lu Tai had named the boy “Jinzhi” on the Register of Mountains and Rivers, without granting him a family name.

Lu Tai gifted the boy a bamboo sword, upon which he carved the characters “Xiadui” in minuscule script.

When the boy first grasped the sword, Lu Tai laughed heartily, telling his disciple, “You must become a Sword Immortal, a Grand Sword Immortal!”

Besides imparting a Daoist heart mantra and a few fist forms, Lu Tai taught the closed-door disciple nothing else, instead showering him with thirty-two sword manuals.

In truth, Lu Tai remained easygoing despite his years at Lotus Flower Blessed Land. The title of Demonic Sect Leader, vying for the title of the world’s foremost expert, were all in jest. Consequently, his cultivation remained at the nascent soul stage, only reaching it after the Blessed Land ascended to the Azure Firmament, drawn by the celestial phenomena. Lu Tai simply rode the wave to break through. Otherwise, according to his own desires, since Yu Zhenyi was gone, he would have happily remained a terrestrial immortal, a Golden Core guest, for many more years.

He only took two matters to heart: assisting the Master in teaching Cao Qinglang and meticulously selecting and training his closed-door disciple to wield the sword.

Lu Tai often idled, spreading his palm, observing mountains and rivers within. He watched Yu Zhenyi’s circumstances. Taking in the entirety of Hibiscus Mountain, Lu Tai could manifest any detail he wished in his mind’s eye. By focusing his attention, even the traces of snow on a certain railing of the plank road would appear in perfect detail. Mortals below lived for barely a century; who wouldn’t envy the cloud-borne celestial guest?

Ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators would expend significant spiritual energy and mental strength when using this divine ability, and it could easily provoke trouble. If the person being observed possessed a high cultivation, they could trace it back to the source. However, Lu Tai hailed from the Lu clan of the Central Earth Yin-Yang School, with a vast knowledge of arcane arts and unorthodox techniques. He simply hadn’t been inclined to actively learn them in the past. Excessive knowledge often bred a sense of lassitude, less diligence than those with a half-baked understanding.

Yu Zhenyi, whose life had been smooth sailing in martial arts, scholarship, and cultivation, had likely never been so discomfited.

The Third Master of White Jade City seemed to dig a pit and leave it unfilled, abandoning Yu Zhenyi to three juniors with considerable cultivation.

Therefore, before the snowy night, on the plank road, Yu Zhenyi, whose Qi Refinement realm was suppressed to the Cave Mansion realm, had to face three opponents each with their own agendas. The unassuming, youthful Huan Yin was the most concerning.

Tao Xieyang, a pure martial artist, had just entered the Distant Excursion realm. Huang Shang, the protector-general of the Nanyuan Kingdom, was a Golden Core cultivator who could command wind and rain.

Huan Yin, from Flying Eagle Fortress of Tongye Continent, possessed the physique of a Golden Body martial artist, the Qi Refinement of a Dragon Gate cultivator, and was a deeply hidden sword cultivator.

In contrast, Yu Zhenyi, once recognized as the world’s foremost expert after Ding Ying in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, now an Upper Five Realm cultivator, had only the physique of a Distant Excursion realm martial artist to rely on. But after nearly thirty years of cultivation, he had grown accustomed to suppressing and defeating martial artists with mountain-based arts and divine abilities. His martial skills had grown rusty.

Yu Zhenyi absolutely did not wish to fight those three in such a state. There was no chance of victory. Furthermore, the Third Master, who seemed to have a thousand faces, clearly wouldn’t care about Yu Zhenyi’s life or death. As for Lu Tai, he certainly wouldn’t mind having one more corpse on Hibiscus Mountain that didn’t need burying.

Yu Zhenyi racked his brains to escape this predicament. He leaned against the railing, composed and serene, first catching up with Huang Shang and offering guidance on his Daoist cultivation.

Yu Zhenyi’s Jade Purity cultivation was gone, but his insight remained. He could see Huang Shang’s gains and losses on his cultivation path from a superior position.

He inquired about the current state of the sect, the Lake Mountain Sect, and Huang Shang, the protector-general of the Nanyuan Kingdom, seemingly the most respectful of Lu Tai’s three direct disciples towards Yu Zhenyi, answered every question, seemingly helping to stall for time.

However, the truth was that Huang Shang was secretly communicating with Tao Xieyang and Huan Yin via voice transmission: “Yu Zhenyi can be killed.”

Tao Xieyang focused his voice into a line, smiling to his two brothers, “Martial luck is mine, so Yu Zhenyi must die by my hand. Besides that, all celestial opportunities are less than chicken ribs to me. You can calculate your own gains. To be clear, if anyone ruins my opportunity, I’ll have a private exchange with… Junior Brother Huan after we leave the Master’s estate.”

Huan Yin, composed, asked with a smile via voice transmission, “Why not cause trouble for Senior Brother Huang?”

Tao Xieyang sneered, “Causing trouble for him would give you a chance to pick up scraps, perhaps even kill both of us. Anyway, the Master has taken a closed-door disciple, so he doesn’t care about our lives at all. I’ll focus on killing you, and our General Huang will certainly not interfere, only stand by and continue being his protector-general, worrying about the country and its people.”

Huan Yin retorted, “Senior Brother is wrong. The Master has never cared about our lives. Our existence is merely a way for the Master to observe the Dao.”

Huang Shang was slightly displeased, “Huan Yin, your words are treasonous. I will report them to the Master.”

Huan Yin scoffed, “If Grand Master Huang wishes to be scolded, go ahead. Don’t blame me for not warning you when the Master treats you like a fool.”

In fact, the three brothers had different conversations besides their “open” discourse.

Truly, each harboring their own secret agendas.
Fortunately, Yu Zhenyi was a genuine martial artist through and through. Before delving into cultivation, his martial path had already surpassed that of Zhong Qiu. It wasn’t that Zhong Qiu’s aptitude was inferior, but rather that Zhong Qiu was too distracted, becoming some kind of national preceptor for the Nanyuan Kingdom, insatiably greedy. The so-called literary sages and martial grandmasters would only hinder Zhong Qiu’s ascent in martial arts. Casually wielding the green bamboo staff, he stirred up the surrounding wind and snow, “Youthful sword Qi nears, a hero unmatched by ten thousand. When angered, one cry, ten thousand steeds retreat.”

If the Way cannot be followed, one should embark on a raft and drift upon the sea.

Years ago, in his hometown of Haoran World, Lu Chen had asked the unnamed disciple, the ferryman, to help him pole the boat. Together, they sailed far out to sea for a journey. Of course, Lu Chen had landed and traveled to that Observing Dao Temple.

As for Jade Bottle Continent, Lu Chen had naturally been there as well. The Ancient Shu Flood Dragon, the Divine Water Kingdom, the lineage of the female ghost Shi Rou, and the seed of the purplish-gold lotus treasured by Wei Bo were all given by Lu Chen according to fate, allowing them to develop as they would. In fact, Lu Chen had wandered through all nine continents of Haoran, merely amusing himself in the mortal realm, leisurely drifting like an empty boat, without any so-called traces of immortals or mountain affairs being passed down.

Just like riding a dragon in his early years…

In an alleyway in the New Year’s market, there was a small shopkeeper named Shi Chunjia, with pigtails. At a young age, she was skilled at doing business, standing on a stool behind the counter, working the abacus with dizzying speed. The miniature golden abacus she carried with her was something she had picked up during her first birthday celebration. In reality, that little abacus was secretly given to the Shi family by Lu Chen.

However, these capricious actions were not unique to Lu Chen. For example, later, after Xiao Xun reached the Fourteenth Realm, he threw the dharma robe he had refined with the remaining Haoran Qi from three continents into the sea, where it sank to the bottom, waiting for a destined person to appear after who knows how many millennia. And Fei Ran of Peach Leaf Ferry, after carefully weighing the pros and cons, likewise did not accept the book-collecting seal gifted by Zhou Mi, but threw it into the waters of Peach Leaf Ferry in the Daquan Dynasty. However, the difference between Lu Chen and them was that Lu Chen could release and then reclaim.

Lu Chen stood on the cliff, discarding the green bamboo staff. After landing, it transformed into a green dragon vein, the mountain ridge sloping along the edge of Hibiscus Mountain as if it had existed for millennia. Lu Chen turned to Lu Tai and smiled, “Don’t underestimate your ancestor. I won’t deliberately target anyone. The only exception was for my eldest brother, when I had to go to Li Zhu Cave Heaven and play the villain. Besides that, fortune and misfortune have no doors, but are invited by people themselves, and that’s all. Back then, when I set up the fortune-telling stall in the small town, I repeatedly used a customer’s hand to release and reclaim a small blessing. That’s how I revealed my intentions to Qi Jingchun. Of course, Qi Jingchun saw it and understood.”

Lu Tai said in a deep voice, “But when you want to scheme something, you can scheme against many people at once.”

“I’m not a Confucian disciple who likes to tie my own hands. On the contrary, my trip to the human world is so that I can stretch casually on that night ship.”

Lu Chen shook his head at Lu Tai, his eyes filled with pity, and chuckled, “You don’t even understand this. How can Dao be spoken of, or what can you say to me about Dao? Look at you, with a natural Dao fetus body, how rare, yet you’re just making a Daoist shrine in this snail shell, acting as a minor deity. Is that really so carefree? As for your Yin spirit, I think it’s even more wonderful than your true body. If I had known, I should have gone to find that person, instead of coming to find you.”

Lu Tai had actually already sent his Yin spirit on a distant journey, leaving it in Azure Abyss World, connected by a fine thread, like a broken lotus root still attached, allowing Lu Tai to simultaneously know about the affairs of Lotus Blossom Blessed Land in the Fifth World and the affairs of Azure Abyss World.

Lu Tai was currently only in the Nascent Soul Realm, yet he was able to be unaffected by the restrictions of two worlds. His Dao fetus Yin-Yang fish body was so mysterious, almost like the Dao Ancestor’s saying, “Knowing the world without leaving home.” Similar to the two Celestial Realm great cultivators in the Year-End Palace, Zhang Yuanbo in the cave and Lord Yu in the mountains. Because they were only sending their Yin spirits on a distant journey to Upside-Down Mountain, following the Watchman of the Year in the Stork Inn, plotting a great matter, they could never accomplish this. The Yin spirit and the true body, separated by a world, had no connection with each other, almost like two different people, until the Yin spirit returned to the body and their minds merged.

Lu Chen continued, “As for the so-called not peeking through a window to see the heavenly Dao, no matter how good your aptitude is, you’re still too far away. Just relying on not being close to evil and not knowing good isn’t enough. What should you do?”

Lu Tai sneered, “I don’t need you to worry. Right now, you should take care of Yu Muji’s Dao heart.”

Lu Chen turned to look at Yu Zhenyi, who had been wandering in the blessed land for thousands of years with a bit of Daoist spiritual light, and comforted him with a smile, “You are still you, and I am still I. Let us part ways between heaven and man. Not only you, but also the scholar Zheng Huan is like this, as are all the other mind forms except for the Five Dreams.”

Yu Zhenyi’s face turned pale.

“When that smelly Daoist priest decided to name this life of yours Yu Zhenyi, it proved that our old temple master had already seen through the truth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have deliberately sent the sword, an antique belonging to the ancient people of Qiyuan, to you. The old temple master likes to keep an eye on the hair on the heads of those in the blessed land. As long as the mind cultivation is sufficient, they are a true person.”

Lu Tai slowly said, “The human world is beautiful, the heavens and earth are profound, and all things understand reason. The great Dao has a hundred transformations, and the perfect person is inactive, and can observe the heavens.”

Lu Chen stood up and laughed loudly, “Finally, you’ve said something that a Lu family disciple should say. This trip wasn’t in vain.”

Lu Tai seemed to have realized something, a flash of inspiration, and he also laughed heartily, “A hoax! You’ve been mystifying me all along! If you were unwilling to part with the Seven Objects of the Mind Image, you would violate your Dao heart and might even fall from your realm! This further proves that you haven’t truly seen through all Five Dreams. You clearly want the Seven Objects of the Mind Image to help you understand each dream! Especially the Dream of Butterfly Transformation, my master said that this dream gives you the biggest headache, because you yourself are unwilling to wake up from this dream… So, back then, Qi Jingchun wasn’t worried about these foreshadowings or these seemingly mysterious methods at all!”

Lu Tai shook his head, “I really don’t think you can shatter his mental state.”

“Finally, one of my Lu family descendants has a brain that is slightly like our ancestor.”

Lu Chen clapped his hands lightly, squinted his eyes, and nodded with a smile, “Think about the methods of Zheng Juzhong in White Emperor City, then think about all the beings in the blessed lands of the world, then think about the Blank Paper Blessed Land. Finally, have you ever thought that you and I can all dream, dream of ourselves, dream of others, dream of all things? What if you and I are actually in someone’s dream right now without knowing it?”

Lu Tai shook his head, not saying a word.
Lu Chen retracted his palm, smiling. “Remember, speak properly in the future, especially to scholars. Be more polite. Learn from that Chen Ping’an you admire. Look at how well he gets along with his elders, much better than you. I always had high hopes for him and even taught him how to write. He doesn’t acknowledge me as his teacher, but I still consider him my disciple. When he reaches the Azure Billow World, it will be interesting, very interesting.”

Lu Chen suddenly struck a comical stork stance, extending a finger towards the sky, shouting, “A dream of a thousand autumns, swords fly ten thousand leagues! The weather is dry, beware of fire!”

Lu Tai frowned, “Are you being deliberately absurd?”

Lu Chen withdrew his hand, mimicking a martial artist from the marketplace, striking a posture with his dantian charged, “A long-awaited snowy night is just what one needs to feel refreshed.”

Lu Tai had fully recovered his composure, asking with a grin, “Isn’t Ancestor leaving with Yu Zhenyi? Why not take that Lu Chen as well? Consider it a greeting gift from an unfilial descendant to his ancestor.”

Lu Chen smiled playfully, “Green robes and yellow sashes are quite a good match, actually.”

Lu Tai’s expression darkened.

Lu Chen sighed, “That’s why I say you need to read more. Chen Ping’an is much better at speaking than you are now. Back in the days of the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, he could have squeezed out Apricot Flower Lane’s Ma Lan Flower, Mud Bottle Lane’s widow, and even Li Huai’s mother from the expert rankings. The town’s folk are truly simple and honest, as the saying goes. I experienced it firsthand back then.”

An old man with a bamboo staff and straw sandals was accompanied by a book boy carrying a case and a maid carrying luggage. As she walked, the clinking of jars and bottles could be heard.

The three arrived at the Great Profound Capital Daoist Temple. The old man glanced at the eager book boy and maid, feeling somewhat helpless. He nodded slightly, and the maid retrieved a prepared name card from her sleeve, handing it to the Daoist temple gatekeeper. It was made of ordinary green bamboo and written with ordinary ink, yet it deliberately omitted a name, instead writing in bold, heavy strokes, “My calligraphy intends to create a new form, unfettered by laws.”

The sword-bearing female Daoist took the card. Calligraphy was not her forte. However, she saw that the strokes were powerful, all written with a central tip, and the ink was dripping wet. She looked at it back and forth twice but could not make heads or tails of it. In the end, she could only determine that it was not an acquaintance from her own Daoist temple. She had no choice but to politely say to the old man, “The Daoist temple is currently closed to guests, I’m sorry.”

Looking at the travel-worn old man, the female Daoist felt a bit sorry. “If you know the temple master, even if you’ve only met him from afar, I’ll help you inform him. Otherwise, there’s really no way to enter the Daoist temple.”

The female Daoist’s name was Chunhui, her given name was Han Zhanran. She was a true Jade Purity Realm cultivator, the one Lu Chen had encouraged to become the godmother of Jiang Yunsheng in Azure Emerald City.

According to their temple master’s ancestor’s saying, the gatekeeper of the Great Profound Capital Daoist Temple couldn’t be just anyone. They had to be beautiful women who could retain guests, and they had to be capable of fighting and stopping people.

Looking at the old man’s presence, he was a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator. As for the book boy and maid, they weren’t even cultivators.

Of course, the old man could also be a unfathomable hermit. However, in the Azure Billow World, even the Third Master of the White Jade Capital dared not trespass into the Great Profound Capital Daoist Temple, so cultivation levels didn’t mean much here.

The young man was overjoyed and coughed lightly, taking out a miniature scroll from his sleeve. He unfurled it slightly, revealing the words “Western Garden Gathering” at the beginning of the scroll, and whispered to the female Daoist, “One of the three great gatherings of the present day is depicted in this painting. Immortal sister should know that, right? The person in the center is my master.”

The girl muttered, “Master accidentally became the main attraction, what are you showing off for?”

The two of them were betting on whether the Great Profound Capital Daoist Temple had heard of their master’s name. One relied on the calligraphy on the name card, and the other relied on the painting of the literary gathering.

An old Daoist strode across the threshold, laughing heartily. He didn’t perform the Daoist greeting, but instead clasped his fists in a very Jianghu-like manner, “Forgive me for not greeting you sooner! Forgive me for not greeting you sooner! Your presence brings luster to my humble dwelling! Your presence brings luster to my humble dwelling!”

The female Daoist Chunhui was puzzled.

Who could this be, that he could make the temple master’s ancestor come out to greet him personally?

In the entire Azure Billow World, there were maybe a handful of people who warranted such treatment.

The old Daoist complained to Chunhui, “Grandma! What are you standing there for? Quickly accept the name card and painting, and then prepare the brush and ink. Remember to take three reams of the best Immortal Staff Mountain Xuan paper, and the Xie Long inkstone I borrowed from the Year-End Palace. Didn’t it accidentally get lost before? Today is an auspicious day, go search again, maybe you’ll accidentally find it again. And also bring the Flowering Brush I bought from the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, and the Ink Boat inkstone. You personally grind the ink on the side, a red sleeve adding fragrance! Don’t feel wronged, it’s a great honor, much better than going to the White Jade Capital to be Lu Chen’s godmother. To be honest, Zhanran, your name is well-chosen, no wonder you have such good fortune today. Forget it, forget it, you don’t understand, I’ll do it myself…”

In fact, before the female Daoist Chunhui could do anything, the old Daoist, quick-handed and quick-eyed, had already pinched the name card with two fingers, while the maid stubbornly grasped the other end of the green bamboo name card, refusing to let go. It was only taken out to bask in the sun, not to be given away. The old Daoist’s other hand had already grabbed the painting, while the book boy grabbed one end of the scroll with both hands, leaning backward, as if in a tug-of-war with the old Daoist. The book boy had followed his master on travels across half of the Azure Billow World, and had never seen such a shameless Daoist.

The old man stood at the edge of the steps, smiling, “Just give the two items to Grandson Guan Master.”

The maid and book boy had no choice but to reluctantly let go and then retreated to their master’s side. The old Daoist smiled happily and put them into his sleeve. This Su Zi was too polite, what was he giving gifts for when he came to visit.

The two children looked at each other and then, simultaneously, looked worriedly at their master, fearing that he would be tricked by the old Daoist into filling three reams of Xuan paper with calligraphy.

However, the Immortal Staff Mountain Xuan paper, Year-End Palace Xie Long inkstone, Hundred Flowers Blessed Land’s Flowering Brush, and the long-lost Ink Boat inkstone – these four writing implements together were indeed rare.

The female Daoist Chunhui was completely baffled. Could it be that traveler famed throughout two heavens, the one who left behind a way to cultivate in the Living Spirit Realm for the Infinite Land, Liu Qi? It didn’t seem like it, rumor had it that Liu Qi was handsome and dashing, young and beautiful, certainly not like the weathered old man before her.

Could it be another hidden expert who had followed the clues to find the child in the tiger-head hat? In just a few days, the Great Profound Capital Daoist Temple had already had two group fights, of course, with one side challenging and the other side surrounding and attacking.
The crucial point was the Taoist temple. After a fight, they never knew the reason for it. Only after the Patriarch of Discipline issued an order did they swarm forward in a chaotic rush. Those in the Upper Five Realms, along with Earth Immortals, would hold the line. Earth Immortal cultivators would command their juniors in the Lower Five Realms to cheer and wave flags. Upon their return, the young novices would be overjoyed, each saying how the Grandmaster’s punch was imbued with profound Taoist power, how the Granduncle’s kick possessed divine intent, but neither could compare to the heroic demeanor of the Grand Ancestral Uncle’s sword, which pierced a person’s rear… Chunhui was already accustomed to this. After all, she had gone through the same thing in her youth. Regarding that “Grand Ancestral Uncle” with the tricky sword, the Grand Xuandu Temple had a total of eighteen sword techniques. Thinking back, when Chunhui was still a young girl, she had unintentionally created one of them for her own temple.

Taoist Sun sighed, ” ‘A heart like ashes, a body like an unmoored boat.’ Truly excellent, wonderfully said. It’s no wonder that Su Zi’s writings are unparalleled in the world. Frankly speaking, even our own specialty, the Qing Ci Lu Zhang (Taoist prayers and memorials), is written worse than the scholars of Haoran Heaven. It’s all the fault of Bai Yujing for being so disappointing.”

The “Su Zi” who had traveled here from afar smiled but did not reply.

Chunhui was greatly astonished.

The Su Zi from Haoran Heaven?! When did this person travel to Qingming Heaven, and why hadn’t any news of it spread?

Qingming Heaven was actually quite unfamiliar with the teachings of the various schools of thought in Haoran. After all, this place revered Taoism above all else, rejecting the two religions and the hundred schools. For example, this Su Zi, Chunhui only knew that he was a great scholar, a renowned lyricist of that world. He, Bai Ye, and Liu Qi seemed to be engaged in an invisible contention of the Great Dao. Especially Bai Ye and Su Zi, both residing in Haoran Heaven, their competition was even more pronounced. As for which poems Su Zi had actually written, Chunhui was completely clueless. Since they were not circulated in Qingming Heaven, she wasn’t particularly interested.

Taoist Sun clapped his hands and laughed, “Su Zi of Meishan, Bai Xian of Tianshui. Both in a foreign land, the mountain comes to the water, Su Zi meets Bai Xian! My tiny Taoist temple is truly fortunate and honored.”

Su Zi said helplessly, “Taoist Sun, you flatter me.”

Taoist Sun looked displeased, “Su Zi, you’re being too modest, too formal, aren’t you? Come, let’s link arms and drink together, and pull Bai Ye along too. That fellow’s drinking capacity is astonishing these days…”

Su Zi was dragged by the old temple master by the arm toward the gate, as if afraid that the three-bladed Xuan paper, the Xie Long inkstone, and the Sheng Hua brush wouldn’t have a chance to be used.

Taoist Sun, the immovable fifth person in Qingming Heaven, the leader of the Taoist sword immortal lineage, was completely different from the “profound in Taoist arts, imposing in presence,” and “silent and sparing of words” described in the Mountain and Water Gazette.

Taoist Sun muttered, “Bai Ye’s got a good capacity, but he’s too proud. He says that only one hand’s worth of people in the world can persuade him to drink. He didn’t say who those five are. It would be best if Su Zi was among them, then the three of us could drink together directly. If not, that’s going too far, and we should drink even more…”

Su Zi was certain that Bai Ye would never say such a thing.

Later generations of scholars in Haoran Heaven were mostly divided, with at least half preferring either Bai Xian or Su Xian.

It wasn’t until Su Zi personally wrote a *Bai Xian Poetry Scroll*, worthy of lasting fame, openly expressing his admiration for Bai Ye, that the situation improved slightly. Unexpectedly, there were still some admirers of Su Zi who, since Su Zi had spoken, stopped arguing about the merits of their poems and instead praised Su Zi’s calligraphy, saying that the reason why Bai Ye didn’t have any authenticated calligraphy works passed down was because his handwriting was terrible. Then, those who greatly admired Bai Ye, unable to find any of Bai Xian’s calligraphy, started saying that Su Zi’s calligraphy was like a toad crushed under a stone, barely alive, or a black bear blocking the road, terrifying and horrible… Bai Ye, having few friends and secluded on an overseas island reading, didn’t care about this at all. However, Su Zi, whose disciples filled the world, was annoyed. Rumor had it that Su Zi simply took two book boys manifested from literary luck, “Zhuoyu Lang” and a maidservant “Diansu Niang,” and traveled far away to a blessed land to find peace.

However, no one expected that this journey would lead Su Zi to ascend to this Qingming Heaven. He eventually found Liu Qi and Cao Zu, who had previously ascended and traveled to a Poetry and Lyric Blessed Land, not included among the seventy-two blessed lands.

The female Taoist Chunhui bowed to Su Zi.

The old scholar, being dragged across the threshold sideways, could only smile and nod in return.

After passing through the gate, Taoist Sun called Chunhui along and then directly used the神通 *Shrinking the Land* to bring everyone to a restricted area of the temple.

There was a single thatched hut, surrounded by peach trees, with a small pond in front of the door and a path paved with blue bricks for strolling.

Taoist Sun deliberately isolated the heaven and earth, taking advantage of the fact that the boy in the tiger-head hat and the two sword cultivators were not of a high enough realm. After all, such an opportunity would be gone in another hundred years.

The young bookboy carrying a book chest and the young girl carrying a large bag of pots and pans both saw a child in a tiger-head hat and two young people: one fat and one dark. The girl looked mostly at the adorable child, while the boy looked at the two young sword cultivators with swords on their backs. The two of them, although they were manifestations of their master’s literary luck, born with Earth Immortal abilities, could also cultivate. However, Su Zi had used an illusion technique, and the three of them deliberately suppressed their realms, pretending to be commoners and traveling through the mountains and rivers on foot. In fact, the girl Diansu was already in the Yuanying realm, a novelist cultivator, and the boy Zhuoyu was also in the Yuanying realm, a sword cultivator. Both of them had techniques to preserve their youth and were not young. However, demons and monsters, especially rare manifestations of literary luck, tended to open their minds less the less involved they were in the world and the less they were tainted by the mortal realm.

Zhuoyu asked Diansu in his mind, “Which one is Master Bai? The chubby one? The dark one?”

Diansu said casually, “Master Bai’s poetry is unparalleled. It doesn’t matter what he looks like.”

The child in the tiger-head hat stood by the pond with his hands behind his back. The chubby young man next to him begged him to carve a seal for him, saying that he wanted to show off to Chen Pingan later.

Before this, the chubby man, who was also cultivating in the Grand Xuandu Temple, had often bothered the child in the tiger-head hat, asking him to teach him some peerless sword techniques. When that didn’t work, he brought writing tools and asked for some calligraphy, which also didn’t work. Now, he was content with just asking for a few words, but even that didn’t work.
Seeing the tiger-headed boy ignoring him, the plump fellow suggested, “If Chen Pingan ever comes to verify things with Mister Bai, what if Mister Bai neither nods nor shakes his head?”

The tiger-headed boy tugged at his hat strings and nodded, considering it an agreement.

The dark-skinned youth scoffed derisively.

The plump fellow immediately pledged, “Dong Heitan, from now on, while you’re at Great Mystery Capital Temple, I’ll have your back. You’ll never want for food or drink, and it won’t cost you a single copper. I’ll make sure you don’t break your vow and leave the Great Wall of Sword Qi.”

Dong Huafu squatted down and gently tossed pebbles into the pond.

The plump fellow sat on the ground, chewing on a blade of grass.

Carelessly bringing up their hometown had left him with little to say.

Dong Huafu’s identity now lay with the White Jade Capital, though not yet formally registered.

The Daoist Sage who oversaw the sky above the Great Wall of Sword Qi was none other than the Lord of Divine Firmament City, one of the Five Cities and Twelve Towers of the White Jade Capital.

Therefore, Dong Huafu had not hesitated. After ascending to the White Jade Capital from Upside-Down Mountain, he had chosen to stay in Divine Firmament City and practice swordsmanship without a second thought.

All because of those three words the old Sage had spoken on his deathbed.

Dong Huafu had decided on Divine Firmament City, determined to cultivate the Dao and refine his sword there. He cared neither for the Azure Billow World nor for the White Jade Capital.

Dong Heitan’s trip was simply to see his good friend, because Yan Pangzi (Plump Yan) had chosen to cultivate at Great Mystery Capital Temple. The old abbot, Sun Huaizhong, had examined that ‘咫尺物’ (an object that shrinks great distances), and inquired about “Daoist Chen’s” deeds at the Great Wall of Sword Qi. The old Daoist was overjoyed and looked upon Yan Zhuo, the plump fellow, with even greater favor, boasting of his Daoist Sword Immortal lineage as invincible, using every form of inducement and coercion. He managed to keep the plump fellow, who deliberately acted surprised and flattering, at his Daoist temple.

It was only then that Yan Zhuo understood Chen Pingan’s painstaking intentions.

The threshold of Great Mystery Capital Temple was, in truth, very high.

It was a place to which the hearts of all sword cultivators in the Azure Billow World yearned.

And the old abbot, Daoist Sun, was renowned for his eccentric temperament. He never judged people by their cultivation level, background, or connections – superficial things. He only went by first impressions, by whether or not someone caught his eye.

Moreover, the old Daoist was one of the top five individuals in the world.

Years ago, the sixteen sword cultivators from the Great Wall of Sword Qi “ascended” to the Azure Billow World via Upside-Down Mountain. The leader was the old Nascent Soul, Cheng Quan, who carried a cotton-wrapped sword box on his back.

Cheng Quan had ultimately chosen to join the Year-End Palace, which was as famous as the Great Mystery Capital Temple, as a retainer. He had been entered into the sect’s Landscape Records, but like the other young sword cultivators, had not yet been added to the Daoist Official Records. Cheng Quan then placed the sword box outside the Crane Tower, on a submerged dragon stone in the middle of a large body of water.

Among them was a young sword cultivator who had found a duster handle on the city wall. He, along with Dong Huafu, chose to stay in Divine Firmament City. A total of nine people remained in the White Jade Capital for cultivation, scattering into the Five Cities and Twelve Towers.

The rest, like Cheng Quan and the plump fellow, chose their places of residence as they pleased.

The White Jade Capital made an exception and granted this group of sword cultivators from the Great Wall of Sword Qi an extraordinary amount of freedom.

When Cheng Quan arrived at the Year-End Palace, he learned that the Crane Inn, which had been open for two or three hundred years on Upside-Down Mountain, had deep roots with the Crane Tower of the Year-End Palace. The “young innkeeper” was none other than the Year-Guardian, second only to Palace Lord Wu Shuangjiang, but unlike the other four, his whereabouts remained unknown. Furthermore, the inn’s cook and four servants all took the surname “Nian,” and they were all wandering the Vast Expanse World’s Upside-Down Mountain in their Yin spirit form. Among them, the “young girl” who went by the name Nian Chuanghua was Palace Lord Wu Shuangjiang’s own daughter.

A small inn hidden deep in the back alleys of Upside-Down Mountain, with one ascent, two immortals, and two Jade Purity cultivators.

Dong Huafu had followed Cheng Quan to the Year-End Palace. Cheng Quan had official business to discuss, so he and Yan Pangzi had wandered around, looking at everything they could see.

After Upside-Down Mountain was moved to the Azure Billow World, the Year-End Palace had paid a high price to buy all the buildings within several miles of the Crane Inn. Zhang Yuanbo, an immortal with the Daoist name “Dragon in a Cave,” had used his mountain-moving powers to move them all near the Crane Tower.

Along the way, the two had encountered the “young girl” with a less-than-pleasant temper. She was superficially polite to Yan Pangzi, but in reality, she was subtly critical, looking down on them. Yan Pangzi laughed it off, pretending not to care. Dong Huafu, with his typical Dong family swordsman’s temperament, thought that she was too petty despite her age, so he retorted, “What’s so great about your Crane Inn? Why don’t you try opening one in Chen Pingan’s hometown? You’ll either lose to everyone, or lose to everyone.”

She was utterly confused.

Arguments were terrible when the other party said something unpleasant, but you had no idea what they were talking about.

Chen Pingan, of course, she knew. He was both a regular at the Crane Inn and, later, the youngest Hidden Official in the history of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Shan Junyu Chou’s Daoist partner, the woman who went by the name Nian Chuntiao, had especially liked the sword-carrying youth’s eyes, saying they were so pure that she couldn’t bear to knock on his door late at night and ask if he wanted an extra quilt. When she later heard that Chen Pingan had become the Hidden Official for no apparent reason, the woman was filled with regret, saying that she should have lied about the inn being haunted and asking him to let her hide in his room.

In the end, the three had only bickered and argued, not actually fought. However, they had agreed to a match to be fought later.

Dong Huafu had essentially made the appointment on Chen Pingan’s behalf, and the young woman from the Year-End Palace had readily agreed.

Now that the two were at Great Mystery Capital Temple, both Dong Huafu and Yan Zhuo were intentionally avoiding talking about their hometown, at most mentioning Ning Yao and Chen Pingan, Chen Sanqiu and Diezhang.

Them two, plus Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, Diezhang, Dong Bude, Guo Zhujiu, and Fan Dache.

Each traveling far, scattered in all directions.

But in reality, aside from Chen Pingan, everyone else at least had friends by their side.

Bai also remained silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “What words do you want engraved? Have you thought about it?”

Yan Zhuo had probably never imagined that Mister Bai would agree to such a thing. He raised his head, momentarily at a loss.

Dong Huafu reminded him, “No matter how big a seal is, how big can it be? There’s more room for inscriptions on a fan. The peach wood at Great Mystery Capital Temple is valuable. You’re cultivating here, so making a fan shouldn’t be difficult. Besides, haven’t you already secretly hoarded a pile of peach wood ‘twigs’ under your bed?”
晏 Zhuo, his qi roiling, cursed, “I was only taking you to pick up twigs on the ground, at most to break off some inconspicuous, slender peach branches, so we could do business together, splitting the profits fifty-fifty. I didn’t tell you to chop down such a huge peach tree, forcing me to carry it back, roots and all, and hide it. I’ve been sleeping with one eye open these past few days. If that tree hadn’t been close to Master Bai’s residence, and temporarily unnoticed, we’d both be hanging from a tree, drinking the northwest wind, thanks to that smiling tiger of an old Daoist! You don’t know Grandmaster Sun’s character; he’s definitely cut from the same cloth as Chen Ping’an…”

Dong Huafu, arms crossed, retorted, “I think Grandmaster Sun is quite generous. He’s a gracious host, and the first thing he asked me was if Sister Zhanran was beautiful. So, I did as the Romans do and told him the truth. After that, Sister Zhanran smiles more every time she sees me.”

Yan Zhuo clutched his head. “Yes, yes, you called Sister Chunhui, ‘Big-bottomed and good for bearing children,’ so she couldn’t very well chop you, a guest, with her sword. But I’m now a proper registered immortal of the Grand Profound Capital Temple; what am I going to do?”

Dong Huafu punched Yan Zhuo’s arm, saying, “Master Bai is still waiting for you to speak.”

Yan Zhuo thought for a moment, scratched his head, and said to Bai Ye, “Why doesn’t Master Bai just write whatever he wants? When I get back, I’ll immediately make a peach wood fan and send it over.”

The child in the tiger-head hat said, “Engrave the seal with words.”

Just as Yan Zhuo was about to speak, a hand landed on his shoulder, and a voice, laced with laughter, sounded from behind, “Yan Zhuo, carrying such a big peach tree around must be tiring, right? Don’t underestimate our Grand Profound Capital Temple’s peach trees; even though they don’t look tall, with all those bothersome branches, they must weigh at least several thousand catties. Why don’t I help you massage your shoulders? You still have to make hundreds of fans to sell for money; don’t overwork yourself, lest it delay Great Lord Yan’s cultivation. It would break my heart. Don’t do things like this late at night; it’s easy to bump into branches when walking in the dark and mistakenly think you’ve been hit over the head.”

Yan Zhuo’s body tensed, his face a picture of misery.

*Listen to this*, he thought, *are these the words of a human being? Is this what a respected old grandmaster should say?*

Bai Ye turned around and bowed to that Su Zi. Su Zi returned the gesture.

They exchanged smiles, understanding without words.

Just as Bai Ye had never been to Mount Sui in the Central Earth, he had never actually met this Su Zi from Meishan, not far from his hometown.

As for the “Bai Xian Poetry Scroll,” Bai Ye had certainly heard of it, from the old scholar. What Bai Ye truly admired, of course, was not Su Zi’s calligraphy, nor the excessive praise directed at himself, but Su Zi’s character as a scholar. Even without Bai Ye, if someone else had been fortunate enough to be born a few centuries earlier than Su Zi and had walked the path before him, Su Zi would have likely been just as open and honest, writing a scroll for that person, equally downplaying his own abilities.

Su Zi was magnanimous; hence his poetry, calligraphy, and essays were all so refined.

A thousand years later, his literary style, talent, and integrity remain inspiring.

As for the other side, Yan Zhuo lowered himself, his shoulders slumping, turned around, stood up, and moved like the wind, circling behind Daoist Sun, massaging his shoulders with smooth, practiced movements, and asked obsequiously, “Old Grandmaster, this is a technique Chen Ping’an taught me; is the pressure right?”

Daoist Sun sneered, “That’s a load of bull. My Daoist friend Chen is upright and honest, straightforward in his words. He’s nothing like you, a weathervane.”

Yan Zhuo reluctantly started to pull back his hands.

Unexpectedly, the old Daoist roared, “You have the strength to chop down peach trees, but not to massage shoulders? You’re being all soft and feminine, not manly at all!”

Dong Huafu suddenly said, “Chopping down the tree has nothing to do with me; I didn’t even go out that night.”

Daoist Sun smiled and nodded, praising, “Now *that* sounds like my Daoist friend Chen.”