As dusk settled, Wu Shuangjiang abruptly announced his departure.

He tossed Chen Ping’an the longsword Night Wanderer, which had been refined in a mere half-day.

Chen Ping’an, having accepted Night Wanderer, shamelessly requested a piece of calligraphy from Wu Shuangjiang.

In the Azure Billow World, it was common knowledge that calligraphy penned by cultivators from the Year-End Palace held the power to exorcise spirits. Hanging such a piece was akin to displaying a talisman, perhaps even more potent. Of course, Chen Ping’an had no intention of using Wu Shuangjiang’s calligraphy for mere spirit banishment; such an act would be a gross waste of its inherent value. He intended to keep it as a memento of his Night Navigation voyage, to be hung in his own Fallen Peak’s study. Whenever guests visited, regardless of who they were, wouldn’t they all inevitably ask about the authenticity of the piece?

Wu Shuangjiang agreed, and Chen Ping’an, right there in the main hall, produced brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Little Millet tidied the table and helped spread out the Xuan paper, then squatted beside the table to grind the ink.

Wu Shuangjiang gazed at the commonplace brush and inkstick, seemingly losing his enthusiasm for writing. Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I truly only possess these humble items. Senior, would you make do?”

Wu Shuangjiang chuckled, “Fallen Peak might not mind such a slight, but I, Wu, certainly would. In that case, let’s forgo it.”

Chen Ping’an hastily said, “Then allow me to borrow a scholar’s Four Treasures from Li Shilang?”

Wu Shuangjiang glanced at the darkening sky outside and shook his head. “I cannot keep Little White waiting for long.”

Little Millet, still grinding the ink, scratched her head in frustration, pitifully saying, “Mr. Wu, Mr. Wu, just write a few characters, okay? When we’re out traveling the world, we focus on the practical, not the perfect!”

Wu Shuangjiang pondered for a moment, then nodded. “You have a point.”

Wu Shuangjiang retrieved his own personal scholar’s accoutrements from his sleeve. He unfurled a piece of Rainbow Cloud paper and selected a green bamboo brush engraved with a line of small seal script: “A million emerald peaks in his assured breast.” He placed down an inkstone with the inscription “Immortal Grotto” etched on its side. Two miniature chi dragons lay prostrate upon the ancient inkstone. Wu Shuangjiang tapped the dragons’ heads with the brush handle, and the two dragons instantly opened their golden eyes. A layer of golden ripples appeared within the inkstone. After Wu Shuangjiang dipped his brush, the tip shimmered gold as he wrote a running script couplet on the paper, a piece worthy of being considered a “Timely Post.”

“Then, only did I deem it commonplace, never did I believe mortal realms held white hair. Do not lean alone on the moonlit tower; suddenly arriving before the window, it seems as if it is you.”

Finally, he affixed three seals to the calligraphy: two of his personal seals and a signature.

Military Scholar, commanding a million troops. Man and script aged alike. Heart like a blue lotus in the world.

Chen Ping’an stood beside him, lightly wringing his hands, full of admiration. “Senior’s calligraphy is so masterful; it’s a pity not to write a matching couplet. Good things should come in pairs!”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, and two sheets of Year-End Palace’s Eternal Crimson paper appeared on the table. Each sheet of paper bore seven golden dragon patterns, as if awaiting the brush’s touch. Not only that, but he also withdrew a small wooden box. Inside were seven small porcelain boxes filled with the Year-End Palace’s famous Seven-Treasure Mud. Lord Yu Chou of the mountain had once obtained a great opportunity from the ruins of an immortal abode, moving an ancient mountain back to the sect. After the mountain took root, strange phenomena arose, and scenes of cinnabar like colorful clouds flowing and scattering became commonplace. After immortals refined the flying sand, gathering seven colors, it became the Seven-Treasure Mud, of which it was said, “An ounce of colored mud costs a pound of Grain Rain coins.”

Chen Ping’an was somewhat puzzled. There was no tradition of using seven colors for writing couplets, was there? But he didn’t dare ask too much, lest the cooked duck fly away.

Wu Shuangjiang did not explain anything. He dipped his brush in the seven-colored treasure sand and wrote seven characters on each sheet of the couplet: “Retiring brushes like mountains are not worth treasuring; reading ten thousand scrolls is the only way to attain divinity.”

Wu Shuangjiang gently exhaled upon the couplet, and the fourteen golden dragons on the couplet, as if having their eyes dotted with paint, slowly rotated once before becoming still once more.

Su Zi’s poems, Wu Shuangjiang’s inscriptions.

He had conveniently taken advantage of the young man requesting calligraphy.

Chen Ping’an, having been given the role of a “second nephew,” felt no resentment, pretending not to know the story at all.

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, “Consider it a congratulatory gift for the upcoming establishment of the Fallen Peak sub-sect. It can be hung on the ancestral hall’s main gate. The writing on the couplet will change with the time of day: black letters during the day, white letters at night, distinct and clear, as distinct as black and white. As for its grade, it’s not low. If hung on Fallen Peak’s Sky-Clearing Peak gate, it would be enough to keep mountain deities and spirits, such as Mountain Lord Wei Bo, at bay, unable and unwilling to cross even half a step. However, you must promise me one thing: whenever you feel you’ve done something against your conscience, and the wrong is irreparable, you must take down this couplet.”

Chen Ping’an stepped back and bowed deeply to the Year-End Palace Lord, who had jokingly said he “once had hopes of refining one or two destiny characters.”

Wu Shuangjiang waved his hand, only putting away a few seals. He turned to the black-clothed girl and said with a smile, “Little Millet, all the remaining scholar’s items on the table are yours as a gift, as a return gift for your dried fish and melon seeds. As for who you give them to afterward, I won’t interfere.”

Zhou Millet hurriedly waved her hands. “Absolutely not, dried fish and melon seeds don’t cost any money.”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled slightly, turned, and left, striding across the threshold. Little Millet ran after him, catching up to Mr. Wu, taking out two bags of dried fish from her sleeves, scratching her face, and feeling somewhat embarrassed. “Mr. Wu, there’s only this much left, take it all. Don’t think it’s too little, if you do, it can’t be helped, come visit my home in the future, there will be plenty.”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, accepted the two bags of stream fish jerky, said thank you, and gently patted the little girl’s head. He left, taking one step and disappearing from Tiao Mu City.

Little Millet waved her hand, standing outside the door and looking around for a long time, sighing. She envied Mr. Wu’s cultivation, not even needing to control the wind for long-distance travel, disappearing in a whoosh. He must be at least a Golden Core stage immortal! Hah, what was she thinking? Earth Immortal was not enough, he might even be at the legendary Jade Purity realm. Alas, his cultivation was so high, as high as Mountain Lord Wei, how many Night Wanderer banquets would Mr. Wu have held in his hometown? No wonder he gave away gifts without batting an eye, so generous and magnificent. Traveling the world should be like that. The simple-minded girl he had met at Dumb Lake back then wasn’t a bad person, just short-sighted. A single Grain Rain coin could buy the big water monster of Dumb Lake.

Little Millet swaggered back to the table in the main hall. Chen Ping’an had put away the calligraphy and couplet, storing them in his miniature realm. He smiled at Little Millet. “The ancient inkstone, the green bamboo brush, and the Seven-Treasure Mud, let Pei Qian keep them safe for you first.”
Little Millet was taken aback. The little girl glanced at the items on the table, “But I already planned how to give them away.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “No need to give them away. Just keep them safe. When you return to Fallen Mountain, remember not to toss them around.”

Little Millet said earnestly, “At first, I planned to give them all to the Mountain Lord’s wife. If the Mountain Lord’s wife didn’t accept them, I wouldn’t dare to insist. So, when I get home, I’ll give the Seven Treasures Mud to Sister Nuan Shu. She likes to keep accounts every day. I’ll give the ancient inkstone to Jing Qing, and the green bamboo brush to Mountain Deity Wei. Doesn’t Cloud-Capped Mountain have a bamboo forest? Old Chef and Pei Qian, I don’t know why, they didn’t go themselves, but made me secretly run over there to carefully count how many bamboos there were. I thought, if Mountain Deity Wei accepts the gift, he’ll be happy and give me a bamboo for free.”

Ning Yao suppressed a smile and ruffled Little Millet’s head.

Pei Qian pretended not to know anything. Anyway, if Master asked, she would blame it all on Old Chef.

Chen Ping’an, however, felt a rare pang of conscience. He wondered what Mountain Deity Wei must have thought when Little Millet was wandering around the bamboo forest, earnestly counting bamboos with her fingers.

A white-haired child poked his head out from the corner of the corridor, asking, “Hidden Official Ancestor, where’s that person? Is he gone? How did your talk go?”

Chen Ping’an turned his head and said, “He’s left Item Entry City. The talk went well. No need for you to take action.”

The white-haired child laughed heartily, hands on his hips, shaking his shoulders, and strode towards the table. “Hidden Official Ancestor is indeed invincible! Leaving me no chance to show my loyalty! Otherwise, with just a little bit of my humble effort, I could have joined forces with Hidden Official Ancestor to repel the enemy! Alas, what a pity! What a regret!”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Shall I invite him back, then?”

The white-haired child’s knees buckled, and he reached out to steady himself on the table, his voice trembling. “I don’t think there’s any need for that. After all, it’s easy to invite a deity, but hard to send one away.”

From beginning to end, it was all very strange. Meeting Wu Shuangjiang, chatting happily with Pei Qian, was like falling into a fog. Emerging from the maze, Wu Shuangjiang was gone again, and with her, its own realm as an outer demon, appearing in the world in a state akin to a “realm-less person.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at him and said, “Let’s talk in the room.”

They returned together to Chen Ping’an’s room. Chen Ping’an took out the calligraphy scroll. “This should be what the senior wished me to pass on to you.”

The white-haired child nodded. As soon as he took it, the two seals on the scroll, “Scholar of Horseback, Commander of Millions,” and the phrase “Man and Script, Both Aged,” a total of thirteen characters, instantly dimmed.

His expression was complex, and he was speechless in a daze.

Chen Ping’an even took out his Sword-Nurturing Gourd and took a swig to calm his nerves.

The arcane arts of a Great Cultivator at the Fourteenth Realm were truly unreasonable.

He shook his head vigorously, quickly regaining his usual expression. He looked at the illusory objects Chen Ping’an had obtained in Item Entry City, picked up the narcissus porcelain basin, turned it over to examine it, and scoffed, tossing it carelessly onto the table. Little Millet quickly lunged forward, supported it with both hands, moved it closer to herself, gently breathed on the small porcelain basin, and wiped it with her sleeve.

The white-haired child used both hands to lift the iron-cast “Three Monkeys Scooping the Moon” flower holder, nodded slightly, and said, “If it were a real object, it would be barely acceptable.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “How so?”

The white-haired child said, “Every moonlit night, you can take out this object, and simply by basking it in moonlight, it can condense lunar essence, gradually nurturing a spirit akin to a ‘flower protector’. If a cultivator has good luck, it might even transform into a Sifanwei of a Flower Deity Temple, in charge of some kind of flower scent. Those monsters who walk the path of moon worship and refining in the world, no matter how high their realm, would definitely be willing to pay a high price. With this object, you can save a lot of trouble. Take it to that Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, and you can easily find a Flower Lord of the Blessed Land, or those few Flower Goddesses of Fate, and sell it for an astronomical price.”

The white-haired child asked doubtfully, “Why does Hidden Official Ancestor look like he’s never heard of or is uninterested in this Hundred Flowers Blessed Land? Back in the prison warden’s place of cultivation, under the grape trellis, Hidden Official Ancestor was looking at those flower deity cups with sparkling eyes, rubbing his hands in anticipation. I thought at the time that if I were a Flower Lord of the Blessed Land, I would start worrying about whether my territory would be three feet shorter.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Wherever there is money in the world, there will be Package Zhai.”

The white-haired child said, “Oh,” and picked up the ebony paperweight with the “Uncle Ye” inscription, asking, “Didn’t expect Hidden Official Ancestor to also be a qin master? Truly multi-talented…”

Chen Ping’an put down the Sword-Nurturing Gourd in his hand and asked, “Can you write out the complete Guangling Cessation Score?”

He nodded, “What’s so difficult about that?”

Wu Shuangjiang, the Palace Lord of the Year-End Palace, was famous in the Azure Vault World for her talent, proficient in poetry, lyrics, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

As Wu Shuangjiang’s inner demon, apart from some killer moves of attack, which had been heavily restricted by Wu Shuangjiang, he actually knew everything else Wu Shuangjiang knew.

The white-haired child pointed his finger in the air and wrote out the complete score that had been lost in the Magnificent World. Chen Ping’an copied it onto paper.

He yawned, looking puzzled. “Hidden Official Ancestor, is that all you’ve gained?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. Pei Qian remained expressionless, just cracking melon seeds.

Little Millet waved her hands vigorously, “Nothing else, really nothing!”

The white-haired child chuckled, “There can be, there definitely can be. Quickly bring out your treasured item at the bottom of the box.”

Little Millet crossed her arms, looking serious. “If there was, I’d treat you to pickled cabbage fish! Is pickled cabbage fish delicious? It’s the worst thing in the world! Nobody likes it! Since nobody eats pickled cabbage fish, even if you treat someone, nobody will eat it. So, there’s nothing else!”

Chen Ping’an covered his forehead. What a reasonable set of words. Little Millet must have worked hard on that…

Ning Yao’s lips curled up.

Pei Qian glanced at her master.

Chen Ping’an nodded helplessly.

Pei Qian said to Zhou Millet, “Take it out.”

Little Millet was anxious, winking vigorously at Pei Qian. She had hidden it so well, how did she confess without being asked?

Pei Qian nodded. The black-clad little girl immediately ran out of the room to Pei Qian’s and her own room, rummaged through the green bamboo bookcase to find the scroll, and flew back, pursing her lips. She didn’t put it on the table in a hurry. Little Millet just held the scroll, her face serious, looking at the kind Mountain Lord, as if to say, I’m really giving it now. Don’t blame me if the Mountain Lord’s wife says anything later.
Chen Ping’an glanced at his first disciple and grumbled, “I’ve already given it to you, what are you hiding?”

Pei Qian smiled and nodded, then looked towards the white-haired imp who was the root of the trouble.

Chen Ping’an handed the booklet given to him by the Curly-Bearded Guest to Ning Yao.

After Ning Yao casually flipped through it, she discovered that each opportunity was like a riddle. The terms in the booklet were like celestial ferry crossings, with the names of the crossings given, but not how to reach them.

The white-haired imp looked at the scroll on the table. It had jade ends and a small label affixed to the outside. The handwriting was barely passable, and the text boasted shamelessly about teaching the women of the world how to apply makeup and style their hair.

After opening it, there were different eyebrows and hairstyles of beautiful women, such as Mandarin Duck Brows, Cloud Sweeping, Inverted Halo, Flying Immortal, Spirit Serpent, and Backward Knot, each with annotations. There were a total of twenty-four beauties, and the white-haired imp examined each one, clicking his tongue in wonder and muttering, “Good, good, though Spring Mountain is small, it can still conjure clouds… The Moon Palace, after repairing the axe marks, reveals imperfections that are placed on the eyebrows of beauties… Flying Immortal, Flying Immortal, descending before the emperor… Damn, this line is the best, the most wonderful. Turning back to see her beloved lower the curtain, he wants to embrace her, but she vanishes like smoke…”

The white-haired imp raised his head and said solemnly, “Since Ancestor Yin Guan is proficient in seal carving, why not imitate various eyebrow imprints on stationery? In the future, throughout the entire Vast Expanse, when cultivators send letters via wild geese or flying swords, half of them will use stationery produced by our Fallen Mountain! It fits the saying, ‘The traveler sees the eyebrow imprint from afar, as if seeing her face again beneath the flowers.’ I think it’s feasible, definitely feasible, absolutely a gold mine!”

Chen Ping’an bestowed upon him a single word, “Scram!”

Such unconscionable money from cosmetics was more suited for Zhu Lian or Mi Yu.

The white-haired imp looked hurt, disheartening the troops.

Picking up the last bundle of withered plum branches, he weighed them a few times, puzzled, “Ancestor Yin Guan, what the heck?! Are we really picking up trash?”

Chen Ping’an tossed the booklet to the white-haired imp. He flipped to the page with the plum branch entry and discovered that there seemed to be two paths, each with its own opportunities, from which one could be chosen. One clue was something about Shangyang Palace, a plum spirit, “The Book of Songs: Shao Nan,” Doctor Jiang, the Drunken Guest of the Dragon Pool, and beaded shoes.

The other was a bookstore, a corpse, a popular figure, boneless flowers, and Floating Duckweed Pavilion.

The white-haired imp’s head spun. After all, he came from the Azure Billow Heaven, and these clues completely stumped him. He closed the booklet and said righteously, “Ancestor Yin Guan, why bother with all this effort? Shouldn’t we just rob them openly? If we get caught red-handed, no problem! Ancestor Yin Guan can just slip away, leaving me behind. I’ll take whatever beatings, scoldings, chops, or cuts they give me!”

Ning Yao asked curiously, “What about this bundle of plum branches?”

Chen Ping’an explained with a smile, “Shangyang Palace, the nickname of this plum spirit, refers to a imperial concubine. Her younger brother was called Jiang Caiqin, whose family had been doctors for generations. As for the Drunken Guest of the Dragon Pool, it refers to the different intentions of the two princes, one drunk and one sober. Anyway, after all the twists and turns, the opportunity to be gained is mostly some substantial gift from the Flower Goddess of Hundred Flower Blessed Land, or it’s related to the Rouge-Faced Mistress of the Plum Blossom Garden on Upside-Down Mountain, so it’s not very interesting.

“But the other clue interests me greatly. I have my own selfish reasons. If I’m not mistaken, we should first go to the Mustard Seed Garden Bookstore in Entry Item City, because Li Shi-lang is skilled in making plum blossom windows. In the ‘Residential Chambers’ section, Li Shi-lang even refers to this as ‘the best of my life’s creations.’ So, next we’ll probably need to buy a first edition of a ‘Picture Book’ as a bridge to find the bookseller Wang Gai, who once had the nickname ‘Wang Anjie, Popular Figure of the World.’ That’s how we can connect with his brother Wang Shi, whose original name was Wang Shi, who is skilled in seal carving and painting boneless flowers. This will involve an old gentleman whom I greatly, greatly admire, who is the best at painting plum blossoms in the world, and happens to be the owner of the Plum Blossom House and Floating Duckweed Pavilion. Not only that, but legend has it that this old gentleman was the first person in the world to carve seals with stone. With such a rare opportunity, how could I miss it? I must pay a visit to the old gentleman. If there’s any opportunity, I can use it to exchange for a seal from him.”

Speaking of this, Chen Ping’an’s eyes sparkled, just like the first time he heard the name “Li Shi-lang.”

Even someone like Jiang Shangzhen would have people he wanted to meet on the Night Voyage Boat: the green made lush by the rain and wind, the flower seller, the deep amber wine in the cup, what was just off the brow now on the heart, the two or three times not living up to the spring, the person skinnier than the yellow flower.

In fact, Chen Ping’an wanted to visit even more bookish sages and ancient figures.

Ning Yao was used to Chen Ping’an’s ability to solve mysteries.

It was how Chen Ping’an came to have relationships with elders.

Pei Qian took it even more for granted.

Zhou Mi-li, anyway, was only vaguely listening. Her kind-hearted Mountain Master was very powerful as long as he didn’t engage in poetry battles!

Only the Extraterrestrial Demon was dumbfounded by this chain of “cause and effect,” “following the vine,” and “door-to-door” visits, and exclaimed sincerely, “Ancestor Yin Guan, you should be the helmsman of this Night Voyage Boat!”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “Far from it. Just a walking encyclopedia.”

It wasn’t false modesty; it was the truth. Night Voyage Boat, just Entry Item City alone, had already astonished Chen Ping’an. If it weren’t for the difficulty in distinguishing friend from foe, and the fact that he had other matters to attend to, Chen Ping’an wouldn’t have minded wandering through all twelve cities on this ferry, even if it took him three or five years.

The white-haired imp rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining, “We’re rich, we’re rich! With Ancestor Yin Guan guiding us and me doing all the legwork, won’t we scour every last immortal opportunity on this ferry?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I have other important things to do, so I won’t be pursuing any opportunities except for the plum branch.”

The white-haired imp thumped his chest. “Is this still the arrogant, money-grubbing Ancestor Yin Guan I know?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I want to ask Senior Wang Yuanzhang for a seal. I’ve already thought of the inscription: ‘Pure Qi fills the heavens and earth, scattering as ten thousand miles of spring!'”

After a moment of silence, Chen Ping’an took a sip of wine and said softly, “If I can get two seals, that would be even better. The inscription would be ‘A Traveler on the Road.'”

The white-haired imp clapped his hands and cheered, “Excellent inscription! Ancestor Yin Guan’s literary talent is unparalleled…”

Chen Ping’an glanced sideways. “It’s from the old gentleman’s poems; I’m just copying.”
The white-haired child raised his arm and shouted, “Hidden Official Ancestor, unparalleled memory! One punch moves the Book Mountain, one kick overturns the Ink Sea, the undisputed number one in the world! No one dares to call themselves second, because they’re too close to the Hidden Official Ancestor and only dare to call themselves third!”

Anyway, as long as his conscience was clear, there was no such thing as an embarrassing flattery.

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “According to Palace Master Wu’s deductions, I might go to the Central Earth Literary Temple at some point. When I go, when I return, how I go, and how I return, it’s all uncertain for now.”

The white-haired child instantly fell silent, sickly sitting back on the long bench, repeatedly wiping the table with one hand.

Ning Yao said, “I’ll take care of Pei Qian and Xiao Mi Li here.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Then shall we go solve the riddle?”

Xiao Mi Li jumped off the long bench, “Understood!”

The group packed their luggage and left the inn, following the clues. As Chen Ping’an had predicted, they followed the trail, and things went as expected. They bought what they needed and chatted with the right people, eventually arriving at a mountain and water secret realm with thousands of plum trees. There, Chen Ping’an exchanged an opportunity to obtain an immortal plum tree for two seals from the old scholar Wang Yuanzhang. Unexpectedly, the old gentleman stroked his beard and smiled, also gifting them two plum blossom paintings, one in ink and one in white. The inscription on the two seals Chen Ping’an sought came from the poems inscribed on the paintings.

After accepting the paintings, Chen Ping’an bowed again in thanks.

Remembering something, Chen Ping’an said, “This junior heard that there was a sect leader sword immortal in Tongye Continent who climbed a mountain in heavy snow and spoke similar words to those of the senior in the history books. Everyone in his sect heard it, but the sword immortal added the phrase ‘most suitable for drawing the sword’ at the end, so that sword immortal must have greatly admired the senior as well.”

The old gentleman smiled, “Is that the ‘Heaven and earth are all white jade, making people’s hearts clear and wanting to ascend to immortality’?”

Chen Ping’an held the scrolls in his arms and nodded gently.

The old gentleman asked, “A sword immortal who speaks to heaven and earth like that, and is also in Tongye Continent, then he must no longer be among the living?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “He has already died in battle.”

That sword immortal was precisely Fu Lingqing, the sect leader of Tongye Sect.

The old gentleman asked Chen Ping’an to wait a moment, and finally gave Chen Ping’an two more seals, engraved with “Wind and Snow Add Merriment” and “Worldly Madman” respectively.

Chen Ping’an scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed.

The old gentleman smiled, “Although I don’t know who you are yet, I hope that the current Vast Expanse World has more young people like you.”

Pointing elsewhere, the old gentleman said seriously, “Remember not to imitate Shao Baojuan of Appearance City. He seemed to have acted like a virtuous gentleman for many years, just waiting to do evil once, and then never look back. It’s such a pity.”

After leaving the secret realm, Chen Ping’an used the guqin score written by the white-haired child to exchange for passage permits for three cities from Item City. Normally, such a score would only be enough to obtain permits for two cities, so the Night Voyage Ship clearly valued the *Guangling Zhixi Pu* extremely highly. At first, the white-haired child was somewhat smug, walking with a swagger outside the shop, but upon learning that the Night Voyage Ship actually had twelve cities, he immediately began to stomp his feet and curse. Xiao Mi Li quickly hugged this short, stocky dwarf who had gone white-haired at such a young age. The white-haired child continued to curse, kicking his feet towards the shop. Xiao Mi Li leaned backward, swaying, barely managing to keep them from falling. After the white-haired child finished cursing, he put his feet on the ground, turned around, and patted Xiao Mi Li’s shoulder, “Your loyalty is commendable, your protection is meritorious. I’ll reward you with some good things later.”

Xiao Mi Li didn’t take it seriously, just grinned and said, “I seemed to be drunk and boxing just now.”

The white-haired child compared their heights, shaking his head, “Xiao Mi Li, every time I talk to you, I have to lower my head a lot, or I can’t see you. That won’t do. I’ll ask our Hidden Official Ancestor to make a small stool for you later. You have to stand on it to talk to me.”

Xiao Mi Li frowned and secretly tiptoed. But she found that the white-haired child seemed even taller. He glanced down, and the white-haired child immediately lowered his toes. When Xiao Mi Li suddenly looked up, he instantly raised his toes again. Xiao Mi Li took a few steps back, and the white-haired child had already put his hands behind his back and turned to leave.

First, they went to the Arched City and met the old scholar who wrote the ranking list with a lantern in the night. Chen Ping’an helped Cui Dongshan pass on a message.

On their journey, Xiao Mi Li whispered, “Pei Qian, Pei Qian, Li Huai said you’re a lost princess of a fallen kingdom. Can we find your dad here?”

Pei Qian didn’t reply.

Xiao Mi Li continued to ask, “Do you need my help? I’m very good at finding people, thanks to my patrolling the mountains.”

Pei Qian gave her a light flick on the forehead. Zhou Mi Li covered her head with her hands, suddenly understanding that they probably couldn’t find him. She was indeed asking for a beating by rubbing salt in Pei Qian’s wound.

They were still by the side of that great river that was currently in its dry season, revealing the underwater cliff carvings: “Nurturing the People, Azure Life,” and “Deep Within the Dragon Palace.”

At a tavern, they encountered a young man who called himself a “Young Celestial” who was about to write on the wall. There was also a young waiter who was somewhat absent-minded, muttering to himself, asking where the “sword of humble beginnings” was. Outside the shop, a tall man with a greasy aura emanating from him walked past. He looked at a lively girl twirling lightly, her skirt swaying, her eyebrows delicate. The man felt that this year was the year for her. He hadn’t read 440,000 words of vast books for nothing; both in and out of the books, there was beauty like jade.

The white-haired child, who had been banging on the table and demanding good wine, immediately shut up.

Chen Ping’an suddenly stood up and walked outside the tavern, looking up at the sky.

At the lotus pond in Appearance City, the two who had already toured through Sound and Color City broke through the mountain and water restrictions and directly appeared here.

Wu Shuangjiang, along with the young manager of the Stork Inn from Upside Down Mountain.

Inside the pavilion, the Judge sat alone.

His direct disciple Du Shanyin and maidservant Ji Qing were not present.

It seemed that the sword immortal was waiting for this fourteenth realm great cultivator from the Year-End Palace.

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, “Little White, go wander elsewhere.”

The watchman of the Year-End Palace, Bai Luo, nodded with a smile, “Judge doesn’t have so many small worlds to conceal your fourteenth realm.”

Wu Shuangjiang said, “Just dealing with a Judge, not a Hidden Official, doesn’t require the fourteenth realm.”

After Bai Luo left,

Wu Shuangjiang put his hands behind his back and walked forward slowly, four immortal sword imitation swords appearing from his sleeves, smiling, “Flower Blossoms in a Cage.”

One cage sparrow imitation sword divine ability, one moon in the well imitation sword divine ability, combined with the true words “Flower Blossoms.”

Everywhere in heaven and earth was Wu Shuangjiang, everywhere were immortal sword imitation swords.
As for why this brawl was about to erupt, the reason was simple. Wu Shuangjiang’s Dao companion, imprisoned within the Sword Qi Great Wall, was apparently frequently pursued by this Law Enforcer with his flying sword.

A moment later.

The Night-Voyaging Boat was cleaved in two by a sword-light.

At the same time, a voice echoed in Chen Ping’an’s mind, “Could you come to the Confucian Temple?”

Chen Ping’an tentatively inquired, “Is that the Sage of Rites?”

Upon receiving an affirmative response, Chen Ping’an bowed respectfully and said, “I am indebted to the Sage of Rites.”

Back then, after Ah Liang departed from the Confucian Temple square, he seemingly vanished into a rainbow-hued journey, but in truth, he stealthily visited a restriction within the Hall of Meritorious Deeds. He pleaded and negotiated with the enshrined Worthy Sage, barely avoiding being turned away. In the end, he had to honestly exchange a sum of merit to gain audience with that bearded vagrant. This so-called forbidden ground lacked any formations or restrictions, and was even unguarded. It was simply a fragmented secret realm, adorned with picturesque mountains and clear waters. Liu Cha was squatting by the water’s edge, fishing rod in hand.

Ah Liang approached Liu Cha, remaining silent. Liu Cha offered no words either. Ah Liang sighed deeply, shook his head, and moved behind Liu Cha. He then delivered a forceful kick to the swordsman’s backside, a blow of considerable strength. Liu Cha nearly stumbled forward, but maintained his grip on the fishing rod with one hand, using the other to brace himself, preventing a face-first fall. He then resumed his squatting posture, his face devoid of any change in expression.

Ah Liang stood on one leg, rubbing his aching foot, lamenting how such an iron-hard posterior could exist in all creation.

Hopping on one foot, he approached Liu Cha, plopped down cross-legged, plucked a blade of wild grass, brushed off the dirt, and placed it in his mouth, slowly chewing the root. He muttered indistinctly, “Brother Liu, what’s the word from the Confucian Temple?”

Liu Cha replied, “The Sage of Rites only instructed me to remain here. There were no other instructions.”

“To exchange swords with Bai Ye, truly impressive, truly impressive.”

“A defeated general dares not speak of courage.”

In Golden Armor Continent, there once existed a “mirror flower, water moon” illusion, repeatedly displaying only one scene: Liu Cha’s sword strike against Bai Ye.

Enthusiasts had transcribed this scene using mountain-based magic, so each time the scroll was opened, before the bearded swordsman delivered his strike, onlookers invariably exclaimed his name: Liu Cha!

Over time, the name “Liu Cha” gradually transformed into an exclamation filled with awe, akin to a verbal tic. Two syllables, one phrase, yet capable of encompassing a multitude of meanings.

As for Liu Cha’s swordsmanship itself, especially his poems, they paled in comparison to the resounding fame of his name. Now, even among the common folk of the Central Earth Divine Continent, the name Liu Cha had become universally known.

Ah Liang cradled his head in his hands, leaned back, and whispered, “If I had known this was going to happen, I would have just finished you off back at the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

He wasn’t referring to Liu Cha’s victory over Bai Ye, but rather the time he was stopped by the Pure Confucian Chen Chun’an near the Shores of Return.

And Ah Liang found himself quite drawn to the Pure Confucian Chen Chun’an. Of course, this mutual affection might have just been Ah Liang’s own perception.

Liu Cha said, “Don’t make a life-for-life exchange sound so noble.”

Engaging Ah Liang in a deathmatch almost always resulted in a life-for-life scenario.

Ah Liang lifted his leg and gently swayed it, “In this lifetime, I have three good brothers, all of us sharing misfortune. One is the old scholar, both of us filled with talent, yet unable to showcase and make a name for ourselves.”

“One is Chen Ping’an. One stands atop the city wall, one crouches beneath the mountain. We can only gaze at each other from afar, sharing a common plight.”

“And then there’s you. Both of us have fallen from the Fourteenth Realm.”

Liu Cha asked, “Finished?”

Ah Liang retorted, “What’s it to you?”

Liu Cha fell silent once more, resuming his fishing.

Ah Liang dozed off for a while before rising, saying he would visit again sometime to drink.

The burly man spread his arms, his body spinning as he departed, still employing the “Ladder to the Clouds” technique of the pugilistic world, legs hopping about.

Liu Cha glanced at him, curious if the fellow behaved in the same manner within the Yasheng Mansion.

In a certain sect within the Central Earth Divine Continent, an Jade Purity Realm cultivator, previously almost bisected by Qi Tingji’s sword, had just completed his secluded healing. Barely a few days after emerging from seclusion, he attended an elders’ meeting in the ancestral hall.

Suddenly, a masked man, revealing only his shifty, rat-like eyes, openly breached the mountain gate’s formation and landed heavily in the plaza outside the ancestral hall. He struck a stance, centered his dantian, and, with both hands, swept his hair back from his forehead, loudly calling out the Jade Purity Realm founder’s name, demanding to know his whereabouts.

The suddenness of the event stunned everyone. A promising young ancestral hall protector, oblivious to the others’ peculiar expressions, stepped forward, crossed the threshold of the ancestral hall, and angrily rebuked the masked man, “Who dares trespass here?!”

The masked man’s eyes darted about, winking at a fairy who was hovering in the distance, riding the wind.

The short masked man lightly raised a fist and swung it backward. The Jade Purity Realm cultivator at the ancestral hall’s doorway seemed to have been struck on the forehead by a heavy hammer, immediately fainting. He fell straight back, his waist resting on the threshold, his body arched like a bridge.

Within the ancestral hall, from the sect master to the enforcer to the guest elders, each held their breath. Most didn’t even rise. A few unscrupulous individuals even turned to chat with their neighbors, feigning innocence.

That fiend had been here before. It wasn’t his first time.

Afterward, that Jade Purity Realm old ancestor was beset by misfortune, his ending somewhat pitiful and tragic.

Central Earth Divine Continent, Xuanmi Dynasty.

A wealthy old man was admiring a chess game in a pavilion.

Suddenly, a man appeared behind him, grabbing him by the neck.

The wealthy man coughed incessantly, unable to speak, desperately pounding on the arm.

The old man’s plump face turned from purplish-blue to pale white, his eyes beginning to roll back. Only then did the man release his grip. Yu Panhuai gasped for breath. Dammit, he knew who had come. No one else in the world would do such a heartless thing.

Unexpectedly, the man once again seized the old man’s neck, scolding, “Yu Fatty, what’s wrong with you? You can’t even smile or greet your good brother?! I knew it! Someone back in my hometown must be secretly making straw dolls and cursing me to never return! Good heavens, it was you?!”

Finishing the word “ah,” he lifted the old man by his arm, forcing him to stand on tiptoe, resembling a hanged ghost. It wasn’t that the old man was deliberately acting pitiful; the bastard behind him was truly being ruthless.
Yu Panshui had no choice but to force his nascent soul out of his body, standing beside that man. He stomped his foot with vigor, clapped his hands together, and with a drawn-out “Aiyo wei!” took a few quick, mincing steps forward. He began massaging the man’s shoulders and back. “So it’s Brother A-Liang! It’s been years! Those muscles of yours are as sturdy as mountains, defying all heavenly laws! Tsk, tsk, tsk, no wonder you’ve witnessed the magnificent aura of a Fourteenth Realm swordsman. But realm and all that? It’s nothing! For Brother A-Liang, it’s all about that manly charm! Last time we met, it had already reached its zenith, but I never expected you to scale even greater heights! Admirable! Truly admirable! Coveted! Truly coveted!”

Only then did A-Liang release his grip, pushing the nascent soul’s head, allowing it to return to its true body.

He sat on the long chair in the pavilion, his hands spread out on the railing, his legs crossed casually. He exhaled a long breath and gave Yu Panshui a knowing glance.

Yu Panshui understood perfectly. From within the pavilion, where a plaque with the words “Wooden Wild Fox” hung, a wisp of green smoke immediately emerged, drifting over. Finally, it coalesced into a beautiful woman. She performed a graceful curtsy and smiled charmingly at the man, “Greetings, Honored Sir.”

A-Liang jumped up, vigorously smoothing down his sideburns. “Too formal! Too formal! Just call me Brother A-Liang.”

Yu Panshui regretted overindulging in food and drink today.

A-Liang waved his hand dismissively. “Yu Fatty, you made this mess, you clean it up.”

Yu Panshui feigned ignorance. A-Liang chuckled, “Just call yourself A-Liang, alright!”

In the Profound Secret Dynasty, there was a renowned Principal of the Mountain-Below Academy, hailed by many scholars of the Central Earth Divine Continent as the “Literary Beacon of a Continent.”

Just as Yu Panshui had returned, A-Liang hastily departed, leaving behind a single sentence: “Yu Panshui, you have the gall to strike the Literary Beacon!”

Yu Panshui let out a sigh of lament.

A-Liang left this place.

He found an elderly Immortal, quite familiar.

The old Immortal sneered, “Is saying a few words illegal? You can curse all you want, and hit all you want, I won’t even utter a word in response!”

He had encountered a brazen old scoundrel.

A-Liang roared in anger, his voice filled with grief and indignation. “Good! Good! Good! You look down on my low cultivation, and wish to test your fists against me? I would rather die than suffer such humiliation! Even if you beat me to death, I will not endure this indignity!”

His voice was so loud that it echoed throughout all the peaks of the sect. Then, A-Liang grabbed the old Immortal’s hair, clamping his head under his arm, and rained punch after punch onto his head.

Finally, he retracted his fist, striking a pose of settled qi in his dantian, and looking refreshed and vigorous. Another glorious victory to add to his collection!

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