Chen Ping’an said he needed to head out for a bit, to visit the Vulcan Temple and find Aunt Feng, asking her to help gather some people. He wanted to ask the old coachman three questions and might also visit a friend at the Ministry of Revenue. Ning Yao nodded, picked out one of the martial arts novels from the stack, opened it to the marked page, and became engrossed in reading. Chen Ping’an glanced at the contents, quickly scanning the page. He saw the ending of the page described the protagonist, being hunted by enemies on a stormy night, taking refuge in a desolate mountain temple, where he encountered a figure sitting upright in the main hall, clad in green robes, with a magnificent beard and phoenix eyes, reading the Spring and Autumn Annals under the lamplight…

Chen Ping’an chuckled, “Alright, I bet there will be a stroke of good fortune. If even one of those pursuers walks out of the temple intact, I’ll concede.”

Ning Yao glanced askance at Chen Ping’an, merely offering two words, “Hush up.”

Chen Ping’an went to the inn’s front desk, but even the old innkeeper, a native of the Great Li capital, couldn’t give him precise directions to the Vulcan Temple, only a general idea of its location. The old innkeeper was a bit puzzled. Chen Ping’an, a江湖 person from out of town, arriving in the capital, didn’t seek out the more famous Taoist temples or Buddhist monasteries, but specifically wanted to find a Vulcan Temple. Within the Great Li capital, the Song Clan Ancestral Temple, the Temple of Literature honoring Confucian Sages, and the Imperial Temple commemorating emperors of past dynasties were the acknowledged Three Great Temples, though commoners were not allowed to enter. But even apart from these, the temple fairs at the City God Temple and the Land God Temple were incredibly lively.

Chen Ping’an finally located the only Vulcan Temple in the capital. The old woman tending the gate was a mortal, elderly, white-haired, and hunched, but she recognized the plaque issued by the Ministry of Punishments to the deities enshrined on the mountain. Hearing that he was looking for Aunt Feng, the old woman followed protocol, recording his name in the registry, and then let him pass, saying with a smile as she wrote the visitor’s name, “Immortal Master has a very fine name.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “It was given by my parents.”

The old woman nodded, told the young man some taboos and rules within the Vulcan Temple, then pointed the way, saying Aunt Feng was at the flower arbor.

Chen Ping’an followed the directions and found Aunt Feng, lounging casually on the stone steps of the flower arbor, drinking wine early in the morning, seemingly always in a tipsy state. Besides the colorful knotted rope holding up her dark hair, today she wore a new outfit, a pink and rosy silken dress. Words used to describe goddesses in strange tales and fantastical novels seemed most fitting for her: a flowing, ethereal demeanor, a moonlike spirit. Seeing Chen Ping’an, Aunt Feng merely lifted her wine flask as a greeting. She straightened her posture slightly, subtly restraining the allure in her brows and eyes. Being a woman too beautiful and naturally charming was troublesome, especially since Chen Ping’an had such a jealous partner.

Chen Ping’an looked at Aunt Feng, momentarily lost in a daze, because he was reminded of the old man in the backyard of the Yang Family Apothecary, who was always smoking his water pipe.

Chen Ping’an didn’t copy Aunt Feng by sitting on the steps, but sat on a stone bench beside the flower arbor. Aunt Feng asked with a smile, “Want a drink? The purest, most authentic Hundred Flower Wine, each jar is quite old. Those Flower Goddesses are women after all, meticulous, and the cellaring and sealing are excellent, no loss of liquor. My trip to the Blessed Land back then wasn’t for naught, I plundered quite a bit.”

Chen Ping’an nodded with a smile, and Aunt Feng tossed him a jar of Hundred Flower Wine. Chen Ping’an caught the jar, as if remembering something, twisted his wrist, took out two jars of Qing Shen Mountain wine brewed from his own shop, and tossed one to Aunt Feng as a gift, explaining, “Aunt Feng, give it a try. I opened a small wine shop with a partner, and the sales are pretty good.”

Aunt Feng caught the wine jar, held it to her ear, and shook it, her smile odd. With this wine, no matter the vintage or taste, he has the gall to give it to others?

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Of course, it can’t compare to Aunt Feng’s Hundred Flower Wine, but it’s cheap and good, cheap and good. People choose the wine, not the other way around.”

Aunt Feng tossed another jar of wine to Chen Ping’an, teasing, “If you want to keep my jar of Hundred Flower Wine, just say so. What’s so embarrassing about asking Aunt Feng for another jar? You’re really obsessed with money.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t mind. Since this Aunt Feng was a friend of Mr. Qi, she was an elder to him. Being nagged by an elder, whether it was justified or not, he would just listen.

Chen Ping’an took out a wine bowl, uncorked the jar of wine, and poured himself a bowl. The red paper and the sealing mud were both extraordinary, especially the latter, the earth element was quite peculiar. Chen Ping’an pinched a bit of the mud with two fingers and gently rubbed it. In truth, the people of the mountains only knew the saying “Gold and stone endure,” but didn’t know that soil also had age. Chen Ping’an curiously asked, “Aunt Feng, is this mud from the Ten Thousand Year Soil of Hundred Flower Blessed Land? Such precious wine, and so old, was it given as tribute to someone in the past?”

Aunt Feng nodded, “Good eye, you see everything as money. And you guessed right. In the early years, Hundred Flower Wine sealed with Ten Thousand Year Soil was divided into three portions every hundred years, offered as tribute to three forces: the Six Palaces of Fengdu Ghost Domain, and that Qing Jun of Fangzhu Mountain who governs the Blessed Lands on Earth and all the registers of earthly immortals. Not that old man in the backyard of the Yang Family Apothecary, and this Lord has little connection with the old Heavenly Court, but is already quite extraordinary. Fangzhu Mountain, governed by Qing Jun, was originally a Siming Mansion higher than the Five Sacred Mountains of Haoran, responsible for removing names from the death registry and adding them to the birth registry, ultimately recorded in the ‘Record of Immortality’ with superior green and purple seals, or the ‘Record of Longevity’ with middle-grade yellow and white seals. ‘Requesting to engrave immortal names’ at Fangzhu Mountain, Qing Jun would endorse the document. In short, there was an extremely complex set of rules, much like the bureaucracy of later generations… Never mind, talking about this is too boring, it’s all old history that’s been turned over, it’s useless to say more. Anyway, if you’re really interested in these old stories, you can ask your teacher. The old scholar has read many miscellaneous books.”

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “There’s a sect in Ai’ai Continent called Nine Capital Mountain. In its ancestral hall, there’s a secret direct descendant identity called Wei Bian Lang, also known as Bao Ji Cheng, reputed to be ranked in the Green Registry. Does it have any ancestral connection with this Fangzhu Mountain?”

Deng Liang, one of the foreign sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage of the Summer Palace, is the Peak Master of Suran Peak of Nine Capital Mountain in Ai’ai Continent, and is now the Chief Offering of the Ancestral Hall of Ascension City.
Aunt Feng chuckled, “It’s just a bit of reflected glory. Little Nine Serpentine Peaks, how can it compare to that Pillar Mountain? It’s just that the founding patriarch of Nine Serpentine Peaks, by a stroke of luck, obtained a portion of the fragmented mountain, barely inheriting some Daoist charm and immortal veins.”

As for the three forces, Aunt Feng seemed to have missed one. Chen Pingan didn’t press for details. If Aunt Feng didn’t mention it, there must be some unknown taboos involved.

From her words, Aunt Feng’s respect for the Sage of Rites was clearly from the bottom of her heart.

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment, then asked, “May I ask, Aunt Feng, about that Mr. Three Mountains Nine Marquis?”

Aunt Feng shook her head. Chen Pingan didn’t ask further. He only drank one bowl of Hundred-Flower Brew and found that it greatly benefited his soul, far beyond expectations. Within the little universe of his body, those embryonic mountain-like qi residences and many lightly-painted landscapes, like a parched land meeting sweet rain, gathered in fine strands like a rain curtain, spiritual energy falling like rain. He was a true Jade Purity Realm cultivator. If it were an Earth Immortal, wouldn’t there be a torrential downpour of spiritual energy? As for cultivators below the fifth realm, they would probably be “drunk” directly by the abundant spiritual energy after drinking just one bowl. So Chen Pingan didn’t plan to drink any more. He should save some for later. His cultivation should proceed step by step. These external elixirs that help accumulate spiritual energy are certainly useful, but their significance is already diminishing. He’ll give the two jars of wine to Zhang Jiazhen and Jiang Qu later. Especially Zhang Jiazhen, the small accountant who assists Wei Wenlong, a former youth from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, who now has white hair because he cannot cultivate.

In front of Aunt Feng, he directly put away the wine jars and wine bowls, not even letting go of the yellow mud fragments on the table. Then Chen Pingan said, “Please trouble Aunt Feng to say hello to the coachman and ask him to come here for a chat.”

Aunt Feng smiled, “He’s here.”

The old man who had driven carriages for both Dong Hu and the Empress Dowager landed heavily outside the flower shed. Aunt Feng gave him a charming glare and waved away the dust.

The old coachman stood with his arms crossed, not even looking Chen Pingan in the eye. This little brat, just because he has a soaring realm sword cultivator as his Dao companion, look how capable he thinks he is.

The old man said impatiently, “Spit it out.”

Chen Pingan was too lazy to argue with this old fellow who didn’t know how to talk. Did he really think he was Gu Qingsong or Liu Chicheng? He just cut to the chase and asked, “Is Empress Dowager Lu Jiang of Great Li, who used the alias Nan Zan, from the Lu family of the Yin-Yang School in the Central Plains?”

Aunt Feng looked surprised. She took a sip of wine. How did Chen Pingan know this inside story? This was a deeply hidden plot line. The late Emperor of Great Li was fooled back then and almost became a puppet. Nan Zan, or rather Lu Jiang, was demoted to Changchun Palace by the late Emperor for a reason. Nan Zan was indeed from Nan Zan in Yuzhang County, but she remembered her previous lives with the help of that string of Linked Heart Beads. Otherwise, with the late Emperor of Great Li’s heroic nature, even if he remembered their past love, Lu Jiang would definitely not survive. In the history books, it would simply be recorded that the Empress of Great Li died of illness.

The old coachman said bluntly, “Don’t know. Next question.”

Aunt Feng nodded lightly. The old coachman really didn’t know about this. He only had strength and no brains.

The old scholar roared, “Feng Family woman, what are you doing flirting with him? You and I are family. There’s a limit to how much you can favor outsiders!”

Chen Pingan continued to ask, “Regarding the matter of firing the Lifespan Porcelain of the Luminous Pearl Grotto-Heaven, who first taught the secret method?”

The old coachman hesitated for a moment and said sullenly, “It was Old Yang and Mr. Three Mountains Nine Marquis who worked together.”

Chen Pingan took a deep breath and slowly asked, “Is Master Yao of the Dragon Kiln a Buddhist?”

The old coachman glanced at Aunt Feng, as if blaming her for the questions she had helped to think of earlier. None of them were right, ruining all the drafts he had prepared.

Aunt Feng ignored him and just watched the show while drinking her wine.

The old coachman nodded.

Chen Pingan remained silent.

In his youth, he had kowtowed endlessly to the three Bodhisattva statues in the Immortal’s Graveyard. A child went up and down the mountains, wearing out the crude straw sandals he wove himself, pair after pair. At that time, he only felt that Bodhisattvas were easy to find, but mountain herbs were hard to find.

Master Yao. Medicine Master Buddha.

Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent. Lord of the Eastern Pure Emerald World.

Aunt Feng tilted her head and took a sip of wine. She then said to Chen Pingan in a heartfelt voice, “I advised Qi Jingchun back then. In fact, it was right not to save. It wouldn’t have mattered if you left. Just say that Old Yao would never leave it alone. Otherwise, there would have been no need for him to make this trip to Luminous Pearl Grotto-Heaven. He would definitely return to the Radiant Land from the Western Buddha Country. But Qi Jingchun still didn’t agree, but didn’t give any reason in the end.”

Probably that memorial archway, where the Confucian sage left that plaque, was Qi Jingchun’s silent reply, showing his unwillingness to yield responsibility.

Chen Pingan looked down at his cloth shoes. After raising his head, he asked the last question, “Who was I in my previous life?”

The old coachman shook his head, “Don’t know. Next question.”

Aunt Feng smiled, “Forget it, let me help you answer. Chen Pingan, don’t overthink it. You are no one. At least for sure, your past life, your previous life, was not some remarkable peak cultivator, nor some high-ranking Buddhist or Daoist. Because I was curious back then, I went to Yang’s Pharmacy. The old man once gave a definite answer. Your previous life, maybe even further back, was nothing special. So you and your parents, your family of three, were all ordinary, with no great Dao foundation to speak of. At that time, Old Yang rarely took the initiative to say more, saying that you were just a peasant, just lucky to be tough.”

Chen Pingan’s eyebrows relaxed a bit, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then there was really no more worries left.

The old coachman didn’t want to stay here any longer. He hated to even look at the blue-shirted man.

Chen Pingan suddenly narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, “Aunt Feng is willing to help connect us and act as a middleman, which actually explains a lot of things. So I’ll remind you one last time, don’t come provoking me again in the future.”

Aunt Feng smiled knowingly. Listen, that’s what a smart person should say. Old coachman, you should learn more in the future.

The old coachman was conflicted, wanting to say something harsh, but when he thought of Ning Yao in the capital, he held back. He couldn’t help but turn his head and spit on the ground. Seeing Chen Pingan raise an eyebrow and the Feng family woman look displeased, the old coachman rubbed it with his toe, wiping it clean, then leaped up, his figure instantly disappearing without a trace.
Madam Feng glanced at the young man, noticing his slightly weary expression, a common sight.

Then she saw Chen Ping’an retrieve his wine bowl. He poured himself a bowl from a flagon of Green God Mountain wine, swirled it, and began to drink it slowly, savoring the taste. Young as he was, his cultivation of mind was remarkable. Not only was he composed, but also possessed a rare clarity.

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and said with a smile, “Madam Feng, thank you.”

Madam Feng lifted her own flagon, and they each drank.

Chen Ping’an asked a question that had piqued his curiosity for many years, though it wasn’t a matter of great importance, simply a matter of curiosity. “Madam Feng, do you know who carved the inscription on the back of that deity statue? It reads like a short poem. Was it Li Liu, or Ma Kuxuan?”

Li Liu was once the overlord of the Jianghu world. As one of the Five Supremes of the Ancient Gods, even the Green Water Pit was one of her summer retreats. Moreover, her true divine responsibility lay within the River of Time. All the remains of the Ancient Gods transformed into celestial stars, either fading into the River of Time or slumbering within it.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t identify the handwriting, but Li Liu and Ma Kuxuan were the most likely candidates.

Madam Feng shook her head and smiled, “I didn’t pay attention, not curious.”

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Madam Feng mentioned earlier that someone wanted to see me. Is it Shopkeeper Yang from my hometown pharmacy? Or… Marshal Su, the Inspector?”

The former was what Liu Xianyang had said. Shopkeeper Yang had passed away peacefully many years ago, and after his death, he worked at the Capital City God Temple as a Night Wanderer, entering the ranks of the mountain and river officials, able to protect his family descendants through accumulated merit. As for Su Gaoshan, it was Chen Ping’an’s conjecture. He likely became a war hero after death. The Great Li Dynasty would help arrange his future, such as him serving as a deity in the Capital City Martial Temple. Su Gaoshan, in turn, would maintain the nation’s martial fortune, which was a natural progression.

Moreover, Su Gaoshan came from a humble background and had risen through the ranks by virtue of his battlefield merits. Before his death, he had already reached the pinnacle of a military official as an Inspector. However, he was not from those aristocratic clans. Once a general died, without a backbone, it was easy for things to cool down, and the family would often decline.

Madam Feng smiled, “It’s Shopkeeper Yang. After Su Gaoshan died, his last journey in this life was to wander the world as a ghost, personally escorting his ghostly soldiers back to their hometown. After Su Gaoshan said goodbye to the last of his comrades, his soul dissipated. The Great Li court naturally wanted to retain him, but Su Gaoshan himself didn’t agree, only saying that his descendants would have their own fortunes.”

Hearing this, Chen Ping’an was silent for a long time. He just took a sip of his wine, making up his mind to pay attention to the Su family in the future, at least to secretly protect them for a hundred years.

Madam Feng laughed, twirling her finger and gathering a wisp of cool wind, “Shopkeeper Yang couldn’t come, so he asked me to pass on a message: when you return to your hometown, remember to visit the backyard of his pharmacy.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Please thank Shopkeeper Yang for me, Madam Feng.”

After finishing the flagon of wine, Chen Ping’an stood up to bid farewell, “I won’t bother Madam Feng any longer.”

Madam Feng nodded, then asked, “Don’t you want to take a look around this Fire God Temple?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head.

Those of the Five Elements School referred to the fortune of an imperial dynasty that rose by virtue of the Fire element as Fire Virtue. However, the Great Li Dynasty wasn’t like that, so there was only one Fire God Temple in the capital.

The Great Source Dynasty in the Northern Entire Reed Continent, for example, established the nation with Water Virtue.

Madam Feng shook her flagon, “Then I won’t see you off.”

Chen Ping’an returned along the same path. At the entrance of the Fire God Temple, he met the old woman who also served as the doorkeeper, so he stopped and chatted with her for a few words before leaving.

By the flower trellis and stone steps, Madam Feng continued to drink alone.

Holding the Yinghuo star, sweeping the stars, boiling the four seas, refining the five peaks, the mighty Fire Virtue, respected by all gods.

After Chen Ping’an walked out of the Fire God Temple, he looked back at it on the deserted street.

What is cultivation? Water God walks the water.

What is seeking Buddha? Fire God seeks fire.

Afterwards, Chen Ping’an went to the Ministry of Revenue. He didn’t go to Yichi Lane to find Guan Yiran, but chose a more open and aboveboard way to reminisce with his friend.

As for the esteemed Master, he wasn’t idle either.

In the Great Li capital, there was a poor scholar dressed in a Confucian robe, first arriving at the Capital Translation Bureau, clasped his hands together with the monks, helping with the translation of scriptures, and then went to the Chongxu Bureau, also giving a Taoist salute, seemingly not caring about his identity as a Confucian scholar.

But it was destined that no one would question him, as it was the Literary Saint. Who would dare to object? Otherwise, who could they complain to, saying that a scholar’s behavior didn’t conform to propriety, to the Sage Teacher, or the Sage of Rites, or the Second Sage?

The Mountain and River Gazette of the Vast World had gradually been unbanned.

Countless messages poured in, making all the cultivators of the world like a drunkard who had been deprived of alcohol for many years, finally able to drink to their heart’s content, only to drink heartily and get drunk.

Among the series of shocking events, of course, was the meeting at the Central Earth Literary Temple, and the Vast World’s attack on the Barbaric Desolation.

And the Literary Saint restoring the Divine Seat of the Literary Temple.

The fifth world was officially named the Five-Colored World.

During this period, there was also a piece of news that was not small, saying that the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Chen Shiyi, one of the top ten young people of several worlds,

was actually a native of Treasure Bottle Continent. However, most of the Mountain and River Gazettes seemed to have a tacit understanding, only briefly mentioning this person, with no further details. Only one or two Gazettes of the Sect-headed immortal abodes, such as the Mountain and Sea Sect of the Central Earth Continent, broke the rules and said more, naming the Hidden Officer. However, after the Gazettes were printed and distributed, they were quickly stopped, probably after receiving some kind of reminder from the Academy. But people with discerning minds, relying on these one or two Gazettes, still obtained a few thought-provoking “inside scoops,” such as this person, after returning from the Sword Qi Great Wall to his hometown, had rapidly broken through one realm each in both martial arts and swordsmanship, becoming an Upper Realm Martial Artist and a Jade Purity Realm Swordsman from his former Peak Realm martial artist and Nascent Soul Realm swordsman status.

Furthermore, his Dao companion was the number one person in the Five-Colored World, the Ascension Realm Sword Cultivator, Ning Yao.

Aside from being stunned, they wondered if this person’s luck was too good? How could all the great advantages seem to be taken by this kid?

As for what was meant by the Southern Envoy and the Northern Hidden Officer?

In any case, this young man surnamed Chen from Treasure Bottle Continent could be considered a first-class figure in the world.

Inside a government office in the Ministry of Revenue, Guan Yiran was reviewing several river course reports submitted to the Ministry of Revenue by local authorities.
This Guan family scion from Yunzai County, Yizhou Prefecture, didn’t serve in the Ministry of Personnel, which was practically his family’s backyard. And here in the Ministry of Revenue, his rank wasn’t high either. Of the three supervisors who oversaw the Great Water projects in the past, Guan Yiran had the best background, yet he held the lowest position, merely a director in one of the Ministry’s departments. Guan Yiran not only bore the prestigious surname of a pillar of the empire but was also a genuine soldier-monk who had fought on the borders of Great Li, wading through piles of corpses for many years. He had even followed General Su Gaoshan on his southern campaigns, earning considerable merit.

Guan Yiran looked up to see a blue-robed man with his hands tucked in his sleeves, smiling as he stood at the doorway. He teased, “General Guan, so focused on your official duties that you’ve neglected your cultivation? What if this were the battlefield?”

Guan Yiran immediately closed the memorial, grabbed a random book from his desk, and covered the memorial with it. He rose with a hearty laugh and said, “Oh, if it isn’t our Accountant Chen! A rare guest indeed!”

Guan Yiran dragged his chair around the desk, then used his toe to hook the only spare chair for guests, placing the two chairs face to face. He smiled brightly, “No choice, my official hat is small, so my office is small. I can only offer limited hospitality. Unlike the rooms of the Undersecretaries, they’re so spacious you don’t even need to open the windows after a fart.”

Chen Ping An stepped over the threshold and asked with a smile, “Am I interrupting your work by coming here?”

Guan Yiran jokingly scolded, “You’re already here, am I supposed to chase you away?”

Besides, there was nothing inappropriate about it. His Majesty’s nature was something his great-grandfather had explained clearly years ago. No need to worry about such trivial matters.

Chen Ping An didn’t immediately sit down. He took out a hand-sized inkstone from his sleeve and tossed it to Guan Yiran, “A small gift, just a token of my appreciation.”

He explained that it was a specialty from the Cloud Grotto Blessed Land of the Jiang Clan in Tongye Continent, a product from the old pit of Inkstone Mountain, called a “Water String Pit.”

“Water String Pit” was actually a name Chen Ping An had made up on the spot.

He simply didn’t believe that Guan Yiran, a man from the Treasure Bottle Continent, could know everything about that Cloud Grotto Blessed Land.

However, he had heard that in recent years, the Great Li court had even established an Inkstone Affairs Office within the Ministry of Revenue, specifically responsible for finding quarries, gathering materials, and supervising the mining of fine stones. Besides making inkstones for the palace, the Ministry of Revenue could also sell some of the inkstones themselves, a win-win situation to help the Ministry earn some extra income.

However, the Chen Clan of Dragon Tail Stream had several inkstone mountains that were their private property, true mountains of gold and silver, selling their products across the entire continent.

Dong Shui Jing had gotten a share of the pie, responsible for helping to sell them to the Northern Ju Lu Continent. He never touched salt, iron, or anything like that. Dong Shui Jing only focused on the trivial matters of clothing, food, shelter, and transportation for the officials and the common people.

The Ministry of Revenue in Great Li was the most pathetic of the six ministries, constantly being scolded. The Ministry of War would scold them, then the Ministry of Rites, then the Ministry of Works…

According to the saying in the Great Li bureaucracy, the Ministry of War was like a grandfather, scolding anyone it wanted. The Ministry of Rites was like a father, the Ministry of Works like a son. Only the Ministry of Revenue, which managed the money, was like a grandson, and everyone could spit and throw insults at it.

Guan Yiran took the inkstone, didn’t stand on ceremony, weighed it in his hand, and rubbed it with his thumb. The stone was smooth and delicate. Then, he held it up, his fingers loosely supporting the small inkstone by his ear, and tapped it with a finger. It produced what the books called the sound of gold and jade chiming. Guan Yiran then gently breathed on it, observing the mist that formed on the surface, the phenomenon of “breath creating clouds.” The purple and gold speckles, the golden halos, and a light scratch with his fingernail. Upon closer inspection, Guan Yiran nodded, “Indeed, it’s from an old pit, worth a bit of money. At least, I can’t afford something like this with my salary.”

Chen Ping An’s eyelids twitched slightly. These noble scions who liked to fuss over such details were really hard to fool.

To receive a gift so casually, showing off his expertise like that. He should at least wait until the guest left before showing off his knowledge.

Guan Yiran gently placed the inkstone on the table and asked with a smile, “Pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, the Four Treasures of the Study. Now that I have the inkstone, what about the rest? Didn’t you bring the whole family?”

Chen Ping An sat down on the chair, smiling. “They’re probably still visiting relatives and friends, why rush?”

Then Chen Ping An asked, “Is drinking allowed here?”

Guan Yiran nodded. “It’s strictly prohibited. Getting caught means a minor penalty, but having it recorded in your file is a big deal.”

Chen Ping An then patted the waist tag of the Ministry of Justice hanging at his waist, twisted his wrist, and took out a wine pot, “Coincidentally, it doesn’t apply to me.”

A low-level clerk rushed over with an official document. The door was open, but he still knocked gently. Guan Yiran said, “Come in.”

The clerk glanced at the man in blue. Guan Yiran got up, took the document, turned his back to Chen Ping An, looked through it, put it in his sleeve, and nodded, “I need to entertain a guest for a while. I’ll talk to you later.”

The clerk nodded his head and left as hastily as he came.

After that, two more subordinates came to discuss matters, but Guan Yiran told them to wait.

Guan Yiran and Chen Ping An each sat on a chair, legs crossed, looking very casual.

Chen Ping An joked, “You really don’t have a moment to spare.”

Guan Yiran glanced at the wine pot in Chen Ping An’s hand, his heart truly yearning for a drink. The wine bug in his stomach was about to rebel. As a lover of wine, he either didn’t drink or constantly thought about it. It was unbearable to watch others drink while his own hands were empty. Helpless, he said, “Right after I retired from the border army and entered this ministry, I was disoriented and had to rush around every day.”

Chen Ping An said casually, “A clerk who wields a pen, isn’t he still wielding a blade?”

Guan Yiran shook his head, “When it comes to specific tasks, the two are worlds apart.”

After some casual chatting, a colleague from the ministry came to visit. Judging from the official robe, he was the same rank as Guan Yiran. This person started shouting at the doorway, “Gazette, a mountain gazette from the Mountain and Sea Sect in the Central Earth Continent! I swiped it from Undersecretary Ma. Yiran, come take a look. So many exciting updates!”

The young official noticed the man in blue drinking his liquor, startled, then brushed it off as some noble son from a border family, a friend of Guan Yiran’s. His standards couldn’t be low. He wasn’t referring to his family background, but his character. And when the young official looked at the man, he instantly dropped his crossed legs and gave a friendly nod and smile. It wasn’t strange for him to acknowledge the gesture and nod back in return with a smile.

Guan Yiran was obviously familiar with this person and said casually, “There’s no place for you to sit.”
The man lightly tossed the Mountain and Rivers Gazette to Guan Yiran, then casually sat on the threshold. “Didn’t you say you had a martial arts friend in your early years? Is this Chen Ping’an the same Chen Ping’an? It must be. Impressive, Yiran, you actually drank with him, and he even ended up spinning under the table every time? When this Sword Immortal Chen comes to the capital as a guest, help me arrange a drinking session. I want to be豪氣 (háo qì – heroic/bold) for once. If I can’t beat him in a fight, I can surely outdrink him!”

Chen Ping’an remained silent. When it comes to drinking at the table, besides Liu Jinglong, I truly fear no one.

After all, the Ministry of Revenue wasn’t as well-informed as the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of Justice. Moreover, the six ministries had clear divisions of labor. It was possible that, except for the Minister of Revenue, revered as the “Minister of Earth,” the chief officials of the other departments might not even know the details of the incident near Yichi Lane.

However, the mid-level officials of the six ministries in the capital were all renowned for their “lowly position” but significant power. Once they were sent to govern local areas, if they could return to the capital, their future would be bright.

Guan Yiran coughed, reminding the man to say less.

Chen Ping’an smiled.

Since things had come to this, Guan Yiran simply stopped feeling guilty. With a face of innocence, he said to his colleague, “Not every time. I occasionally drew even with him at the table. If there’s a chance next time and he comes to the capital and isn’t in a hurry to leave, I’ll definitely invite you to drink together.”

The young official nodded, then turned to look at the azure-robed man and asked, “Yiran, who is this?”

Chen Ping’an straightened up and smiled proactively. “I’m just a little brother that Lord Guan took in the martial world. I’m not from the capital. I just arrived and immediately rushed over to pay my respects.”

Guan Yiran waved his hand, complaining, “What little brother? That’s too harsh. We’re good brothers who hit it off instantly.”

The young official wiped his face. “Yiran, look, this guy’s Daoist partner on the mountain is Ning Yao of Ascending City, Ning Yao! I’m so jealous. Incredible, incredible, truly impressive!”

Then he looked at the guest and smiled. “Brother, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled. “Envy, envy, you must be envious.”

Guan Yiran waved him away. “It’s just a Mountain and Rivers Gazette, what’s there to be so surprised about? Hurry up and get back to work.”

Guan Yiran used a sound transmission to introduce Chen Ping’an: “This guy is one of the dozen or so chief officials in the Ministry of Revenue. Don’t let his youth fool you. He’s actually in charge of several large northern prefectures, including Hong Prefecture, which isn’t far from your hometown of Dragon Prefecture. He’s also temporarily in charge of all the Land Registry maps in the Northern Archives. And like you, he comes from humble beginnings.”

Chen Ping’an nodded slightly. “I can tell.”

It was a veritable “seeing,” because behind this young official were several large red lanterns, suspended and blessed by various mountain and river deities, radiating scholarly aura.

Guan Yiran asked, “If you’re not busy, I’d really like to arrange a drinking session for you two by the Iris River. How about it? Will you give me this face?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Of course, no problem. But the drinking session has to be about half a month from now.”

Guan Yiran didn’t ask why, just winked. “When the flowers are blooming and the moon is bright, the three of us will have this drink? Accountant Chen, do you have the courage?”

Chen Ping’an said decisively, “What flower wine? I’m not into that.”

The young official didn’t know the two of them were conversing through sound transmission. He took off his official hat, pressed his palm against his hair, and said sentimentally, “I’ve temporarily finished my work. I’m not busy. Can’t I catch my breath? If I keep working day and night like this, they might not even treat me like an outsider when I go to the Translation Bureau.”

Soon after, clerks sent over official documents. The young official with the rich scholarly aura also took back the Gazette and bid farewell. Chen Ping’an knew that working in the Ministry of Revenue of Great Li must be very busy, but he hadn’t expected Guan Yiran to be this busy. He left Guan Yiran a jar of Hundred Flowers Wine, thinking he could always ask Aunt Feng for a few more jars later. Guan Yiran didn’t stand on ceremony and only saw Chen Ping’an to the door.

As Chen Ping’an walked back towards the inn, the young Zhao Duanming waved at him from the entrance of the alley. “Mr. Chen, I need to speak with you.”

Chen Ping’an nodded lightly, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and leisurely walked over. As he stepped into the alley, he smiled. “Oh, impressive, impressive. You’ve actually stacked three Small Worlds to form an array, and you’ve even used chained sword talismans. You guys are really rich.”

Then Chen Ping’an chuckled to himself. Was it possible that these eleven people were deliberately trying to get back at him today, just like he had dealt with Wu Shuangjiang on the night voyage?

Chen Ping’an found himself in the immortal residence of Array Master Han Zhoujin. Perhaps they felt that they had lost the initiative at the ghost woman’s inn, which was why they were not convinced. Chen Ping’an was standing on a stone beam, with white clouds rolling like the sea beneath his feet. Next to him was a snow-white waterfall cascading down. At the end of the stone beam stood the “Sword Immortal” who had appeared on Yu Yu’s shoulder, still in the form of a youth, but taller, wearing a Daoist crown, carrying a sword, and dressed in crimson robes, with beads sewn into the seams.

Chen Ping’an looked around. “You guys, haven’t you learned your lesson?”

The young Sword Immortal swept his sword across, splitting the “Chen Ping’an,” who had no chance to resist, into… a talisman.

It seemed that Chen Ping’an had never entered the alley at all.

Outside the alley, in a hidden area, the little monk clasped his hands together. “May Buddha protect us. Sword Immortal Chen, go find someone else. I’m going to find the donation box.”

Immediately, someone laughed behind him. “Okay, I’ll go find someone else.”

On the roof of another building, Gou Cun scratched his head because Mr. Chen was sitting next to him. Chen Ping’an smiled. “Tell Yuan Huajing and Song Xu that if they send me a few chain-lock sword talismans, this matter will be settled.”

The young man looked shy and nodded. He had said before that they definitely couldn’t get revenge. Of course, if they really fought, the young man would spare no effort, but he still wouldn’t defeat Mr. Chen.

Inside the alley, Han Zhoujin and the other two each dispelled the meticulously arranged layers of heavens, feeling somewhat helpless.

Then, they were all suddenly dumbfounded. Near the talisman that had fallen to the ground, an azure-robed figure appeared, while the Mr. Chen next to the young man Gou Cun had turned into a talisman, transforming into a rainbow light that was collected into the man’s sleeve.

“If you were on the battlefield and encountered treacherous bastards like Fei Ran or Shou Chen, you would be lining up to die.”
Chen Ping’an offered a faint smile, “Let there be no next time.”