Ning Yao, wielding Innocence, one of the four celestial swords, glanced at the assembled crowd in the courtyard, and asked through mental transmission, “What exactly happened?”

Chen Ping’an then recounted the events in detail. Ning Yao’s brows furrowed as she listened, and she cast another glance at Yuan Huajing and that Bitter Hand.

But this casual glance from Ning Yao caused the Yuan Ying realm sword cultivator, Yuan Huajing, and the Jin Dan realm earth immortal, Bitter Hand, to feel a kind of Great Dao suppression, as if “Heaven’s will was at play.” The two cultivators instantly found it difficult to breathe, the circulation of spiritual energy not only beginning to stagnate, but even showing signs of turning to ice.

This was the power of an Ascension realm sword cultivator. If one were to become their enemy, Qi refiners below the Upper Five Realms would be less than ants.

The other Chen Ping’an summoned by Bitter Hand possessed pure divinity. He was not the complete Chen Ping’an, but in terms of killing power, he was even greater than Chen Ping’an. He should have been the inner demon Chen Ping’an encountered when breaking through the Yuan Ying realm bottleneck, but because of the Sword Qi Great Wall, he was like an unbridled and unscrupulous extra-terrestrial demon, directly suppressed and sealed within the city. Bitter Hand’s Still Water Realm could mimic Chen Ping’an in the mirror, but just as it could not conjure the Night Wanderer sword out of thin air, it could not replicate the “true state” of the half-Sword Qi Great Wall and the Great Dao suppression of the two worlds. This allowed that Chen Ping’an to escape his prison.

After the two Chen Ping’an met, although neither seemed to have drawn their sword or thrown a punch, if Chen Ping’an’s state of mind had even the slightest flaw, that being would silently find a path to cling to the well wall, climb to the wellhead, and eventually leave, perhaps even seizing control.

A single misstep could lead to utter defeat.

Ning Yao remained silent for a moment, then said, “Compared to the ambush at the Jia Shen Account, this is far more dangerous.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It’s alright, it’s alright. Just treat the past events as good things. Besides, bad things are best faced early, and good things can wait. Only by facing them early can we prepare.”

Why did he insist on returning to the inn to beat people? Was it out of revenge? No, it was to save them. Otherwise, if Ning Yao had heard about this at the inn, with her personality, she would have immediately unleashed her sword light, and the Earth Branch lineage would have become a thing of the past. As for the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice, they would have been thrown into chaos. Another uproar? Then another sword light would descend…

Ning Yao said angrily, “You’re still protecting them?”

A hopeless do-gooder.

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “After all, they were cultivated by Senior Brother. I can’t let me, this junior brother, completely ruin them.”

He gently grasped Ning Yao’s sleeve and said with a soft smile, “Don’t be angry.”

Ning Yao glared and said, “Let go.”

Chen Ping’an stubbornly persisted, “I’ll let go when you’re not angry.”

Ning Yao laughed in anger, “It’s not worth getting angry with someone like you. Go away, I want to examine this place!”

Only then did Chen Ping’an reluctantly let go. His eyes swept over the eleven people in the courtyard. You all owe me a great debt for saving your lives and protecting the Dao. A scholar bestows kindness without expecting repayment, that’s my business. Whether you remember the kindness depends on whether you have a conscience.

Ning Yao twisted her wrist, pressing the tip of Innocence into the ground, her palm gently resting on the hilt. Ripples appeared around the sword tip, not condensed sword qi, but a direct transformation of sword intent into a “true state,” confining the entire inn within it.

At the same time, above everyone’s heads, a Yellow River Grotto Heaven seemed to suddenly hang in the air, with sword qi pouring down like a waterfall, enveloping the entire inn. But it wasn’t a turbulent, destructive force like a river bursting its banks; instead, it was a silent, intangible permeation. This signified that Ning Yao’s control over sword qi had reached an unfathomable, ethereal realm.

Ning Yao, solely through her own sword intent and sword qi, had casually constructed a sword formation world.

It was as if she possessed both Chen Ping’an’s Bird in a Cage and Moon in the Well natal divine abilities.

After a moment, Ning Yao withdrew her mind and the sword qi, saying, “Anyway, I can’t find any clues.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Generally speaking, that guy wouldn’t dare to leave any traces. If he did, he would only be caught by the Sage of Rites afterward. Anyway, he’s met me, and I’m reluctant to erase that memory, so he’s essentially still alive. If we meet again, he can simply wake up from a slumber and examine his ‘own’ memories, so there’s no need to add embellishments. However, just to be safe, we’ll still need to ask Teacher to make a trip to the Confucian Temple.”

Ning Yao worriedly asked, “How could this happen? How did it appear?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, raised his left hand, palm down, then gently flipped it over, palm up, explaining, “It’s like the positive and negative sides of human nature, each with its own good and evil. It’s not just cultivators; even ordinary scholars are like this, but they’re not pure enough, and they’re mixed up, so the problem isn’t so big. But in my case, Cui Dongshan once said that when I was young, the lines between good and evil in my heart were already extremely close and clearly defined. So what I’ve been painstakingly suppressing is actually this self.”

Once the two merged, there would be no more good or evil.

Only pure divinity.

Ning Yao asked doubtfully, “Why is it so severe with you?”

In fact, everyone, whether on the mountain or below, does things they wouldn’t normally do and says things they wouldn’t normally say.

Chen Ping’an said with a wry smile, “Because I’ve always been pursuing that so-called ‘infallibility’. And then I ran into a rather ruthless senior brother.”

In Book Brief Lake, by shattering his golden literary courage, Chen Ping’an had completely lost the possibility of cultivating a Confucian natal character.

The bigger trouble wasn’t just that Chen Ping’an was destined not to become a worthy sage enshrined in the Confucian Temple, but that he had lost the invisible protection of a certain sage’s doctrine. Otherwise, Chen Ping’an’s state of mind would be like being in a virtual Confucian Temple within his heart, and the Chen Ping’an born from pure divinity would naturally be unable to cause trouble. As a result, Cui Chan directly cut off this path, forcing Chen Ping’an to rely on his true heart to struggle against himself, a tug-of-war to the death, to determine who he ultimately was.

Chen Ping’an had finally made a trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Lotus Root Paradise, and he was already less fond of simply negating himself. But when he arrived at Book Brief Lake, Senior Brother Cui Chan directly dealt him a head-on blow, pouring cold water on him and thoroughly returning him to his original state.

Not only will you, Chen Ping’an, make mistakes, but the more you read and the greater your ability to secure yourself, the bigger the mistakes you’ll make.
Senior Brother offered Chen Ping’an only two paths. One path allowed him to continue practicing swordsmanship and boxing, but required him to either embrace Buddhist escapism or cultivate a Daoist method of guarding the One, akin to mind fasting. The other was to continue on his current path, knowing he could never become a Confucian sage of morality.

“I am my own greatest obstacle. How long must I contend?”

In any case, Senior Brother Cui Chan felt that Junior Brother Chen Ping’an had not suffered enough, not for long enough.

That was why the white-robed Chen Ping’an, freed from all human restraints, descended upon the world as a divine being, resulting in a massacre with a foregone conclusion.

And this was with him deliberately holding back. If not for his own admission of being too cautious and Chen Ping’an’s too-early arrival, the eleven individuals, including Yuan Huajing, would have faced a fate far more miserable, a living hell beyond their comprehension.

Consider Cui Dongshan, Chen Ping’an’s student, and his skill of “Universe in the Sleeve.”

Chen Ping’an had simply refrained from imitating it. Had Chen Ping’an arrived later, allowing him to wreak havoc, that “Universe in the Sleeve,” coupled with the eyebrow-drawing skill of the demoness Gai Yan and his dissection of human nature, could have replicated the styles of Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang. By manipulating, separating, and integrating the hearts and memories of everyone, he could have turned them into individuals “stuck in a dream, unaware it is a dream.” When they finally “awoke,” heaven knows who those eleven would be.

Ning Yao pondered, then realized her pondering was useless and stopped.

Earlier, Chen Ping’an had gone outside the city. She had discussed the opportunity of the Five-Colored World with the Old Literary Sage. He had enjoyed peanuts with his wine and sighed, “Those who can sleep are blessed, those who aspire suffer much thought.”

Ning Yao sheathed her sword, the immortal blade Innocence returning to its sword box. She looked at Yuan Huajing and said, “If Great Li is so capable, replacing a sword cultivator should be easy. They haven’t even completed the Earthly Branches yet. Lacking one or two makes little difference.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled inwardly, “His selfishness is considerable, but he’s barely doing his duty in his position. However, this debt will be settled.”

Chen Ping’an could even imagine that more than one of these eleven might encounter himself as a heart demon when attempting to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck in the future.

For example, the troubling one, the demoness Gai Yan, Yu Yu, Sui Lin, and even Lu Hui, impaled on a spear tip. Perhaps nearly half of the cultivators were susceptible.

Chen Ping’an tentatively asked, “Why don’t you go back to the inn and read? I need to talk to them for a while longer. It might be boring.”

Ning Yao directly asked, “Will there be much nonsense?”

Chen Ping’an looked embarrassed, raising both hands and pinching his thumb and forefinger, “Maybe a little.”

Ning Yao nodded. She wouldn’t leave.

Back in the Sword Qi Great Wall, she had never visited the Summer Palace to witness Chen Ping’an’s arrangements, so she had never had the chance to hear the Hidden Official’s litany of flying swords.

Chen Ping’an sat on the steps, re-summoning the Bird in a Cage, saying, “Please, gentlemen, be patient for a moment.”

No one in the courtyard objected.

Some even cherished this current version of Chen Ping’an.

At least this fellow was willing to reason.

As for the other one, don’t think about him. Thinking about him would destabilize one’s Dao heart.

One person facing eleven was a complete and utter annihilation, in terms of cultivation realm, state of mind, swordsmanship, magical arts, fist and foot techniques, and the connections between all these methods…

Forget it, that guy wasn’t even human.

The ten in the courtyard discovered that Chen Ping’an, Ning Yao, and Song Xu had vanished into thin air.

Song Xu looked around, realizing the other ten were gone, leaving only the seated Chen Ping’an and the standing Ning Yao.

Chen Ping’an crossed his arms, asking, “Song Xu, what’s the name of your flying sword?”

Sui Lin, a cultivator of the Yin Yang School’s Five Elements lineage, possessed the extremely rare talent of reversing time. However, its use was fraught with prohibitions. The less one relied on external objects, the more one’s Dao path would be eroded. With Sui Lin’s current Earth Immortal realm, she could barely use it once before shattering her Bridge of Longevity, ending her cultivation path. It was likely that someone had a technique to connect everyone, allowing the other ten to share the damage to the Great Dao, allowing Sui Lin to not even fall in realm, only consuming those golden body fragments.

It was likely due to some special ability of Song Xu’s natal flying sword.

Song Xu answered irrelevantly, “The flying sword is named ‘Wayfarer.'”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “A gentleman cultivates his heart, nothing is better than sincerity. Song Xu, do you know what my teacher meant by that?”

Song Xu couldn’t be a leader of a small faction solely based on being a Golden Core sword cultivator, a prince of Great Li’s Song clan, or having a natal flying sword that assisted Sui Lin in reversing the river of time, nor could he have gained everyone’s respect.

Song Xu hesitated, looking complex, and whispered, “There’s also a flying sword, named ‘Nursery Rhyme.’ The National Preceptor helped me name it.”

Chen Ping’an’s gaze softened. He started chatting casually, asking, “Second Prince, did you meet with your Imperial Uncle in the secondary capital? Did you talk much?”

Song Xu didn’t hide anything, nodding, “I met him three times, twice for official matters, once privately. We didn’t talk much, but I know my Imperial Uncle cares for me, but due to certain concerns, he couldn’t tell me much.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, smiling, “Song Jixin has been my neighbor for many years. He’s never been able to keep secrets, good or bad, and he likes to say things in reverse. He’s much better now.”

He remembered when he carried a basket of wild vegetables home, with small fish strung on dogtail grass to be dried on the windowsill, Song Jixin squatted on the wall and said he was skilled at living off the land. He wanted to join in. That wasn’t a problem, but Song Jixin added the request for a copper coin reward. Chen Ping’an said there was no need for money, but Song Jixin refused. Chen Ping’an couldn’t force him to catch snakes or fish together, so he gave up.

In Chen Ping’an’s future life, whenever he heard or thought of the word “affected,” he would immediately think of his longtime neighbor, Song Jixin.
Chen Ping’an chuckled, “Song Xu, your royal uncle has a host of annoying habits, but he does possess one redeeming quality, a sliver of conscience.”

Song Xu’s expression was strange.

He recalled the carefree, azure-robed sword immortal before him. In terms of age, he could indeed be considered an uncle.

In Song Xu’s memory, his royal uncle, Song Mu, a powerful vassal king who secured the front lines for the Great Li Dynasty, was a figure of striking beauty and serene character.

Possessing both talent and grand strategy, his military achievements were numerous and illustrious. Even back then, his royal uncle commanded immense respect both on the mountains and among the border troops of the Great Li. Yet, when it came to Song Xu, his royal uncle was gentle and attentive, offering much discreet assistance to his nephew without violating the laws of the Great Li, maintaining a sense of propriety.

The Emperor said nothing about this, but the Empress privately told Song Xu with a smile, “You must get closer to your royal uncle. We are family; we cannot become estranged.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, “In the future, cultivate diligently.”

Song Xu clasped his fist in salute.

The next moment, Song Xu saw the people in the courtyard, but Daoist Ge Ling and Array Master Han Zhoujin were gone again.

Chen Ping’an had merely inquired about the duties of a Logistics General from Ge Ling. It was just an unranked official position, assisting the government in patrolling the mountains, maintaining order within the Daoist temple, supervising the conduct of licensed Daoists, and often escorting officials and dignitaries who spent money to establish altars on the mountain. In the end, they were all trivial matters.

As for Han Zhoujin, Chen Ping’an smiled at the array master from the Clear Pool Blessed Land of the Divine Edict Sect, “Miss Han, I have a friend who is well-versed in array formations, with exceptional talent and skill. If he ever passes by the Great Li capital, I will have him seek you out.”

Han Zhoujin was taken by surprise, thinking she was about to be questioned, but instead, good fortune had arrived? She gave a Daoist salute and thanked Chen Ping’an, naturally trusting in the Hidden Official’s judgment.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “My friend is unpretentious and easy to get along with. Moreover, as the saying goes, a gentleman bestows kindness without expecting repayment, which is perfectly suited to him. Oh, and he has only one great love in his life: wine. So, Miss Han, don’t overthink it. As long as my friend comes to the capital and you provide him with an unlimited supply of wine on your turf, you won’t owe him a favor.”

Han Zhoujin nodded. Her annual salary from the Ministry of Justice was substantial, and her expenses were low. Buying a few jars of the finest and most expensive immortal wine from Treasure Bottle Continent was no problem.

Chen Ping’an seemed to recall something and reminded her, “Although he loves wine, he has a strange habit: he doesn’t drink easily. Miss Han, are you good at persuading people to drink?”

Han Zhoujin shook her head.

Chen Ping’an took out a booklet from his sleeve and gently tossed it to Han Zhoujin, smiling, “Free knowledge. Let me state in advance, I didn’t write it. Everyone in the Great Wall of Swords has one. Before going to the dinner table, they all flip through it.”

Ning Yao thought that Liu Jinglong of the Taiwei Sword Sect was unlucky to have a friend like Chen Ping’an. Even if he didn’t want to drink, it would be hard, and he might even develop a tolerance for alcohol from drinking so much.

Chen Ping’an said to Han Zhoujin, “Regarding the immortal mansion ruins you refined, you haven’t found the true array center yet. Go find Aunt Feng; if she is willing to reveal the secret, it will be a great blessing for you.”

Han Zhoujin was shocked, not expecting this!

Chen Ping’an finally said in a mental voice, “Since Miss Han has some affection for Ge Ling, and he likes you, don’t deliberately use me to disgust him. If you two really want to argue, at least change people; don’t make it me.”

Han Zhoujin replied mentally, “Understood.”

After sending the two away, he brought in Bitter Hand alone.

Chen Ping’an asked, “With your current cultivation, can you only use that natal treasure to replicate the actual realm of a Jade Purity Realm cultivator?”

The young cultivator answered honestly, “For now, in the Still Water Realm, I can only do that. If I can reach the Jade Purity Realm in the future, I can replicate a Celestial. If I am fortunate enough to become a Celestial, I can replicate a small Blessed Land or a sparsely populated Paradise. But with the size of a Still Water Realm, I vaguely sense that there will eventually be a limit. If I am unrestrained and too greedy, it will easily lead to excess and cause it to shatter.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Can you show it to me?”

Without hesitation, Bitter Hand immediately summoned the ancient mirror, which Chen Ping’an took into his hand, pinching the edge with two fingers, examining the pattern of repeated script on the back.

“The human heart is a square inch, the heart of Heaven is a square zhang,” is Daoist language.

“What I see, the mountain turns, the water stops,” is somewhat interesting, not the mountain that does not move, the water that flows forever. In fact, Buddhism also has the saying “the wind and flag move, but the heart does not move” and “hearing the sound, the heart does not move,” which is somewhat similar to the Daoist saying “the Daoist reverses and moves.”

As for the phrase “viewing the realm with man, emptiness and reality exist,” it is very profound.

Chen Ping’an immediately suppressed this series of thoughts, one of which was an old saying from an ancient book, “Heaven and water are contrary,” meaning that celestial phenomena and water signs are contrary.

Chen Ping’an returned the ancient mirror to Bitter Hand, saying solemnly, “In the future, you must be very careful when using this thing. A child wielding a knife or hammer often hurts himself before hurting others.”

Bitter Hand carefully placed the Still Water Mirror back into his natal Qi palace, saying softly, “Mr. Chen, I’m sorry.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Making mistakes unintentionally is not scary; consciously correcting them is cultivation.”

Bitter Hand clasped his fist and said in a deep voice, “Mr. Chen’s teachings are engraved in my heart!”

Afterward, Chen Ping’an summoned Yu Yu, Sui Lin, and Lu Hui in one breath.

Chen Ping’an asked directly, “If my inner demon is me in the future, what will you do?”

Sui Lin and Lu Hui’s faces turned pale, but Yu Yu was the first to speak, “I definitely can’t beat you. I’ll just安心be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. After that, I’ll hug your leg and drag you down. Anyway, I won’t actively leave the Earth Branch lineage. We’ll see if the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice drive me away first.”

Chen Ping’an thought that this little strategist of the military family, who was actually the behind-the-scenes mastermind of the Earth Branch lineage, probably wouldn’t have him as her inner demon. Such a big heart is not common.
The so-called inner demon, in essence, manifests in two primary forms. Firstly, for those who single-mindedly pursue strength, unburdened by excessive thought, a purity of Dao Heart arises. This purity, however, becomes the very target of the inner demon, which attempts to subdue it with raw power. The cultivator’s most cherished skill, the very foundation of their existence, faces an inherent paradox when confronted by this barrier: the higher one climbs, the stronger the demon becomes. It is akin to ascending into the grand hall, only to be met by an obstruction, a figure poised on the threshold, ever so slightly elevated above those outside.

Secondly, there are the more ephemeral and elusive Dao Hearts. The most glaring flaw in one’s state of mind, the most significant deficiency in a cultivator’s self-cultivation, becomes the fertile ground where the inner demon takes root and flourishes.

Chen Ping’an addressed Sui Lin and Lu Hui separately, saying, “Sui Lin, both the Buddhist and Daoist sects possess inheritances of ‘guarding the one.’ Delve into the archives, or seek guidance from those with profound insight. Afterwards, spend more time at the Bureau of Sublime Emptiness and the Bureau of Scripture Translation, listen attentively, contemplate deeply, and gradually gather your scattered thoughts into a unified whole. This process, while seemingly ordinary, consisting merely of listening to teachings and lectures, will not be easy. Prepare yourself mentally.”

“Lu Hui, first seek your own means to resolve your predicament. If all else fails, and you truly feel you have no hope of breaking through, then come to the Fallen Mountain and find me. I will impart to you a ‘Breaking Character Decree’ from the Confucian path of Qi cultivation.”

In truth, Lu Hui was largely an innocent bystander, a victim caught in the crossfire, unjustly tormented.

For that white-robed Chen Ping’an, descending like a deity, most loathed, or rather, found most troublesome, was Lu Hui’s identity: a Confucian scholar, a man of letters.

Sui Lin and Lu Hui bowed and saluted, sincerely expressing their gratitude to Master Chen.

Yu Yu inquired, “Master Chen, what about me?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Drink more wine.”

Yu Yu asked in bewilderment, “That’s it?!”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Wine can dispel a thousand sorrows.”

Yu Yu lamented, “Drinking wine costs a fortune! I’ve been painstakingly saving up for my dowry all these years, and I can’t even bear to buy a few jars of the Everspring Palace’s immortal brew. If I didn’t have some semblance of willpower, I would have turned to thievery long ago.”

Chen Ping’an was now fairly certain that this little girl with a heart as vast as the heavens was probably the one most likely to break through and ascend to the upper five realms.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Knowing others is wisdom; knowing oneself is enlightenment. Let us encourage each other.”

Yu Yu chuckled, “I can’t chat anymore. If this goes on, I’ll end up like Gai Yan and Han Zhoujin, and start to fancy Master Chen!”

As for what Ning Yao thinks or doesn’t think… You’re a Grand Sword Immortal in the Ascension Realm, how can you bully a little girl like me?

If you’re really okay with that, then I’m sorry, but that Ning Yao would truly be unworthy of our Master Chen!

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Do you have a grudge against Gai Yan?”

Han Zhoujin had already left, but the female ghost Gai Yan was still waiting outside.

Yu Yu chuckled, “No grudge, no grudge. It’s just that as the proprietor, she’s so stingy every day, keeping track of every little thing. She has no ability to earn money from outsiders, only knowing how to profit off her own people. Look, we have such a large territory, empty houses everywhere, yet Gai Yan refuses to hire any pretty girls to greet guests, saying it’s a waste of money. She thinks a good inn shouldn’t become like Jade Branch Peak of the Zheng Yang Mountain, a powder keg of feminine charm. Anyway, she always has her reasons, and the money is always hers. I’ve been annoyed with her for more than just a day or two.”

Chen Ping’an deeply agreed, nodding, “Gai Yan’s methods of making money are indeed… unspeakable.”

As the three departed,

Ning Yao narrowed her eyes and said, “Drink more wine, talk less, don’t overthink.”

After Yu Yu returned, she ran around the courtyard like she had been struck by lightning, shouting that she understood. Finally, she crashed into the courtyard wall and collapsed.

The little monk, Hou Jue, and the female ghost, Gai Yan, arrived in the Small World together.

Gai Yan gathered her courage and saw the green-robed sword immortal sitting on the steps. Alas, it was still Master Chen, worthy of admiration.

The previous one had truly terrified her to the core.

She blinked her eyes and spoke first, “Master Chen and Sword Immortal Ning are truly a match made in heaven, a divine couple.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Thank you for the kind words.”

Why didn’t you say this earlier? If you had been this eloquent from the start, you wouldn’t have suffered so many beatings.

Perhaps I would even have negotiated with her, the innkeeper, to obtain a residence in the capital for my travels. Anyway, he saw that the inn’s business was mediocre, and the empty houses were just sitting there, lacking any vitality. It was clear that she was not skilled in business, and if he were to manage the inn, it would be packed every day.

Chen Ping’an was somewhat puzzled, as Ning Yao seemed to have no strong feelings, good or bad, towards Gai Yan. She was simply indifferent.

Gai Yan, after being reminded by the cultivators outside, proactively said, “When it comes to breaking through the Nascent Soul Realm bottleneck in the future, I have a shortcut to take. Master Chen doesn’t need to worry.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I’m not worried.”

The little monk pressed his palms together, “May the Buddha bless Master Chen and Sword Immortal Ning to cultivate smoothly, fulfilling their wishes, growing old together in bliss, marrying happily, and having children early…”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but laugh.

Ning Yao remained expressionless, kicking Chen Ping’an.

Then, she summoned the young man, Gou Cun.

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “In our several encounters, I have always taken the initiative. Tell me, what is your trump card?”

The young man asked, “Can I say? Is it not forbidden?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Yes, I say it’s okay.”

Gou Cun then said, “I later obtained a Natal Treasure that is related to fortune, making it easier to pick up money.”

Chen Ping’an was stunned. In his path of cultivation, there were few times he envied others as much as this. His Sack Studio had to keep its eyes wide open, racking its brains, more like a rogue cultivator than a rogue cultivator, just to earn a little bit of hard-earned money!

“The National Preceptor also said that I was actually a… poor devil. I didn’t dare to ask more. Yu Yu later came up with an explanation, saying that maybe we, the Earthly Branch cultivators, make money too quickly, and it’s all a bit like ill-gotten gains, not a good thing, so we need to be a little poorer.”

“Later, the National Preceptor also said that when I reach the Upper Five Realms in the future, I can get a little bit of the Treasure Bottle Continent’s Qi Luck. Although my aptitude isn’t great, far inferior to Yuan Huajing and Song Xu, as long as I’m steadfast and walk steadily, there is hope of becoming an immortal.”

“The National Preceptor also said that when I reach the Jade Purity Realm, I will be allowed to go to a vassal state of Great Li and serve as its National Preceptor.”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle, “What else did the National Preceptor say?”
Gou Cun scratched his head, “The Imperial Advisor said dog meat is actually quite delicious. I was almost scared to death at the time.”

Finally, Yuan Huajing.

Yuan Huajing seemed to have composed himself. He stood alone beneath the steps, appearing neither nervous nor agitated.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “With his high realm and prestige, using Yuan Sword Immortal as the finale is indeed fitting.”

Yuan Huajing said, “I am merely a Nascent Soul cultivator; I cannot bear the title of Sword Immortal.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Do you harbor any selfish desires?”

Yuan Huajing replied, “I do.”

“Any personal grudges?”

“None.”

“Whether you do or not is up to you? What, are you a Jade Purity cultivator and I’m Nascent Soul? Am I a sword cultivator and you a Sword Immortal? Just because you’re a few decades older, you’re putting on airs?”

“What is the name of your natal flying sword?”

“Yelang.”

“My senior brother named it for you?”

Yuan Huajing nodded. “The Imperial Advisor personally named it.”

In truth, it wasn’t this name originally; it was “Tingling” (Lingering Spirit), which better suited the flying sword’s inherent mystical power.

“Do you know the intention behind it?”

“The Imperial Advisor is reminding me not to be arrogant and boastful like Yelang.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “Lacking in scholarly learning, you think too superficially.”

Yuan Huajing frowned, then sincerely said, “I implore Mountain Lord Chen to enlighten me.”

After all, it concerned the path of cultivation, so Yuan Huajing couldn’t afford to be careless.

Chen Ping’an slowly said, “If a person doesn’t walk at night, how can they know there are night walkers on the road? If you don’t become an Immortal, how can you know if there truly are enlightened Immortals in the mountains and forests of the world? Although it’s the same in reminding you not to be arrogant, there are several layers of meaning within it. Even the answer to why he cautioned you against being boastful is already told to you along with it. Even if you become a night walker, with the sky dark and you unable to see your fingers, you would still be arrogant and ignorant of what the mountains and forests of the world truly are.”

Yuan Huajing carefully pondered it, indeed finding it to be extremely profound, and nodded. “I am grateful for the lesson.”

Ning Yao asked in her heart, “Is that really the case?”

Chen Ping’an answered in his heart, “I’m just talking nonsense, teaching him how to be a better person.”

Ning Yao suppressed a smile. Indeed, staying was the right choice; it was much more interesting than reading books.

Chen Ping’an casually said, “Yuan Huajing, if you were born in the Great Wall of Sword Qi, you could have achieved a similar level of swordplay as the so-called top geniuses like Qi Shou and Gao Yehou, maybe slightly worse, but the gap wouldn’t be so large that it’s unbridgeable. Your biggest problem is that you’d easily die on the battlefield because the Great Demons would intentionally target you, unwilling to give you a chance to grow.”

Yuan Huajing nodded. “I will definitely strive to survive. I believe that if I were truly a native sword cultivator of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, fighting alongside Hidden Officer, the Summer Residence Palace would definitely arrange a Protector of the Dao for me.”

Ning Yao said in her heart, “What he said isn’t wrong, but it just sounds awkward.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled in his heart, “He’s got age but no experience. If he were at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, there would be countless kind-hearted people teaching him how to be a better person late at night.”

Chen Ping’an then asked, “Are you trying to imitate the flying sword’s mystical power to create something similar to a small Earthly Branch when you reach the Immortal Realm?”

Yuan Huajing nodded, frankly admitting this.

With Chen Ping’an, there was no need to hide anything.

“You can imagine the unlimited glory you’ll have when that day comes, standing at the peak of a continent in the Jewel Bottle Continent, with no equal in sight.”

Chen Ping’an raised a hand, casually tapping his knee, smilingly saying, “But have you considered that on this path to the summit, as you climb each step, the other cultivators of the Earthly Branches will each have their own cultivation bottlenecks and difficult thresholds, and you will distance yourself from them one by one, leaving them behind you, even under your feet?”

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes, placing the sword across his lap, gently stroking the scabbard with his palm. “Answer carefully. If you answer wrong, even though I don’t like holding grudges, even a mud bodhisattva has a bit of anger; I also have a temper.”

Yuan Huajing hesitated for a moment, “I am a sword cultivator. I have ‘Yelang.’ I have the best cultivation talent. When the twelve people of the Earthly Branches are complete, it should be me standing there.”

“So I don’t really care how much they’ve helped me in this climbing process. It’s their duty, and they can’t be negligent.”

“The only thing that makes me feel the need to constantly remind myself is that in every battle that ends, it is undeniable that I get the biggest benefit every time, but no one, not even the cultivators on Song Xu’s side, thinks anything is wrong.”

“I, Yuan Huajing, am not a fool. I can tell the difference between sincerity and hypocrisy. Even before I started cultivating, I had a strong intuition from a young age about who hid jealousy in their smiles.”

“Chen Ping’an, I still maintain my previous view. People like you follow the rules and reason in everything, but one day, you will do one or two unreasonable things. If it falls on an Immortal family’s mountain, it’s fine; it’s just the rise and fall of a few hundred people. But if it falls on the Great Li Dynasty, how many people will it affect? At every turn, it’s millions, tens of millions.”

“So we, the Great Li court, especially we of the Earthly Branches, must have the strength to somewhat restrain Fallen Mountain.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled, “Whether you’re right or wrong, as long as you’re willing to open your heart, that’s treating people with sincerity. Good, consider yourself passed.”

Yuan Huajing remained silent.

It definitely wasn’t over.

Chen Ping’an would definitely not let him off so easily.

Yuan Huajing’s only hope now was that he and the Yuan family wouldn’t become the next Righteous Sun Mountain.

Chen Ping’an, carrying the sword Night Wanderer, stood up and said earnestly, “You smart people shouldn’t be indecisive, thinking about this and that every day, fantasizing. This is a great taboo in cultivation. Especially, don’t pursue maximizing benefits in everything. Who do you think you are, those little heavens in the riverside tales in the bookstores?”

“Yuan Huajing, I’ll give you a suggestion. Just treat it as if my senior brother is still here.”

Chen Ping’an walked down the steps, “Even if senior brother isn’t here, I, as his junior brother, am still here. I will often be staying at the Rén Yún Yì Yún (Gossipy People) building in the future. I don’t have many friends in the capital. Maybe one day when I’m in a bad mood, I’ll come find you, a newly acquainted friend, to drink and reminisce.”

In fact, Chen Ping’an still had an old score to settle with Yuan Huajing, mainly because Yuan Huajing himself was somewhat different from the Great Li Pillar of State Yuan Clan, whose ancestral home was in Erlang Lane, and they couldn’t be completely equated.
The Xu Clan of Qingfeng City, secretly accumulating literary and martial fortune through a Fox Kingdom, and further solidifying their position by arranging a marriage between their direct descendant daughter and a concubine’s son of the Yuan Clan, clearly harbored great ambitions.

Chen Ping’an, holding Night Wanderer, gently rested it on Yuan Huajing’s shoulder, “Oh right, if you were already a significant figure in the Shangzhu Kingdom Yuan Clan, involved in matters you shouldn’t have been, then the moment you leave this inn today, you can start preparing for how to escape with your life.”

Forced to go against his will, Yuan Huajing preemptively explained, “After becoming a cultivator of the Earthly Branch lineage, I proactively severed ties with my family.”

Gently tapping his shoulder with the scabbard, Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “One last thing, with Chen Ping’an here in Baoping Continent, your Earthly Branch lineage cultivators are, in truth, dispensable. Return to your homes, cultivate on your own. Because what my senior brother seeks is the future, the sect-founding immortal family, not any one of you. Anyone can be missing; you are all far from the mark now.”

Chen Ping’an put away the Bird in a Cage.

Everyone was surprised to see Yuan Huajing still standing there, instead of lying on the floor asleep.

Chen Ping’an looked towards Han Zhoujin, smiling, “Miss Han, haven’t you started a betting pool on this?”

Han Zhoujin seemed somewhat abashed; he really held grudges.

Yu Yu looked utterly astonished, “Ah? You can make money like that?!”

Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao left the inn together, appearing in the alley where the residence was located. They found that the Master had already returned from Chunshan Academy and was near the inn entrance. The two walked side by side in the alley. Chen Ping’an suddenly turned sideways, not stopping, smiling at Ning Yao’s profile, “I suddenly thought of a saying. Maybe so-called growth is about a version of ourselves, whose good or bad we don’t yet know, waiting for today’s version to come and meet. Right?”

Ning Yao said grumpily, “Right my foot!”

Such a perilous matter had even left her with lingering fears, yet here you were, acting as if nothing had happened.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Actually, you taught me this. When faced with any trouble that comes knocking, think it through, then be decisive and without hesitation. Close the door when necessary, without overthinking it. Those left outside will actually be the ones doing the overthinking.”

Ning Yao asked, puzzled, “Did I teach you that?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You did.”

Then turning back, Chen Ping’an said in his heart, “In truth, I know that the Master isn’t at ease here in Baoping Continent. It’s a good reason to let him return to the Central Earth Confucian Temple sooner.”

The Master is only at ease in two places currently: the Central Earth Confucian Temple and the Merit Forest. Also the three continents where he has achieved Harmony: Southern Posa Continent, Tongye Continent, and Fuyao Continent.

Even though the Master has restored his position in the Confucian Temple, the mountains and rivers of those three continents are too fragmented, so appearing outside those three continents is like adding frost to snow.

So Chen Ping’an wants to talk more with the Master, but doesn’t want the Master to suffer for it.

Not far away at the inn, the old innkeeper, being an old fox, and having gained a daughter late in life, had initially tried to forcefully stop his daughter, figuring it might backfire. One plan failing, he devised another, proactively asking his daughter to find Ning Yao and become her apprentice. He presented a reasonable argument to his daughter. Ordinary Jianghu women carry at most a sword, but Ning Yao carried a sword case. Her martial arts couldn’t be weak. If she wasn’t a Jianghu heroine, who was? So the silly daughter had actually gone to knock on the door.

The bored young woman came to the counter, her eyes lighting up when she saw the bag of fried dough twists. “Dad, what made you think of buying me this?”

She picked up a twist, crunching on it.

The old innkeeper, not yet senile, said that it was Chen Ping’an’s kindness, gifting a bag of snacks, but smilingly said, “Isn’t a father who dotes on his daughter something a daughter can feel in her heart?”

The young woman said indistinctly, “Dotes on, dotes on, I feel it, I feel it.”

The old innkeeper asked, “Then, will you become her apprentice or not?”

The old man smilingly added, “If you still have the desire, your father can help.”

The young woman shook her head, saying, “Forget it, I used up all my courage listening to you earlier, actively knocking on the door. I realized I’m quite afraid of that Master Ning. One glare, one raised eyebrow, and I can’t speak.”

The young woman imitated Ning Yao, raising an eyebrow and glaring, laughing to herself afterward.

The old innkeeper glanced at the oiled paper bag, feeling slightly guilty, and said something fair, “Leaving aside other things, that Chen Ping’an isn’t some frivolous rogue.”

The young woman nearly choked, laughing, “I was afraid of that at first, but I know it now. The person isn’t bad.”

I’m not stupid. The way that guy looks at Master Ning every time, it’s just two words: deep affection.

The books say, “Good women fear persistent suitors.” He must have stubbornly chased her, showered her with concern, to win Master Ning over.

But she couldn’t say these words, or her father would complain about her reading too many trashy novels and wasting money.

The young woman picked up a second crispy twist, asking, “Dad, you said he isn’t some libertine, but a traveling outsider, and it’s his first time at our inn, so why was the look he gave me that night so strange?”

The old man thought for a moment, giving his reason, “Maybe he mistook you for someone else. It was late at night, and at first glance, maybe he thought you looked like someone he knew. Martial artists meet many people, and there are many Jianghu stories.”

The old scholar smiled at the door, asking, “Old Liu, could I borrow two benches? Would you mind if I bask in the sun in front of the inn?”

The old innkeeper smiled, “It’s nothing much, of course, of course.”

The young woman immediately helped to carry two long benches, placing them outside. The sun wasn’t strong today, not hot at all.

Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao arrived at the inn entrance. The old scholar sat on a long bench with Chen Ping’an, while Ning Yao sat on the side with the nosy young woman. However, after thinking about it, the young woman finally left.

Chen Ping’an spoke of the matter, and the old scholar nodded, “A small matter. After I finish drinking, I’ll go invite the Rite Sage.”

Ning Yao said, “I’ll go to the Confucian Temple with you.”

The old scholar hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands, “Don’t. I still need to come back. Let’s leave Baoping Continent together next time.”

Ning Yao turned to look at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an nodded, and Ning Yao didn’t insist.

The old scholar kept his eyes straight ahead, but was secretly overjoyed. Our lineage is really promising.
Regarding the lineage of the Literary Sage, in its early days, from the master’s profound learning to each of his students’ unique strengths, they were virtually invincible. Perhaps the only slight imperfection lay in their respective choices of spouses. But now, haven’t they become invincible once more?

The old scholar chuckled softly, “After the master lost his position of honor and sacrifice, his divine statue was smashed, his teachings were forbidden, and he confined himself to the Temple of Merit for a hundred years, he actually had some moments of happiness. Can you guess what they were?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, then offered him a flask of wine.

The old scholar took the flask, his face full of suspicion, and waved his hand, “Impossible, impossible. If you can guess that, the old fogey and the Sage of Rites will be vying to make you their disciple.”

Chen Ping’an took a sip of wine himself, “In the past, when the Great Domain of the Vast Expanse spoke of my senior brothers, they invariably included ‘direct descendants of the Literary Sage.’ But in the Temple of Merit, when the master was down on his luck, he was only regarded as their teacher. The master wasn’t worried or troubled by this. On the contrary, he was secretly happy, relishing the quiet joy.”

The old scholar stroked his beard and smiled, “Who says that’s not the case? Su Shi spoke of so many delightful things, but in my opinion, the joy of secretly relishing something is the most worthwhile.”

Ning Yao smiled knowingly.

No wonder the peak cultivators of several domains knew that the Literary Sage was most fond of his closed-door disciple.

The old scholar took a drink of wine and stood up, saying, “Then the master will be off to his business. He might need to find Aunt Feng to thank this senior. After that, he estimates he’ll be out of the capital for a day or two.”

Chen Ping’an wanted to stand up, but the old scholar held him down by the shoulder, turned his head, and asked with his eyes, “The opportunity, do you understand?” Chen Ping’an didn’t even nod. “Absolutely. Master, hurry up and reign in your gaze, lest it be redundant.” The old scholar realized, “That makes sense, that makes sense.”

Everything was understood without words.

The old scholar first went to the Fire God Temple to find Aunt Feng.

Aunt Feng, who was sitting on the steps under the flower arbor, drinking wine, immediately stood up to welcome him and gracefully performed a curtsy, “Greetings, Literary Sage.”

The old scholar sat on a stone bench next to her and said with a smile, “I’m just here to express my gratitude. I hope Senior doesn’t find it late. If you do, I can punish myself with three cups. Oh, look at my memory, I forgot to bring wine!”

Aunt Feng tossed him a jar of Hundred Flower Brew. The old scholar opened the seal, sniffed it, and said, “Good wine, good wine, so good that I can’t bear to drink it.”

The old scholar maintained the posture of holding the wine but not drinking, squinting at Aunt Feng.

Aunt Feng waited for a long time and had no choice but to toss him another jar.

The old scholar put down the jar in his hand, embraced the second jar of Hundred Flower Brew with both hands, and said with a face full of guilt, “I’m so embarrassed, so embarrassed. Look at the way this turned out, it’s like I came to beg for wine.”

Aunt Feng smiled and condensed a wisp of clear wind between her fingers, which ultimately carried a phrase from the Literary Sage’s closed-door disciple.

The old scholar listened intently, stroking his beard and laughing loudly, “Excellent! This is what you call the student surpassing the master!”

It turned out to be from the entrance of the inn.

Chen Ping’an noticed Ning Yao staring at him. He lowered his head to drink wine and raised his head again, and she was still looking at him.

Chen Ping’an immediately vowed, “By heaven and earth, the master misunderstood!”