Two old acquaintances, separated by a significant age gap but deeply connected, were now both squatting on the city wall, mirroring each other in their posture, shoulders hunched, hands tucked into their sleeves, gazing at the remnants of the southern battlefield.

Lu Chen turned his head to look at the young man beside him and smiled, “If we were to imitate that old Senior Yang right now, each with a dry tobacco pipe, puffing out clouds of smoke, it would be even more delightful. Standing atop Gaodeng, surveying ten thousand miles, facing the world with emptiness, dispelling sorrows with open hearts.”

The old man in the backyard of the Yang family’s apothecary had once mocked the founders of the Three Teachings as the biggest mythical creatures in the world, only consuming and never giving back.

What Chen Ping’an saw was sparse vegetation swaying with sword energy, as if he saw hills formed of white bones, sword energy piercing the heavens. A sword cultivator on the battlefield, disheveled and covered in blood, once lay drunk on the veranda, leaning against a fragrant brazier, holding a wine cup, a carefree blend of sword immortal and renowned scholar. He seemed to see Chou Miao, ahead of everyone else, going to the summer palace, never to return. It was as if he saw Gao Kui’s first sword learned from his ancestor, so his last sword should question the ancestor dragon lord. There were female sword immortals like Zhou Cheng and old sword cultivators like Yin Chen, who already harbored the will to die. There was Tao Wen, who could only find release in death on the battlefield, and young sword cultivators, originally full of youthful vigor, standing with their backs to the city wall, facing south, delivering swords in life and halting them in death…

Lu Chen looked at the young Hidden Official, whose face showed no trace of sorrow, and sighed, “Chen Ping’an, you are so young, yet you hold such a high position, establishing an unprecedented feat for the Confucian Temple, who would believe it? To be honest, if someone in the small town had told me this would happen, I wouldn’t have believed it even if they beat me to death.”

In the Lizhu Cave, Lu Chen had once taken his disciple He Xiaoliang to see many different “Chen Ping’an.” There was a Chen Ping’an who, through diligence and honesty, became a man of prosperous means, repairing the ancestral home and purchasing property in the prefecture city. Only during Qingming and the end of the year would he bring his family back to his hometown to sweep the graves. There was a Chen Ping’an who, through cleverness, became a small merchant with some wealth. There was a Chen Ping’an who continued to be a kiln worker’s apprentice, his skills becoming more refined, eventually becoming a dragon kiln master. There was also a Chen Ping’an who became a resentful and wandering rogue, idle all year round, with a good heart but no ability to do good, year after year, becoming the laughingstock of the small town’s people. There was also a Chen Ping’an who participated in the imperial examinations and only obtained the title of licentiate, becoming a teacher in a private school, never marrying, and the farthest place he ever went was the prefectural capital and Hongzhu Town, often standing alone at the entrance of the alley, staring blankly at the sky.

Lu Chen unexpectedly began to brew wine, busying himself, lowering his head and smiling, “When it’s about to snow, it’s best to drink a cup. After all, each today’s self is not yesterday’s self.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “I’m not Lu Zhangjiao. What kind of supporting the heavens and calming the seas? It sounds scary. Things I wouldn’t even dare to think about are just like a local saying from my hometown, ‘Strength can overcome poverty, caution can overcome disaster, and every year there will be surplus, so that every year-end will be better than the last, without having to endure hardship.'”

Lu Chen nodded and said, “The customs of the small town are simple and honest, with numerous local sayings and old adages. I have experienced it and benefited a lot. I only set up a stall in your hometown for a short time and only learned a little bit of the superficial skills. Otherwise, in the Azure Billow World, every time I visit Daoist Sun at the Great Profound Capital Temple, who teaches whom a lesson is another matter.”

Perhaps it was because Lu Chen hit the nail on the head, or perhaps the Third Headmaster of White Jade Capital used his supernatural powers, it actually started to snow, and it was a veritable blizzard, with snowflakes as big as hands. Some foreign visitors from Haoran who were traveling on the city walls of Wei Jin and Cao Jun were naturally pleasantly surprised. In the heavy snow season, the scenery became even more peculiar and magnificent, with vast land, sparse population, high winds, and cold, with light snow closing the mountains and heavy snow closing the rivers.

Lu Chen, busy brewing wine, sighed without any reason, “When you are out, walk steadily, eat slowly, speak kindly, be kind to others, and make money peacefully. Arguing, fighting, and killing are really meaningless. Chen Ping’an, do you think there’s any truth to that?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, “At this time, in this place, these words sound particularly reasonable.”

Ning Yao was by his side. Xingguan Haosu stood next to Lu Chen.

Moreover, Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi had not left the city wall for the time being.

All four were people from the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Only this guy, whose hometown was in Haoran World but went to Azure Billow World to become the Third Headmaster of White Jade Capital, was an unwelcome outsider.

So, before Lu Chen said these words to Chen Ping’an, he secretly asked Haosu in his heart, “Xingguan-daren, if Hidden Official-daren asks you to chop me, would you chop me?”

Haosu gave the answer without hesitation, “Elsewhere, what Chen Ping’an says doesn’t work, but here, I will seriously consider it.”

In fact, Lu Chen was most disgusted with fighting among cultivators, unless it was absolutely necessary. For example, traveling to Lizhu Cave, or going to the Outer Heavens to fight those endless extra-terrestrial demons. Back then, if it wasn’t to protect his senior brother, and he had no choice but to return to his hometown of Haoran, he wouldn’t have cared whether Qi Jingchun could establish a religion and become an ancestor. There was one more or one less person in the world, and the world was still the same, and what did it have to do with him?

However, as lazy as Lu Chen was, he also admired people, such as Wu Shuangjiang of the Lunar New Year Palace for his infatuation and obsession. Daoist Sun said that lending the Immortal Sword Taibai was actually equivalent to giving it away, a kind of chivalrous freedom. As the unshakeable fifth person in Azure Billow World and the leader of the Taoist sword immortal lineage, once the old abbot held Taibai and reached the fourteenth realm, Lu Chen’s invincible second senior brother would have to brace himself and have a good fight.

As for the Great Sword Immortal Chen Qingdu, using his own lack of freedom to exchange for the future freedom of the Sword Qi Great Wall in the Five Colors World for thousands and tens of thousands of years, wasn’t that a kind of great freedom of the heart?

And Chen Ping’an, as Hidden Official, combined with half of the Sword Qi Great Wall, unable to control himself, but with an unyielding heart.

Lu Chen’s only regret was that Chen Ping’an had not personally killed a soaring realm great demon and carved words on the city wall. No matter what Chen Ping’an carved, just the handwriting and divine intent, Lu Chen felt that it was worth sneaking from White Jade Capital to see the carvings from time to time.

Lu Chen handed Chen Ping’an a bowl of wine, “Seeing your aura when you were sitting and discussing the Dao, you are likely to become an immortal, very likely, congratulations. I’ll congratulate you in advance here. As for the congratulatory gift, I’ll owe it to you for a few years. When you get to Azure Billow World in the future, feel free to ask me for it. I’ll go to a few familiar city towers in White Jade Capital and take a little wealth.”
Chen Pingan seemed to have no reservations, accepting the wine bowl and drinking directly. Lu Chen raised his arm high and passed another bowl to Hao Su, who was standing beside him. The Hidden Official and the Warden of the Sword Qi Great Wall both accepted. Lu Chen leaned forward and asked, “Ning girl, would you like a bowl too? It’s a unique immortal brew from Qingcui City of Bai Yujing. Jiang Yun Sheng just took over as the city lord, and I worked hard to get it. Jiang Yun Sheng is that little Taoist boy who guarded the gate with Great Sword Immortal Zhang Lu. Now that little brat has made a name for himself and dares to disregard me, calling everything ‘official business’.”

Ning Yao said, “No, thank you.”

Lu Chen didn’t dare to press the matter. Many old Taoists in Bai Yujing are now worried that the various Taoist forces of the Five-Colored World and the Azure Underworld might one day send Ning Yao to cleanse them all with her sword.

Chen Pingan took a sip of wine and asked, “The rain-praying stele beside the buried river water god temple, from which of the five cities and twelve towers of Bai Yujing does its Daoist formula originate?”

The predecessor of the buried river’s Bi You Mansion was a dragon palace in the Tong Ye Continent, but it was so ancient that even Jiang Shangzhen’s Jade Decree Sect had no record of it. Only some unreliable legends remained in the Da Quan Dynasty. Zhong Kui couldn’t say for sure back then, and there were no records at the Great Fu Academy either.

Lu Chen wiped the corner of his mouth, gently swirling the wine bowl, and said casually, “Oh, you’re talking about the Daoist formula of over five thousand words on the jade slip, ‘Transforming into four days of coolness, sweeping away the world’s heat’? I know about it. To be honest, it does have a tiny connection with me. But rest assured, there’s no long-term plan behind it, it’s not targeted at anyone. Only those with fate can obtain it, that’s all.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Is there any hope that I can pass it on to Chen Lingjun?”

This was the real reason why Chen Pingan had hesitated to pass on the Daoist formula. He would rather teach it to the water serpent Hong Xia in the future than let Chen Lingjun get involved.

Lu Chen sighed, not giving a direct answer. “I reckon that fellow doesn’t want to go to the Azure Underworld. Oh well, when the heavens want to rain and a woman wants to marry, there’s nothing you can do.”

Chen Pingan curiously asked, “What exactly is the relationship between Chen Lingjun and that dragon girl that you care so much?”

Lu Chen rolled his eyes. “You have plenty of connections, go investigate yourself. Isn’t there a Feng Yi in the Great Li capital? Your true body is only a few steps away from the Fire God Temple, maybe you can even swindle a few jars of Hundred Flower Brew.”

Besides cleansing the Hundred Flower Blessed Land, Feng Yi also has the story of branding the dragon girl’s forehead with mugwort, which is a kind of great Dao protection for that dragon girl. The last true dragon’s escape route seemed haphazard, landing on Bao Ping Continent voluntarily, hoping to find Yang Lao Tou’s ascension platform, but also hoping that Feng Yi, whose great Dao was compatible with “wind and water,” could help mediate and say a few good words. Otherwise, Yang Lao Tou, a male earth immortal of the Azure Boy Heavenly Lord’s rank, had no reason to care about the life or death of a true dragon. Moreover, in the eyes of most of the ancient gods’ remnants, all the flood dragons in charge of water flow were rebels.

Chen Pingan asked again, “The great Dao affinity with water, is it an innate talent of an earth immortal before breaking the fate ceramic, or is it a mysterious, acquired shaping?”

Lu Chen laughed in anger, “Chen Pingan, can you stop trying to squeeze me dry? Can’t we just drink and reminisce about the old days?”

Chen Pingan twitched the corner of his mouth. “Then you better not meddle with that lingering divine power, using Shi Rou to spy on the changes in the small town and Luopo Mountain.”

Lu Chen said dejectedly, “Didn’t Cui Dongshan cut off the connection? What’s the point of bringing up old grudges? Besides, I’m just bored, I wouldn’t do anything.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Have you seen Lu Tai?”

Lu Chen nodded. “The Lotus Root Flower Blessed Land was divided into four, and he occupies one of them. His cultivation is smooth and worry-free. He’s more like an emperor than Ding Ying was back then. He’s raising a dog in a Feng Shui treasure land called Furong Mountain. However, Lu Tai’s Yin spirit has wandered far away and stayed in the Azure Underworld, opening a restaurant next to the fish market with a little girl. The business is booming. Most restaurants have charming proprietresses who attract attention, but his restaurant is different. Every day, there are many women who come just for him.”

Chen Pingan handed over the empty bowl and said, “That dog must have a good name.”

Lu Chen took the bowl, refilled it with wine, and handed it to Chen Pingan, smiling, “Who says it doesn’t?”

Chen Pingan asked, “Before Mr. Qi and Master Ruan, who were the Buddhist and Taoist saints who were stationed in the Lizhu Cave Heaven?”

Lu Chen said, “Will you ever stop?”

Chen Pingan said, “If you don’t want to answer this question, then talk about the previous one.”

Lu Chen hesitated, probably because as a member of the Taoist school, he didn’t want to be too entangled with Buddhism. “Do you remember that effeminate kiln worker who liked to secretly buy rouge? He lived a muddled life and never stood up straight, ending up with a hasty burial?”

Chen Pingan nodded, frowning. “I remember, he seems to be the uncle of Su Dian, the female martial artist from the Yang Family Pharmacy. What does this have to do with my great Dao affinity with water?”

Liu Xianyang had said that Su Dian from the pharmacy, whose nickname was Rouge, seemed to have some inexplicable hostility towards him, Chen Pingan. She had always hoped to surpass him in practicing martial arts. Chen Pingan was confused about this, but he didn’t bother to investigate. After all, the woman was Yang Lao Tou’s disciple, making her the same generation as Li Er and Zheng Dafeng.

Lu Chen laughed. “You can ask Li Liu about that pitiful man’s past life. As for other things, I can’t figure them out either. When I set up a fortune-telling stall in the small town, there were rules and restrictions. Except for you young people, I wasn’t allowed to trace the origins of just anyone.”

Chen Pingan lowered his head to drink, his gaze lifting to look at the battlefield.

The sudden appearance of a warden, Hao Su, along with Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi, would have made a trip to distant lands entirely possible. However, only heaven knew if this was some scheme of Lu Chen’s. He feared that it would upset everything and completely disrupt the layout of the Literary Temple.

Lu Chen sighed with emotion, “There are always some things that leave people helpless, only able to stare blankly. Getting involved will only cause unexpected accidents, but not helping feels wrong.”

Chen Pingan retracted his gaze. “So we ordinary Confucian scholars are not as carefree and at ease as Master Lu. An unanchored boat, without any worries.”
Lu Chen chuckled, “The Lu Chen of today and tomorrow is naturally carefree, but the Lu Chen of yesterday, a minor official from the small nation of Qiyuan, had to borrow money from river management officials, just like you, poor and down on his luck. Desires often go unfulfilled, and freedom is rarely absolute. Fortunately, I’m an optimist and good at finding joy in hardship, delighting in the experience. That’s why every tomorrow of mine is worth looking forward to.”

Chen Pingan said, “I need to learn more about cultivating the mind from Daoist Lu.”

“When it comes to cultivating the mind, don’t learn from me of all people.”

Lu Chen waved his hand, remembering something, and said, “Bai Ye has already become a sword cultivator. His aura is immense, a grand sight to behold. Even my master said, ‘A sword immortal has enhanced the Dao’s essence.'”

Chen Pingan nodded, “The master mentioned it.”

Lu Chen wore a sincere expression of mutual appreciation, “Actually, we’re both top-notch experts when it comes to naming things. It’s a pity that I brought dozens of flying sword names and went to the Great Profound Capital Temple. Daoist Sun was so hospitable, he came running from the privy with his pants half down to greet me.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Is it possible for Daoist Sun to reach the Fourteenth Realm?”

Lu Chen shook his head, “Any Ascension Realm cultivator actually has the possibility of merging with the Dao, but the more complete the realm, the more peak the cultivation, the bigger the bottleneck. It’s a paradox.”

Chen Pingan remained silent. When spending time with certain people, he always felt a sense of illusion. The first time was when he met A’Liang. At first, he thought he had met a con artist, constantly spouting nonsense. He always felt that if he said the wrong thing, he would be knocked down by Zhu He.

On the night-sailing ship, Wu Shuangjiang, after the great battle, sat at the same table, gentle and refined.

At the Pan Shui ferry, Zheng Juzhong, the demonic path giant, was full of scholarly air.

And then there’s Lu Chen, whom he met earliest.

Chen Pingan never knew what Lu Chen was thinking or what he would do because there was no pattern to follow.

Lu Chen sighed, “The judgement of the Great Sword Immortal is indeed excellent.”

Everyone thought that the young man of the past was too old-fashioned, too cautious.

Only Chen Qingdu saw the spirited, vibrant young man from another land.

Lu Chen took the initiative to mention the group of sword cultivators who traveled to the Azure Abyss, “Your two friends, Dong Heitan, stayed in Divine Firmament City, but he’s stubborn and unwilling to be included in the White Jade Capital’s Dao official records. Yan Pangzi went to Daoist Sun’s Great Profound Capital Temple. They’re both doing well.”

Led by Old Nascent Soul Cheng Quan, a total of sixteen sword cultivators ascended to the Azure Abyss with Upside Down Mountain. In the end, they went their separate ways. Nine of them chose to stay in White Jade Capital to cultivate and practice swordsmanship. Cheng Quan surprisingly joined Wu Shuangjiang’s Year-End Palace and even entered the sect’s records as a venerated guest. Because the old sword cultivator carried a secret matter, he placed the cotton-wrapped sword box on the Water-Resting Dragon Stone outside the Crane Tower.

“Chen Pingan, do you know what true mountain-moving techniques and sea-shifting powers are?”

“I hope Sect Leader Lu will enlighten me.”

“In my opinion, you’ve actually mastered this art for a long time. It’s like two rooms in a house, and someone is constantly moving things back and forth, becoming more and more skilled.”

“Sect Leader Lu speaks mysteriously, I don’t quite understand.”

“You’ll understand soon. Any beautiful thing is not a flower that exists alone.”

After that, the two stopped talking and just drank their wine.

Chen Pingan was thinking about how to conceal his identity when he went to the Azure Abyss in the future.

Lu Chen was looking forward to the excitement when Chen Pingan arrived in the Azure Abyss.

The direct descendant sword cultivators of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, who had previously followed Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi away from the two ferries, were far behind in their sword flight. Under the escort of Shao Yunyan and Madame Tuoyan, they arrived at the city head and landed on the other side of the city wall. Chen Pingan glanced at them from a distance and nodded to Shao Yunyan as a greeting. As for the other sword cultivators, he recognized most of them because he had seen some of them at Parrot Isle ferry. The young girl with the ponytail was named Wu Manyan, she was the most talented of the eighteen sword cultivators. Next to the girl was He Qiusheng, a contemporary who vowed to challenge him to a sword duel in the future.

Madame Tuoyan stood next to Lu Zhi, feeling a little uncertain. She simply moved behind Lu Zhi, trying to stay away from the Daoist as much as possible. She timidly asked, “Who is that Daoist?”

Lu Zhi nodded, “There might be a fight, don’t worry about anything then, just run as fast as you can.”

Qi Tingji laughed, “It won’t come to that.”

Lu Zhi was visibly disappointed.

Cao Jun, who had reserved the position of the last offering of Fallen Mountain, couldn’t help but ask Wei Jin, “Why is there another Daoist? Where did he come from? He looks like he’s at a very high realm, could he be another one of Chen Pingan’s uncles?” when he saw the young Daoist with the lotus crown on his head, scurrying around to avoid a sword light.

Wei Jin said, “That’s the Third Sect Leader of White Jade Capital. I heard that Sect Leader Lu used to run a fortune-telling stall in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven for a few years and was acquainted with many young people, including Chen Pingan. You missed it because you returned home late.”

Cao Jun immediately withdrew his gaze, not daring to look again. After a moment of silence, he said, “If I had been born and raised in the small town, with my cultivation talent, I would have definitely amounted to something.”

Wei Jin shook his head, “Talent? Don’t talk about that in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven. With your temper, if you had met these hidden masters early on, becoming a sword cultivator would have been a luxury. At best, you would have either been a kiln worker or farmed the land, cut wood and burned charcoal, an obscure life. If your luck was worse, even if you became a sword cultivator, you would have fallen into a trap without realizing it.”

Cao Jun said, “That’s not right, I remember there were a few brats and hotheads in the small town who were more impulsive than me and didn’t think things through. Aren’t they all doing well now?”

Wei Jin said, “Those people’s words and actions come from the heart, so the masters naturally don’t mind, and might even go along with it. You’re different, you’re showing off your cleverness and trying to be smart. If you fell into Sect Leader Lu’s hands, he wouldn’t mind teaching you a lesson.”
Cao Jun was about to retort when Lu Chen’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind, “Sword Immortal Cao possesses both skill and daring. I only heard rumors of his sword duel in Mud Bottle Lane and it sent shivers down my spine. Someone as audacious as you, young prodigy, would be more than qualified to be a city lord or a pavilion master in the White Jade City. It would be a waste of talent! How about it? I can give you a ride to the Azure Billow World. What do you say?”

Cao Jun was so terrified that his Dao heart faltered. He answered with a trembling voice, “I wouldn’t dare trouble Sect Leader Lu.”

Over at Lu Zhi’s side, Lu Chen’s voice chuckled, “To capture Ah Liang’s heart so completely, Mr. Lu truly lives up to his name.”

Lu Zhi retorted, “Don’t think we’re close just because we share the same surname, Lu. We’re barely related. If you want to pick a fight, just say it. No need to beat around the bush.”

Lu Chen stood up and murmured, looking up, “The Great Dao is like the azure sky, yet I cannot find my way out. Li Bai’s poem captures the hardship of our journey so well.”

Chen Ping’an raised his head calmly and said, “The sky has no walls, yet men walk on narrow paths. The open road of the azure sky, yet straw sandals wear thin.”

At the Rain Dragon Sect ferry, Chen Sanqiu and Die Zhang had left the ferry and were already on their way to the Sword Qi Great Wall. They had previously left their hometown together and traveled through the Central Earth Divine Continent, the Southern Suo Po Continent, and the Flowing Glow Continent.

Jia Xuan, a guest elder of the Wandering Immortal Pavilion, privately reminded the young man on the Taigeng ferry who still harbored resentment. It was both an elder’s counsel and a warning, telling him not to overestimate a Golden Core Earth Immortal, but also not to underestimate them.

Yun Qian, the temporary leader of the Rain Dragon Sect, was still waiting for Nalan Caihuan to appear and settle the score. At the same time, she hoped that one day she could find the young Hidden Official and thank him in person.

In the small town, Chen Lingjun saw three strangers. After considering it, he knew that Old Brother Jia in Riding Dragon Lane was also involved in the Daoist sect. He decided to first approach the little Daoist boy riding the ox, since he looked young.

Afraid that his cloud-soaring might scare the little Daoist boy, Chen Lingjun performed a hand seal to suppress the water vapor clouds and landed outside the town. He swaggered up to the boy and the ox, and said with a smile, “Daoist friend, please hold your steps.”

The boy, dressed as a Daoist child, turned around and asked with a smile, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

After a moment of thought, he had already learned the elegant language of Treasure Bottle Continent, which was the official language of Great Li.

Chen Lingjun raised his head and asked, “Daoist friend looks unfamiliar. Are you here to enter the mountains and seek immortality in Huaihuang County, or are you here as a guest?”

Actually, he wanted to say that the Daoist friend looked very young, and ask how old he was, but that would be against the rules of the Jianghu.

The young Daoist boy said, “A passerby.”

Chen Lingjun cut straight to the point and asked mentally, “Could this Daoist friend be a legendary Ascension Realm great cultivator?”

He exaggerated as much as possible. If he really was a hidden master, his question would just be a child’s innocent curiosity, and he shouldn’t hold it against him.

The boy turned sideways, sat on the ox’s back, faced Chen Lingjun, and shook his head, “Of course not.”

Chen Lingjun asked cautiously, “Then are you like Sect Leader Lu of the White Jade City?”

Having learned from his mistakes, why was he, Grandfather Chen, so well-respected in the Northern Mountain area? Because he learned his lesson and used his brains.

The boy still shook his head.

Chen Lingjun breathed a sigh of relief. Okay, if this guy wasn’t riding on an ox, he could even put his arm around his shoulder.

Chen Lingjun chuckled to himself, “Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly is only a mediocre talent. Haha, what a good evaluation.”

The young Daoist boy smiled without comment and asked, “Who is in charge of the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven now?”

Oh, ho, such a big tone. Had he drunk a lot before entering the town? Then he was half an acquaintance, which he liked.

Chen Lingjun waved his sleeves and laughed, “The Military Strategist Saint, Ruan Qiong, the number one swordsmith of our Treasure Bottle Continent, is now the founding ancestor of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect. I know him very well. I only need to call him Master Ruan when we meet, and we are almost sworn brothers.”

The boy asked, “Military Strategist Saint? Is he from the Wind and Snow Temple or the True Martial Mountain?”

There was no need to deduce and evolve such a small matter.

Chen Lingjun couldn’t help but look at the green ox, feeling sorry for it. It turned out to be a foreigner traveling across continents, but it had ended up with an unreliable master who had been riding it all the way. Chen Lingjun wanted to pat the ox’s horn.

The young Daoist boy waved his hand and said with a smile, “Don’t pat, don’t pat. My Daoist friend here has a bad temper.”

Chen Lingjun withdrew his hand and couldn’t help but remind him, “Daoist friend, I’m not trying to scare you, but this town is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There are unknown experts and hermits everywhere. When wandering around here, try not to flaunt your immortal aura or expert airs. It’s meaningless.”

Chen Lingjun then patted his chest and said, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Anyway, with me helping to lead the way, everyone will give you some face. As long as you don’t go too far with your words and actions, it won’t matter. If you really get into a conflict with someone, just give my name, Little Dragon King of Fallen Mountain. My name is Chen Lingjun, and my Daoist name is Jingqing. Oh, right, I have a friend who is doing a small business now, drawing Daoist books. They are ancestral Five Peaks True Form Maps, with some skills. If you need something like that, I can take you to my family’s shop, and sell it to you at cost. If my friend makes half a snowflake coin off you, I’ll smash my golden signboard.”

The boy asked with a smile, “Does Daoist Jingqing like to meddle in things so much?”

Chen Lingjun sighed, “There’s no other way. I was born with a kind and helpful nature. That’s why my old master agreed to bring me up the mountain to cultivate back then.”

The Daoist boy asked, “Who is your old master?”

Chen Lingjun chuckled, “It’s better not to say. We’ve only met by chance, so let’s be cautious and not pour our hearts out. That’s not being experienced.”

After that, Chen Lingjun led the boy riding the ox to see the Dragon Locking Well. During the trip, the boy gently patted the ox’s back and stopped at a certain place.

Back then, his disciple Lu Chen’s fortune-telling stall was not far from the old locust tree, which could be seen when looking up. Its branches and leaves were luxuriant and green.

The boy looked up at it. The old locust tree instantly reappeared in his eyes, but in his view, although the ancient tree was magnificent, it would soon lose its vitality and life. However, human affairs were mostly like this. The sun and moon sped by, the years passed like shuttles, and dust rose again from the sea.

Chen Lingjun casually asked, “Who are you trying to visit after traveling so far, Daoist friend?”

The Dao Ancestor smiled, “That One.”