Listening to the sincere words of the boy in azure robes, the middle-aged monk was the first to speak, “Then let’s observe further. Inclinations…”

The venerable old scholar chuckled, “In my opinion, this is quite auspicious. After waiting for over ten thousand years, why rush for a moment?”

The Dao Ancestor nodded, smiling at the blue ox, “Since there’s nothing pressing for now, feel free to wander around, but remember not to cross the boundary. Also, be more magnanimous; don’t hold grudges about today’s events. Being too petty might be beneficial for your cultivation, but not for your character.”

Without the suppression of the Great Dao, the blue ox instantly transformed into a human form, a tall, slender old Daoist with a dignified and awe-inspiring presence.

It was none other than the old master of the Daoist temple in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, the undisputed master of that realm. Because Lotus Flower Blessed Land was connected to Lotus Cave Heaven, he often crossed swords with the Dao Ancestor, comparing their Daoist techniques.

The old master was also the mastermind behind the painting of Zhu Lian, Sui Youbian, and the other two, and was recognized as one of the most powerful Fourteenth Realm great cultivators in the world.

He was one of the oldest and most experienced beings in the world, on par with the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue, Bai Ze, and Chu Sheng.

Ignoring age and only considering the “Dao age” of cultivation years, figures like Liu Shiliu of the Confucian lineage and Zhang Lu, who concealed his identity on the Great Wall of Sword Qi, were considered juniors.

Each time the old master ventured out on a long journey, it was like a travelogue of immortal verse.

Moreover, in those ancient times, near Falling Treasure Beach at Bixiao Cave, he had been invincible since emerging from his abode, a figure who rarely showed mercy.

That is, until he encountered a young-looking human cultivator, and was relegated to a mount. Afterwards, the human realm had the saying of “that stinky-nosed old Daoist”.

Chen Lingjun subtly raised his head, glancing sideways. Compared to Brother Jia of Riding Dragon Lane, this one was indeed more like a celestial being.

If the old Daoist had initially appeared in this form, Chen Lingjun would probably have mistaken the Dao Ancestor who rode the ox for a fire-tending servant, doing chores like tending the furnace and fanning the flames.

The old master glanced at the boy in azure robes still sitting on the ground, a daring little pest.

Chen Lingjun immediately lowered his head, shifted his buttocks, and turned to look elsewhere. “If I can’t see you, you can’t see me.”

The old master smiled, “Fellow Daoist Jingqing, your master has regained some face in Lotus Flower Blessed Land, thanks to you.”

Chen Lingjun didn’t lift his head, slumping his shoulders, and mumbled, “Ignorance is bliss. If the old immortal bothers with such a small matter, he wouldn’t be so celestial.”

That being said, if the three founders of the religions weren’t present, Chen Lingjun would already be busy polishing the old immortal’s shoes and massaging his legs. As for rubbing his shoulders and back, that was out of the question; he lacked the height to reach. Jumping up to pat him on the shoulder was out of the question; he would never do something so uncouth.

The old master chuckled, then his figure dissipated, truly wandering elsewhere as the Dao Ancestor had said, leaving not a ripple that even Pi Yunshan and Wei Bo could detect.

The town’s subplots and connections were numerous and fragmented, some completely severed, others still clinging on, intricate and complex. The old master was quite pleased with this, as grasping the key points was his Dao. Observing the Dao in this manner would be greatly beneficial.

The Dao Ancestor came from the east, riding his ox through the door as if passing a checkpoint, unknowingly granting the old Lihou Cave Heaven an auspicious sign of purple qi coming from the east, hidden for now, but slowly revealing itself in the future.

Without needing to act intentionally, wherever the Dao Ancestor walked, that place was where the Great Dao resided.

This was still in the Vast World. If it were in the Azure Abyss World, the various auspicious phenomena would be even more exaggerated.

The Dao follows its own course, and the Dao Ancestor didn’t intentionally conceal such phenomena, but as a guest in the Vast World, he restrained himself somewhat out of respect for the rules established by the Sage of Rites.

The Dao Ancestor walked towards the Yang family shop, intending to sit on the long bench under the eaves in the backyard.

The middle-aged monk went to the Dragon Kiln, the one where Old Yao was the master craftsman.

Only the Supreme Sage remained beside Chen Lingjun. The old scholar joked, “Is it because sitting and talking doesn’t hurt the back, so you’re unwilling to get up?”

Chen Lingjun had just stood up when his limbs went limp, and he plopped back down on the ground, embarrassed. “Replying to the Supreme Sage, I can’t stand up.”

The old scholar smiled, “Your courage has become so small? You were quite fierce before I appeared.”

Chen Lingjun was embarrassed. “Just messing around, it doesn’t count. I was blind, please don’t blame me.”

The old scholar smiled, “For a cultivator, all their spirit resides in their eyes. Climbing the mountain to prove the Dao, to be a human or not, lies solely in the heart.”

Chen Lingjun was filled with emotion. The Supreme Sage’s knowledge was truly vast, speaking in such profound terms.

The old scholar asked, “Jingqing, can you take me to Mud Bottle Alley?”

As soon as Chen Lingjun heard that it was Mud Bottle Alley, he immediately jumped up. “No problem!”

The old scholar was puzzled. “Oh, where did you get the strength now?”

Chen Lingjun scratched his head, blushing. “I don’t know what’s going on, but as soon as I hear about my master, I become fearless.”

The old scholar hummed and said, “Perhaps everyone has their own backbone, which helps us to confront the entire world as we walk through the complex world. If we lose, it’s hardship. If we win, it’s peace.”

Taking advantage of the fact that the other two had gone far away, Chen Lingjun tentatively asked, “How about I kowtow to the Supreme Sage a few more times?”

The old scholar waved his hand and smiled, “No need, I get annoyed hearing too many kowtows.”

Chen Lingjun carefully asked, “Supreme Sage, why doesn’t Mountain Lord Wei know that you’ve arrived in town?”

The boy in azure robes quickly added, “Mountain Lord Wei is very polite. If it weren’t for something truly important, Wei Bo would definitely take the initiative to come and pay his respects.”

Personal grievances and the rules of the martial world were two different things.

How Wei Bo treated him, and how Wei Bo treated Fallen Mountain, had to be kept separate. Besides, Wei Bo had been quite decent to him.

The old scholar smiled, “Because the matter of touring the town isn’t within the vein that the Dao Ancestor wants people to know. Since the Dao Ancestor intends it to be so, of course Wei Bo can’t see the three of us.”

Chen Lingjun sighed in admiration. “The Dao Ancestor’s Dao techniques are truly high.”

The old scholar smiled, “It’s not just the Dao techniques that are high. If we had really fought earlier, I would have been afraid.”

Chen Lingjun, in a moment of genuine emotion, lost his restraint and laughed heartily, “Losing people doesn’t mean losing face, I understand that principle…”
His voice dwindled with each word, the incorrigible habit of speaking without thinking rearing its head again. In the end, Chen Lingjun sheepishly changed his tune, “I don’t know a damn thing, the Sage is magnanimous, just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

The venerable Sage seemed unfazed.

Along the way, they passed by the New Year’s shop on Riding Dragon Lane. Chen Lingjun didn’t dare to glance even sideways, how could he casually introduce the Sage to Old Jia. The Sage turned his head to look at the New Year’s shop and the herbal medicine shop. “The businesses seem to be doing alright.”

Chen Lingjun nodded. “Small ventures, fair prices, a steady trickle. Truth be told, they don’t make much of a profit. But my Old Master handles so much celestial money, yet he cares a great deal about the gains and losses of these few silvers and coppers, often coming down the mountain to personally examine the accounts. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Stone Shopkeeper and Old Jia’s character, it just seems that seeing the surplus on the account books makes him very happy.”

The Sage nodded. “That’s a good habit. Able to earn small money, able to keep big money. Year after year, more and more is accumulated, and the foundation of a household becomes even more solid, each year better than the last.”

Chen Lingjun sighed, looking up at the venerable Sage, and said sincerely, “The Sage speaks so plainly, even I can understand it.”

The Sage seemed to ponder something, and smiled. “Since the Fifth and Sixth Patriarchs of Zen Buddhism, the Dharma Gate has been widely opened, not selecting roots. In fact, the Buddhist Dharma began to be spoken of very plainly, and emphasis was placed on ‘the mind itself is the Buddha, do not seek externally’. It is a pity that afterwards it gradually became lofty and obscure again, with countless Buddhist verses and sudden insights. The common people could no longer understand it. During that time, Buddhism had a step beyond not establishing words, ‘breaking words’. Many eminent monks directly said that they were unwilling to talk about Buddhism and discuss the Dharma. If we don’t talk about learning, but only talk about the propagation of the Dharma lineage, it is a bit similar to our Confucian ‘extinguishing human desires’.”

Chen Lingjun was confused, and didn’t dare to say much. Fortunately, the Sage didn’t seem to want to talk about it any further.

The two ascended Riding Dragon Lane together. The Sage asked, “Does this lane have a name?”

Chen Lingjun nodded vigorously. “Yes, it’s called Riding Dragon Lane. Further up, at the top of the lane, the locals are used to calling it Furnace Peak.”

The Sage nodded. “Sure enough, mysteries are hidden everywhere.”

Before leaving his hometown, Lu Chen had roamed freely in the Grand Righteous Heaven and Earth, and had once summoned dragons to plow the clouds and plant immortal herbs, with wind and rain following the Lord of the Clouds.

The Sage walked to the top of the steps, turned to look at the steps, and asked, “Jingqing, where is your place of enlightenment?”

Chen Lingjun was shocked, and asked in confusion, “The Sage has such great learning, are there things you don’t know?”

The Sage smiled. “It’s not that I can’t know, nor that I don’t want to know. It’s just that some of us need to restrain ourselves, otherwise the people, events, and myriad things of our respective worlds will be Dao-ified very quickly.”

“That’s why the Dao Ancestor often stays in the Lotus Small Grotto Heaven, and is even less willing to move around in that White Jade Capital. It’s just that he’s worried that once that ‘one’ exceeds half, everything will begin to return to one, involuntarily and irreversibly. First, the ordinary mortals at the foot of the mountain, then the cultivators on the mountain, and finally the Upper Five Realms. In the end, the entire Azure Underworld may only have a group of Fourteenth Realm Grand Cultivators left. The thousands of miles of rivers and mountains in the human world will all be dojos, with no place for ordinary people to stand.”

“This was a ten-thousand-year agreement made during the riverside talks. The Dao Ancestor is responsible for finding a solution, and he was the most worried about this from the beginning.”

“The Dao Ancestor’s Dao techniques are of course very high, those who are capable should do more, it’s only right and proper.”

Chen Lingjun listened with a bitter face, panicking, and muttered, “Sage, why are you telling me this?”

The Sage smiled. “I just heard it from someone. Just don’t tell it yourself. Besides, it’s hard for you to say these things now anyway. Jingqing, how about we make a bet? Let’s see if you can say the words ‘Dao Ancestor’ now? If you can tell others about the things you encountered with the three of us today, you win. Oh, let me give you a reminder, the only solution is to not establish words, it can only be understood, not expressed.”

Chen Lingjun’s heart stirred. He was just about to say something, like how he was going to brag to Old Jia, but he started to feel dizzy. He tried a few times, but it was the same. Chen Lingjun shook his head and simply stopped thinking about it. He said everything in detail. “My place of cultivation is the Imperial River of the Yellow Court Kingdom.”

The Sage said “Oh”. “The Yellow Court Scripture, that is a great scripture of Taoism. I heard that reciting this scripture can refine the heart and nature. After a long time, the worthy people will have ten thousand gods following them. There are thousands of spells, but if you study them carefully, they are actually similar paths. For example, the method of contemplation of cultivators is to plant rice in the heart field. The cultivation of qi refiners is to cultivate, and each breakthrough is a spring planting and autumn harvest in a year. The first level of the tenth realm of pure martial artists, the subtlety of vigorous qi, is also a similar path. Swallow mountains and rivers, turn them into one’s own use, see is believe, then return to the void, gather oneself, and turn into one’s own territory.”

“That’s why the Taoist school advocates emptiness, the Confucian school says that gentlemen are not utensils, and the Buddhist school says emptiness, all forms are not forms.”

Listening to these brain-wracking words, the Qingyi child’s forehead hair became strands because of the sweat, which was very funny. The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became.

Chen Lingjun spread out his hands, full of sweat, and wrinkled his face, pitifully saying, “Sage, I’m very nervous right now, I can’t remember what you old people are saying. Can you wait for my Old Master to go home and tell him? My Old Master has a good memory, likes to learn things, learns everything quickly. Tell him, he will definitely understand, and he can also draw inferences about other cases from one instance.”

The Sage remained noncommittal, smiled, and changed the subject. “Your Old Master’s teacher, that is, the Literary Sage Old Scholar, did he ever say anything about the word ‘Imperial’?”

Chen Lingjun looked dazed and at a loss.

The Literary Sage is my Old Master’s teacher, not my Grandfather Jingqing’s teacher. The Sage’s unpredictable test is a bit unreasonable, it’s really not in line with the rules of the pugilistic world.

Forget it, the Sage is not from the pugilistic world.

Alas, if the teacher was here, he could take whatever the Sage says. Could it be that I really have to read more books in the future? There are many books on the mountain, the old cook’s side, hehe…

Hehe my ass, the Sage is standing next to him, courting death. Chen Lingjun slapped himself directly, damn it, he used too much force, he settled his Qi in the dantian, and tensed his face.

The Sage smiled. “No need to be so restrained, eating and sex are human nature.”
The myriad desires of a person are inherent in their nature. While these desires may lead to many mistakes, each instance of recognizing, admitting, and correcting these errors is like adding a brick to the path of this world, adding a tile to the roof of the traveler’s abode. In truth, it is a good thing. As the Dao Ancestor said, even he is but a transient guest in this world, a profound truth indeed. But everyone can do what they can to make the path smoother for future generations, benefiting both themselves and others. Why not? Of course, if someone insists on pursuing only the purity of freedom in their heart, that too is an undeniable freedom.”

The Old Master smiled, offering his answer: “It is in the ‘Great Outline’ that it says the Son of Heaven held a jade tablet, the feudal lords held a black tablet, and the officials held ivory tablets. An earlier interpretation says ‘御’ (yu), means ‘to offer sacrifices.’ And even earlier, there’s an old calendar saying that the sages banished the four fiends, scattering them across the heavens and earth, to control the demons and monsters.”

The Sage, the First Teacher, patted the head of the young boy in green robes and chuckled: “A green snake in a box.”

Reaching the Mud Bottle Alley, Chen Lingjun still led the way, first introducing the renovated Cao family ancestral home, then leading towards the adjacent residences of Chen Ping’an and Song Jixin. The Old Master walked slowly, detouring slightly, and paused, looking at a spot beneath his feet, the place where the former kiln worker had buried the rouge box.

The Water God kindled the fire.

The Azure Child Heavenly Sovereign truly made things difficult for people.

This Rain Master, in the ancient Heavenly Court, was the second highest-ranking deity in the Water Department, second only to the Water God, Li Liu.

The apothecary Old Yang erased all traces of the “dispersal of Dao,” and this dispersal was very measured. It wasn’t the kind of dumping everything onto Chen Ping’an at once, but more like planting a seed in the heart of the Mud Bottle Alley youth, gradually allowing it to blossom.

The ancient deities of the old Heavenly Court didn’t have the later concepts of male and female. If a relatively precise definition were to be given, it would be the separation of Yin and Yang that arose from the Dao Ancestor’s teachings.

In the pouring rain, a gaunt youth blocked a richly dressed peer in this alley, grabbing the other’s neck.

The straw-sandaled youth once caught a small loach and casually gifted it to the snot-nosed kid, who kept it in a water vat.

Of course, the kiln worker’s buried rouge box was also here.

Song Jixin squatted on the wall to watch the excitement, and Chen Ping’an spoke up to save Liu Xianyang.

During their shared journey to the Great Sui Academy, after spending day and night together, Li Huai, deep in his heart, felt closest to and most recognized Chen Ping’an.

Countless similar “small matters” concealed extremely subtle and profound shifts in people’s hearts and transformations of divinity.

It wasn’t just Chen Ping’an’s silent gain, but also the loss of Chen Ping’an’s own divinity. This was what made Old Yang’s methods so formidable.

Each time he affirmed others, Chen Ping’an would lose a portion of divinity, but each time he affirmed something after self-denial, he could quietly consume a portion of the divinity accumulated within him.

Moreover, Li Baoping’s innocent heart, all her unrestrained thoughts and ideas, were, to some extent, a kind of “returning to oneness.” Ma Kuxuan’s unbridled recklessness, wasn’t that a form of purity as well? Li Huai’s boundless fortune, Lin Shouyi’s almost innate familiarity with the method of “guarding the One,” Liu Xianyang’s extraordinary talent, learning everything extremely quickly, possessing an ease far beyond ordinary people, Song Jixin using dragon qi as the starting point for his cultivation, Zhi Gui’s potential for a complete transformation, taking his progress to the next level after restoring his true dragon form, Xie Ling of Peach Leaf Lane’s path of “accepting, devouring, and digesting” Daoist techniques as the path to ascension, the Fire God Ruan Xiu and the Water God Li Liu’s overseeing humanity with supreme divinity, constantly gathering fragmented humanity…

All the young generation in the small town were mutually acting as diversions.

In this silent and imperceptible struggle for the Heavenly Dao, everyone originally had the hope of becoming that One.

The Old Master raised his arm and made a grasping motion above his head.

There are gods three feet above one’s head.

The ancient deities created the human race, taking water as the foundation. The water they scooped came from the River of Time. Only then did they take earth to form the shape, and humanity thus had its most rudimentary form and spirit.

Previously, the Dao Ancestor casually mentioned the interdependence of mountains and rivers while chatting with Chen Lingjun. In the end, it was actually talking about the fundamental path of human beings. The vast landscape of Haoran was like that, and so were people.

Therefore, Cui Dongshan once said that the three founders of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism were harmonious and never argued, solely on the matter of their affection for water.

Fire refining is a technique. What is being refined is precisely a portion of the pure divinity gifted by the gods to the human race. This is the Dao of Fire Refining Gold.

Therefore, humans on earth, who inherently possess divinity yet lack complete divinity, possess the seven emotions and six desires, with all sorts of complex mentalities.

What cultivators call shaping “golden branches and jade leaves” is taking the spiritual energy of heaven and earth as branches and leaves. This is Wood.

This is the earliest concept of the Five Elements of heaven and earth.

And where does the spiritual energy suitable for all sentient beings to cultivate and attain enlightenment actually come from? It is the remaining essence of the Heavenly Dao from the dissipation of numerous divine corpses, which has not completely merged into the River of Time.

This determines why the human race is the uniquely favored leader of all spirits in the world, and why the demon race must abandon their innate advantage of physical resilience and refine a human form if they want to cultivate and ascend.

In the past, the three founders of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism had an agreement with Old Yang. As long as the latter kept his oath, the three founders would not look at this place.

It was just that the Confucian, Buddhist, Daoist, and Military schools were essentially one family, and the sages of past generations were responsible for watching the Ascension Platform and the Sword Town Tower. After watching for so many years, in the end, they were still tricked.

Moreover, Old Yang, in fact, never violated the agreement in the end.

The Old Master smiled and thought, indeed, one can only be a thief for a thousand days, but one cannot guard against a thief for a thousand days. However, the most fundamental reason was that the Azure Child Heavenly Sovereign’s final choice was too clever, and there were too many diversions. The most critical point was that Old Yang didn’t choose Chen Ping’an from the beginning, but constantly placed bets, adding chips little by little. This kind of behavior was too inconspicuous in Old Yang’s ten thousand years of confinement. Which of the young generation in the small town, Song Jixin, Zhao Yao, Gu Can, didn’t receive a portion or even several portions of indirect gifts back then? In Chen Ping’an’s case, Old Yang’s betting was rather “stingy,” as if he only added fuel to the fire at several imperceptible key moments, keeping a lamp flickering in the wind and rain, but not extinguished.

For example, forcing a five-year-old child to go up the mountain to collect herbs in order to exchange them for money at the apothecary, and then buy medicine to take home and cook.

The principle of “equal exchange that cannot be moved by thunder,” how many adults, how many cultivators on the mountain, might live their whole lives without ever understanding it.
For instance, when Chen Ping’an was but a lad, crossing that river, someone needed to lend a hand lest the child be swallowed by the flood. Thus, Old Yang appeared.

The Old Master glanced towards the end of the alley, his eyes narrowed. Indeed, back then, the boy lingered in the lane, from dusk till night, finally waiting for someone to open their door. It was the woman’s own kindness that moved her, but also Old Yang’s deliberate guiding… No, not Azure Child Heavenly Sovereign! The Old Master took a step, leaning against the wall, one hand behind his back, the other with two fingers together, gently pinching the ethereal thread.

Could it be Old Yao, the reincarnation of the Medicine Buddha?

“Humanity is a cage gifted to mankind by the gods.”

“Freedom is a punishment.”

Buddhism speaks of self-nature, emphasizing that the mind is the Buddha, hoping that people can, with great perseverance, enlightenment, and compassion, slightly alter their course on that path leading to the complete and pure divinity at the mountain’s peak, and forge a new road.

The Old Master turned his head, like seeing a hungry child standing in the alley, thin and sallow, first hearing the sound of a door opening. The child seemed not to believe it, taking a few hesitant steps, then stopping, seeing the dim light pouring out from the doorway, blinking his eyes, and finally staring blankly at the woman who opened the door.

Hope in despair often arrives this way, not with joy, but with disbelief.

The light gradually radiating from the child’s eyes at that moment was as bright as a pair of eyes possessing the sun and moon.

A lonely and helpless child in a humble alley, at that moment, bloomed with a kind of unparalleled humanity.

It was hope.

And this humanity and hope would support the child’s growth.

The Old Master turned his head, looking across the wall, towards the future Book Scroll Lake, seeing the haggard face and withered spirit of the accountant.

The Old Master retracted his gaze, sighing. This Cui Chan, walking a dangerous path, was he not truly afraid that Chen Ping’an would kill Gu Can with a single punch, or simply leave?

Once Chen Ping’an’s lifeline of humanity was severed here, the aftermath would be unimaginable. Later, Chen Ping’an’s various travels and experiences, especially the tempering of hearts as Hidden Official, would make Chen Ping’an’s ability to conceal mistakes infinitely approach Cui Chan’s self-deception, becoming imperceptible.

Damn you, Embroidered Tiger, a slight misstep and Chen Ping’an might already be one who “repairs the old as old, rather than brand new.”

The Old Master muttered softly, cursing.

Chen Lingjun stood by the door of his master’s house, feeling safer here.

The Old Master turned his head and smiled, “Jingqing, wait here for a moment, I’ll go somewhere and be back soon.”

Chen Lingjun immediately straightened his back and replied loudly, “Understood! I’ll stay put!”

In Azure Luan Country, at a water god shrine, the River God Temple, covering more than ten acres, was fortunate not to be affected by the war and was preserved. Now, the incense is becoming more and more prosperous.

In the fourth courtyard’s veranda, the Old Master stood under a wall. On the wall were inscriptions, including Pei Qian’s “Heaven and Earth Harmonize Qi,” “Pei Qian Visited Here with Master,” and Zhu Lian’s cursive script, mostly dry strokes and light ink, more than a hundred words, completed in one breath. However, the Old Master focused more on the two lines of regular script above.

The Old Master looked up at the words, stroking his beard and smiling.

Moon in the sky, moon on earth, moon on shoulders carrying books, moon in eyes leaning on high, bamboo basket drawing water, shattered and round again.

Wind in the mountains, wind by the water, wind under feet flying on sword, wind turning pages in sage’s study, wind blowing duckweed, destined encounters.

What boundless wind and moon, shattered and round with destined encounters.

Lu Chen on the Sword Qi Great Wall said the moon in the sky is gathered snow, and the snow on earth is the shattered moon, ultimately speaking of the return of the one.

And Zhu Lian’s cursive inscription on the wall, more than a hundred words, all belonged to unintentional words. In fact, beyond the words, apart from the content, what it truly expressed was the meaning of “gathering like mountains, scattering like wind and rain.” The former Zhu Lian and the current Lu Chen can be regarded as a mysterious and distant echo.

How could the Dao Ancestor speak forcefully when he had such a direct disciple who only liked to watch plays and remain quiet and inactive?

The agitation in the Luminous Pearl Grotto-Heaven, to this extent, Lu Chen, who had been setting up stalls there for many years, contributed to it. He couldn’t escape the blame.

This time, temporarily lending a fourteenth realm Dao technique to Chen Ping’an to travel with several sword cultivators to the wild hinterlands was considered atonement.

The reason why the Dao Ancestor was willing to take another look at Chen Ping’an’s choice as the young Hidden Official was crucial.

Returning to Mud Bottle Alley.

The Old Master walked to Chen Lingjun, looking at the yellow mud wall in the courtyard. He could imagine that when the owner of the house was young, carrying a basket of wild vegetables on his back, returning from the river, he must have often held foxtail grass, stringing small fish, drying them into fish jerky, unwilling to waste anything. Crunchy, the whole fish jerky, the child would swallow it whole, still possibly not full, but able to survive.

The people regard food as heaven.

Grain and cloth, the foundation of the people and the country.

Every household, well-fed and clothed.

Travelers on the road, warm in clothing and shoes.

The Old Master stood outside the door, looking inside, silent for a long time.

Chen Lingjun leaned on the yellow mud wall, his feet dangling, muttering, “Most Holy Teacher, although my master is a sword immortal, a martial arts grandmaster, the master of Fallen Mountain, and the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, I know that my master’s deepest desire is to be a scholar with a clear conscience. It hasn’t been easy all along. No matter how you say it, the last meal anyone wants to eat is a beggar’s meal, right? Because they no longer have a home, they have to eat a beggar’s meal. And my master is nostalgic and grateful. How did he get his affinity with the elders? It didn’t fall from the sky. It’s because my master has been chatting with the old folks since he was a child. So, these years have actually been very hard. Every time he returns to his hometown, he comes here to sit, to remind himself not to forget his roots. You, old man, are the ancestor of scholars, you can’t let others bully him.”

The Old Master smiled, “What if forgetting his roots would make your master live easier?”

Chen Lingjun didn’t hesitate, “A good person will be safe for life, a safe person will be good for life!”

The Old Master smiled, “This is indeed a very beautiful thing, worthy of our hope.”
Chen Lingjun grinned, perching on the wall, finally able to do something for his Old Master.

The Old Master seemed to be in a good mood, patting the young man in green robes on the shoulder, his face full of smiles, “Let’s go.”

Chen Lingjun released his grip, landing on the ground, puzzled, “Sage Master, where are we going next? To the Temple of Literature and Military Arts?”

The Old Master smiled, “Having already patted the shoulder of the Dao Ancestor, what’s one more? In the future, when boasting at the wine table, who will be your match?”

Chen Lingjun was covered in sweat, waving his hands vigorously, speechless.

Sage Master, are you trying to set me up?!

The Old Master reached out and grabbed the young man’s arm, “What are you afraid of? Don’t be so timid.”

Chen Lingjun stood his ground, leaning back, almost bursting into tears on the spot, crying, “I’m not going, I really am not going! My Old Master believes in Buddhism, and I follow suit, with sincere devotion! The foremost principle of our Fallen Phoenix Mountain is to treat people with sincerity…”

If the Old Master ever found out, he would beat Chen Lingjun to death.

At the entrance to Fallen Phoenix Mountain, a table was placed on one side, and on the other, a young girl in black, with a golden carrying pole slung over her shoulder, a green bamboo staff resting across her knees, and a small cotton satchel hanging diagonally, sat on a small bamboo chair.

She saw an old Daoist standing by the table, rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things. The young girl leaned her carrying pole and golden pole against the bamboo chair, immediately stood up, trotted to the tall old Daoist, stopped, and looked up, asking, “Old Daoist, are you thirsty? We have tea here for guests.”

The young girl added, “It’s free!”

Seeing that the old Daoist didn’t speak, Xiaomili said again, “Hehe, it’s just that the tea isn’t famous. The tea leaves come from the old tea trees on our own mountain, hand-fried by the old cook. It’s this year’s new tea.”

The Old Guan Master nodded and sat down on the long bench.

He felt less angry than he did in the small town.

Otherwise, he would have to settle this score with Chen Ping’an. It would be beneath his dignity to attack that little crawler.

Barren land does not produce great things, and shallow waters do not harbor large fish.

Before boiling water and brewing tea, Xiaomili opened her cotton satchel, took out a large handful of melon seeds and placed them on the table. Actually, she had melon seeds in both sleeves, the young girl was showing off to outsiders.

Xiaomili asked, “Old Daoist, is this enough? I have more if you need it.”

The Old Guan Master was reminded of that “Friend Jingqing,” similar words but vastly different intentions. The Old Guan Master rarely showed a smile, saying, “It’s enough.”

The young girl in black told the old Daoist to wait a moment, and she busied herself.

Soon, she carried a tin can of tea leaves and a pot of boiling water, poured a bowl of tea for the old Daoist, and then took her leave.

The Old Guan Master asked with a smile, “Little girl, won’t you sit for a while?”

The young girl shook her head vigorously, “No, Sister Nuan Shu doesn’t allow it, saying it would make the guest uncomfortable drinking tea.”

Xiaomili finally reminded him, “Oh yeah, the tea was just boiled, Old Daoist, be careful it’s hot.”

The Old Guan Master smiled, the sincerity of her words reminded him of the barefooted boy who barged into Lotus Flower Blessed Land carrying “Long Qi” on his back.

Human affairs are as numerous as hairs, but my small matters are as big as bushels.

The Old Guan Master raised the teacup, asking with a smile, “You must be the Right Protector of Fallen Phoenix Mountain?”

Zhou Mili was about to turn around, immediately nodding vigorously.

The young girl smiled, her small face, large eyes, and sparse yellow eyebrows, all radiating joy.

If the old Daoist had been so open, she would have been seated long ago.

Xiaomili sat on the long bench, munching on melon seeds, not disturbing the old Daoist’s tea.

She suddenly noticed the old cook had arrived at the mountain gate, Xiaomili clapped her hands, curiously asking, “Old Cook, why are you coming down the mountain today? Have you finished reading the book?”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Not yet, I need to take my time.”

Xiaomili turned to look at the old Daoist, covering her mouth with her hand, “Old Daoist, Old Cook is our Fallen Phoenix Mountain’s chief steward, an unparalleled chef! If you two hit it off, you’ll be in for a treat!”

The Old Guan Master nodded, “Even an unwelcome guest, treated like this by the little girl, would want to make peace and get rich. Old friends in the Jianghu are bound to connect.”

Zhu Lian smiled, “Xiaomili, could you let me chat with this old Daoist alone for a few words?”

Xiaomili nodded obediently, opened her cotton satchel again, poured some melon seeds for both the old cook and the old Daoist on the table, sat on the long bench, turned her bottom, landed on her feet, then turned around, clasped her fist, and bid farewell.

Zhu Lian and the Old Guan Master clasped their fists, then sat down, facing each other, pouring himself a bowl of tea.

The Old Guan Master said with a smile, “Why hide it? What a waste of a handsome appearance that could please Heaven and Earth.”

Zhu Lian dismissed it with a smile.

Meeting again at the peak of cultivation, one recalls the guardian of the Daoist temple from long ago.

The Old Guan Master asked, “When will you awaken from your dream?”

Among those with the greatest hope of reaching the Fifteenth Realm after the Three Great Sect Ancestors, the man before him was definitely one.

Zhu Lian replied irrelevantly, “Life is like a book, and all the people and things we encounter are foreshadowings in the story.”

The Old Guan Master nodded, “That’s why it’s said that nothing is more coincidental than a book. Some coincidences are wonderfully inexplicable, such as being far away yet close at hand, Chen Eleven. Chen is One. One is Chen.”