Chen Ping’an, having borrowed several books from the Ministry of Astronomy, didn’t return to the Ren Yun Yi Yun Inn or the guesthouse. Instead, he took a single step and arrived atop the outer city wall of the capital. There, he spotted a ferry suspended in the airspace bordering the heartland of the kingdom. The two draconic energies emanating from it were exceptionally dense – True Dragon Zhi Gui and Prince Song Mu. It was like having two giant lanterns blazing in the yard next door to Mud Bottle Alley in the dead of night; impossible to miss.

Chen Ping’an then took another step, directly boarding the heavily guarded ferry. At the same time, he produced his Third-Class Offering token and held it aloft.

A martial general in armor, gripping his saber, and several cultivator-soldiers accompanying the ferry, had already formed a semi-circular encirclement, clearly intending to drive away any visitors. However, when they saw the Grand Li Ministry of Justice’s “Pass Without Hindrance” token, they refrained from immediately taking action.

The general asked in a deep voice, “Who goes there?”

The cultivator before them was clad in a green robe, his expression calm and composed.

They felt like they had seen him somewhere before, but couldn’t quite recall where.

A kindly-looking old cultivator said, “Please trouble Immortal Master to state your name so that it can be recorded on the ferry’s manifest. As for whether the Offering Immortal Master can remain on the ferry, we still cannot guarantee anything.”

Prince Song Mu, Crown Prince Song Xu, and Vice Minister of Rites Zhao Yao were all on board, so no one dared to be careless.

Chen Ping’an announced his name: “Chen Ping’an of Fallen Phoenix Mountain.”

The general was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood. He asked, “Are you Chen Mountain Lord, the one who almost did in those tortoise-grandson’s of the Righteous Sun Mountain?”

Chen Ping’an was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded. “If there are no mistakes, that would be me.”

The Righteous Sun Mountain was a smoky, corrupted Immortal family, only offering money and rarely contributing any real effort, let alone manpower. Aside from a handful of sword cultivators who dared to show their faces on the Old Dragon City battlefield, the rest of those so-called sword immortal embryos were simply wandering the mountains and rivers, always going to the safest places. The Grand Li military officers who led troops in battle saw this clearly and naturally looked down on Righteous Sun Mountain. Therefore, the Fallen Phoenix Mountain’s grand ceremony was a welcome sight.

The general’s face was full of smiles. He waved his hand, dissolving the ferry’s encirclement, and then clasped his fist and said, “Mountain Lord Chen didn’t carry his sword today, so I didn’t recognize you. Protecting the ferry is our duty, so please forgive any offense. This humble general will immediately have my subordinates report to Prince Luo.”

Song Mu’s enfeoffed territory was Luo Province. The ancient Luo River was also one of the sources of the later Central Great River.

This general was usually a taciturn man, but today he was unusually smiling, actively introducing himself. “My name is Liao Jun. I used to be under General Su, a mere foot soldier, not worth mentioning. I am friends with Guan Yiran, but unfortunately, I missed meeting Mountain Lord Chen at Shujian Lake. I often hear Yu Shanfang and Qi Qi mention Mountain Lord Chen, saying your drinking capacity is unmatched. After a drinking session, if even one person can still sit, it’s considered that Mountain Lord Chen didn’t drink to his heart’s content.”

It was actually a strange matter. Logically speaking, Chen Ping’an had not deliberately used any concealment techniques when he boarded the ferry. Since Liao Jun had seen that “Mirror Flower, Water Moon” mirage, he shouldn’t have failed to recognize the young Mountain Lord of Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

This was the result of Lu Chen’s entire body of Daoist techniques. Chen Ping’an had not fully digested that share of Daoist resonance and energy, making him seem like an unmoored boat as he walked in this world, with his person and the Heavens having a “well water does not intrude river water” relation. Therefore, in the matter of his “Daoist appearance,” he appeared naturally indistinct to outsiders. Only when Chen Ping’an announced his mountain gate and name did they suddenly seem to remember him. Otherwise, they would have no hope of seeing the clouds part and revealing the moon. Even earlier, when the Dao Ancestor visited the small town riding an ox, it was the same. When the Dao Ancestor didn’t want people to know his whereabouts, Heaven wouldn’t know, Earth wouldn’t know, and no one would know.

Chen Ping’an said with a mental voice, “My drinking capacity is average, it’s just that my drinking etiquette is passable. Unlike certain people, who use trick after trick, their hands shake as soon as they lift a bowl, and after every departure from the table, one could raise fish in the pools around their feet.”

Liao Jun was greatly relieved to hear this, and laughed heartily. He had suffered many losses at the hands of that fellow Guan Yiran. He condensed his voice into a line and secretly said to this witty young sword immortal, “I reckon it’s because our Guan Master is from Yi Chi Lane, so he naturally disdains the taste of Shujian Lake’s wine, preferring the taste of horse piss he’s used to drinking.”

Zhi Gui, dressed in a snow-white robe, stood on the top floor of the ferry, narrowing her eyes at the green-robed man she had last seen at the Grand River Shrine.

She was very annoyed by Chen Ping’an’s approachability and his desire to be kind to everyone.

It seemed that he could chat with anyone, and his eyes seemed to always find something beautiful.

If it were a pretense, that would be fine. But it wasn’t.

Chen Ping’an raised his head and asked with a mental voice, “As the newly appointed Water Lord of the Four Seas, escorting this ferry is your duty, but aren’t you afraid of being questioned by the Confucian Temple? If I remember correctly, the divine ranks on the Grand Li Golden Jade Register are not immovable iron rice bowls.”

After that Confucian Temple council, all kinds of measures were transmitted throughout the Nine Continents of the Great Bright World through the mountain and river gazettes.

Just speaking of the evaluation, promotion, and demotion of mountain and water deities, the secular dynasties below had handed over a portion of the authority to confer titles to the Confucian Temple, which was more like a Ministry of Personnel’s Merit Evaluation Department of the Imperial Court. On the Grand Li side, the Iron Talisman River Water God, Yang Hua, filled the vacancy of the temporarily empty Marquis of Everlasting Spring, which was a lateral transfer. His divine position was still the Third Rank, somewhat similar to a capital official being transferred to a local position. But being able to go out and govern a territory as a regional governor was considered an important appointment.

The old Jiaolong of Qian Tang River Fengshui Cave in Treasure Bottle Continent had just filled the position of Earl of Torrential Rain, one of the three Dukes and Earls of Qi River, which was, of course, a promotion. Huang Ting Country’s old Jiaolong, whose true name was Cheng Longzhou, transferred to the position of Headmaster of a Confucian Academy, going to Da Fu Academy in Tong Ye Continent to take office.

Each had their own opportunities.

Zhi Gui coldly smiled and said, “If I remember correctly, Mountain Lord Chen does not hold a position in the Grand Li Ministry of Rites. Could it be that after that council, the Confucian Temple rewarded you for your merits, granting you a real power position that matches your literary identity? Is that why you can interfere so much?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “We are neighbors of many years, so a reminder is not out of line. You should change your habit of not listening to good advice in the future.”

“You’ve only read a few books, and you need to change this habit of being fond of lecturing others. If you ask me, you were more likable when you hadn’t studied.”

Zhi Gui smiled and said, “It was better back then, being scolded at the Iron Chain Well could make people angry for several days.”

Both sides came from the “younger generation” of the simple and honest Li Zhu Cave Heaven. Speaking of language skills alone, they could be considered from the same ancestral hall.
Zhi Gui narrowed her golden eyes and wondered in her heart, “Fourteenth Realm? Where did that come from?”

She was already in the Ascension Realm.

As the sole True Dragon in the world, and an Ascension Realm cultivator possessing the fortune of a Jiao Dragon, her insight was naturally superior to that of ordinary mountain peak cultivators.

Chen Ping An said, “Borrowed it from someone. You happen to know that person too.”

Zhi Gui scoffed, clearly not believing Chen Ping An’s explanation.

Suddenly, she narrowed her long eyes, “Lu… Daoist Priest?!”

She almost blurted out his name directly.

It seemed she had found a weakness. She lightly tapped the railing with her finger, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, even learned to turn enemies into friends. People say a girl changes eighteen times as she grows, but only her appearance changed. But Mountain Lord Chen, your transformation is even greater. As expected of a Mountain Lord Chen who often travels far and wide. Truly, a man with money is something else.”

Chen Ping An was unfazed and asked, “Do you know about the Three Mountains Nine Marquis Gentleman?”

Zhi Gui smiled and said, “What if I do? What if I don’t?”

Her fair and jade-like palm had bulging blue veins, clearly indicating that she hated that Three Mountains Nine Marquis Gentleman with every fiber of her being, yet she was also terrified to the bone.

True Pearl Mountain was where Zhi Gui, as a True Dragon, held the “L骊 Pearl” in the past. The stream, known by the local people as Dragon Whiskers Stream, and later elevated to a river, was one of the true “Dragon Whiskers,” with the main street of the town, one Dragon Whisker hidden and the other visible. Furthermore, Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Lane represented the Dragon Neck and a section of the Dragon Spine, respectively. Every residence on Fortune Street was a talisman of suppression, and every peach tree in Peach Leaf Lane was like a dragon-binding nail, working together to confine a True Dragon with exposed bones, preventing it from moving even slightly.

The dozens of dragon kilns in the town, meticulously placed by experts who sought dragons and selected auspicious sites, were said to have a thousand years of uninterrupted fire. For Zhi Gui, this was akin to a ceaseless fiery torment. Every time the kilns were fired, it was like pouring boiling water into a frying pan, with the karmic fire drenching her divine soul.

Chen Ping An reminded her, “Don’t forget who allowed you to escape Iron Lock Well and later walk freely among humans in a human form.”

According to the earliest rules set by the Three Teachings, One Family Sage in L骊珠洞天, this was an act of grace outside the law, and even bordered on transgression.

Zhi Gui blinked her eyes, “Of course, it was because Qi Jingchun didn’t guard properly, what else could it be?”

Chen Ping An crossed his arms, turned his head slightly, listened intently, and smiled, “What did you say? I didn’t hear you clearly, say it again?”

Zhi Gui leaned on the railing and said with a smile, “Who do you think you are? Why should I say it again just because you want me to?”

After being neighbors for so many years, she knew Chen Ping An’s personality very well.

With him, a hopeless do-gooder, anyone could speak and act without restraint. After all, he was a pitiable creature who had been accustomed to glares and backstabbing since childhood. No need to worry about him holding grudges or retaliating. Most people don’t even believe in good being rewarded, but he stubbornly believed in evil being punished. He wasn’t afraid of ghosts since he was little, but he was a coward who didn’t dare to do anything bad or have any bad intentions. However, there were certain things where one shouldn’t cross the line.

The first time Zhi Gui saw Liu Xianyang, she didn’t like him. True Dragons in the world are born with inverse scales, and Liu Xianyang’s ancestors were skilled in disturbing, raising, and slaying dragons. Therefore, Zhi Gui possessed an innate aversion to Liu Xianyang, a descendant of dragon raisers.

At that time, Liu Xianyang was just an ordinary scholar, unaware of this, and had his marriage arranged by Tian Wan, so he thought Zhi Gui disliked him for being poor.

Song Jixin walked out of the cabin, followed by the Grand Li Crown Prince Song Xu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhao, and the girl who had rummaged through things and made a considerable profit. However, as soon as Yu Yu saw the green-robed sword immortal who liked to smile and kill without blinking, her face immediately turned bitter.

Although the one before her wasn’t the same as *that* one, that one was ultimately *him*.

In those few fights, he would grab her, turn around, and deliver an elbow to her chest, causing her to spew blood… or he would press down on her face and casually pull out all of her souls.

Moreover, among the Grand Li Earthly Branch cultivators, she was considered to have had a good ending. Some were even worse off.

Thinking of these unbearable and frustrating things, Yu Yu felt that there was still too little alcohol on the ferry.

Song Jixin asked with a smile, “Do you need something from me?”

Chen Ping An asked in return, “Isn’t it you who needs something from me?”

Song Jixin nodded, “Then let’s go inside and talk.”

Zhao Yao and the others tactfully stayed behind, allowing the two neighbors from Mud Bottle Alley to catch up alone.

In a room, Chen Ping An and Song Jixin sat facing each other. Zhi Gui stepped over the threshold but did not sit down, standing behind Song Jixin. She was a servant girl, and according to the customs in their hometown, women generally did not sit at the table for meals, and married women didn’t have a share in ancestral sacrifices.

Song Jixin cut to the chase, “Don’t kill anyone. This is my bottom line, or else I will be ready to clash with you and Fallen Mountain, no matter what the cost.”

Chen Ping An said, “Song Mu, you need to understand one thing first. It’s not that I’m making things difficult for her, it’s that she’s making things difficult for me.”

Zhi Gui smiled, “Young master is overthinking. How could a good person kill anyone? At most, he’ll just reason with them a little, teach them a slight lesson, and then leave with a flourish.”

Song Jixin stared intently at Chen Ping An and shook his head, “Repay kindness with kindness, and resentment with resentment. Repaying kindness with resentment is the mark of a villain, repaying resentment with kindness is the mark of a hypocrite. These aren’t my principles, but the teachings of the Great Sage Confucius.”

Chen Ping An turned to Zhi Gui and said, “Outsiders shouldn’t be here.”

Zhi Gui shook her head like a rattle-drum, “First, I’m not an outsider. Secondly, I’m not even human.”

Song Jixin said, “Zhi Gui, please leave for a moment.”

Zhi Gui pouted, and her figure vanished into thin air.

Chen Ping An suddenly raised a hand, forming a sword gesture with two fingers together.

In the next moment, Zhi Gui was forced out of the room, back to the rooftop corridor. She pressed her thumb against her cheek, where there was a faint bloodstain from being injured by sword qi.

Truly the legendary Fourteenth Realm!

Song Jixin poured two bowls of tea, placing a finger on one of the white porcelain teacups and gently pushing it towards Chen Ping An.

The tea set on the table was from the Dragon Province Kiln Supervision Office.

In less than a quarter of an hour.

Chen Ping An returned to the bow of the boat.

Leaving behind a Grand Li Prince, looking despondently at the teacup before him.

Zhao Yao had been waiting for Chen Ping An to return and asked in a mental voice, “The other two sword cultivators?”
In truth, when Zhao Yao first went to meet Chen Ping’an, he wasn’t without his concerns. He couldn’t help but worry that Chen Ping’an might be thinking about completing the Immortal Sword Tai Bai.

Chen Ping’an said, “Sword cultivator Liu Cai, truly outstanding in the Wildlands.”

Zhao Yao frowned, “Why ‘outstanding’?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I’m not sure. You can ask him yourself in the future. He’s currently cultivating in the Grand Profound Capital Temple and is already a sword cultivator.”

Zhao Yao smiled wryly, “He’s only in the Jade Purity Realm now. You want me to ascend to the Azure Heavens? That’s a matter for the year of the ox, month of the horse. It’s better to wait for Mister Bai to return to the Vast Expanse.”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “Since he could break the rules and return home from the Five Colors World, maybe he can break the rules and travel to the Azure Heavens.”

Zhao Yao was speechless.

Talking to this grudge-holding fellow was truly unpleasant.

Zhao Yao said politely, “Shall we return to the capital together?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “I’m going south to revisit some old places.”

Zhi Gui wore a detached expression, her golden eyes narrowed as she looked down at Chen Ping’an, thinking, “The current you is disappointing.”

Chen Ping’an crossed his arms and looked up at the woman, offering no explanation. He didn’t have much to say to her anyway.

But hearing Zhi Gui’s words, Chen Ping’an smiled instead.

At least in these years away from home, wandering with Song Jixin, she ultimately didn’t disappoint Mister Qi.

During the great war, she didn’t defect to the Wildlands. On the contrary, she proactively left the land to fight the former Queen Consort of the Crimson Throne, intercepting her attempt to flood Old Dragon City with a water-based divine power, even enduring a few blows to the head from the mountain-moving old ancestor, Zhu Yan.

After the war ended, she didn’t recklessly head to the Ruins, trying to establish her own power in the unrestrained Wildlands.

She didn’t vie for the title of Water Deity with Madame Dan Dan of Lushuikeng. Regardless of her thoughts, she didn’t cause a ruckus and break ties with the Confucian Temple.

Most importantly, she didn’t harm Song Jixin. Since she could steal dragon qi from Song Jixin in Niping Lane, she could now repay dragon qi to Prince Mu of Fan.

Once she did so, it would affect the fortune of an entire continent, potentially leading to the division of the Dali Song family, eventually forming a north-south confrontation.

Chen Ping’an turned around, extended his hand from his sleeve, and clasped his fist in farewell to the armored general.

Zhi Gui waited for that fellow to leave and returned to the house, finding Song Jixin a bit absent-minded. She sat down casually and asked, “Didn’t come to an agreement?”

Song Jixin remained silent, and after a long time, got up and said, “I’m not going to the capital. I’m going to the Wildlands.”

At the Cliffside Academy of the Great Sui.

Senior Brother Mao had already stepped down as Deputy Headmaster. Moreover, after the Confucian Temple’s discussion, he was no longer both the Minister of Rites of the Great Sui and the Headmaster of the Academy. A new Headmaster from another continent had arrived.

Chen Ping’an appeared at the summit of Dongshan, the academy’s mountain, standing on a branch of a tree, looking at the palace in the distance. The former prince, Gao Xuan, was now the new emperor of the Great Sui.

Back then, the small town was a mixed bag. Chen Ping’an’s first bag of gold essence coins, strictly speaking, was obtained from Gao Xuan. Added to the two bags Gu Can had left him, it was just enough to complete three types of gold essence coins: a coin for offerings, a coin for welcoming spring, and a coin for warding off evil. These three bags of gold essence coins were actually opportunities Chen Ping’an had missed. The earliest was the loach given to Gu Can. Later, when he met Uncle Li and they were discussing the price, Gao Xuan arrived later but got there first, forcibly buying the golden carp and a free dragon king basket before Chen Ping’an.

Afterward, this disciple of the Gao family of Yiyang County in the Great Sui, came to the Dali Dynasty as a hostage for a two-nation alliance, and had studied at the Yunshan Linlu Academy for many years.

At the Cliffside Academy, Gao Xuan often fished with Yu Lu. Actually, he was very familiar with Baoping and Li Huai too.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, but still didn’t go to the Great Sui Palace to find Gao Xuan. The newly enthroned emperor was currently busy reviewing documents in the imperial study.

The old eunuch, secretly called the “Inner Minister” of two dynasties by the Great Sui bureaucracy, was guarding the door. Then, a cultivator appeared to pay respects to His Majesty, seemingly named Cai Jingshen.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t familiar with him, but Cui Dongshan and Uncle Li seemed to be quite close to him.

Afterward, he just strolled along the lakeside of the academy for a while, disappeared again, and continued his journey.

A sizable immortal ferry port was located on the border between the Southern Jian Kingdom and the Ancient Elm Kingdom. The mooring point for the ferries was a large lake called Baobaochun (Reporting Spring) Lake.

According to Zhang Shanfeng, in ancient times, a goddess was in charge of reporting spring, managing all the flowers, plants, and trees in the world. As a result, a large tree within the Ancient Elm Kingdom always bloomed and withered out of season. The goddess issued a divine edict, ordering the tree not to open its mind, hence the later saying that an elm knot could not be enlightened.

If Chen Ping’an remembered correctly, the scholar surnamed Chu from the south only had a fifth-realm cultivation back then. This was indeed inconsistent with its years of existence.

Cultivators on the mountain had the saying of nominal age and real age, which was a different calculation from the age below the mountain. This ancient elm tree spirit was truly a typical case of being thousands of years old in nominal age but very young in real age.

At that time, Chen Ping’an had little knowledge and a narrow perspective. At first, he mistakenly thought that the other party was a member of the Ancient Elm Kingdom’s royal family. Otherwise, based solely on the surname Chu, Zhang Shanfeng’s allusions, and the other party’s claim to be from the Ancient Elm Kingdom, he should have guessed.

For spirits and monsters, once they successfully transform, their true name is of utmost importance.

According to Xu, the Master of Zhaoling’s method of deciphering characters, the character Chu (楚) has Lin (林) above and Pi (疋) below, with Pi (疋) interpreted as “foot.” Shuangmu (双木) means forest (林), so it means that there are feet under the trees (树下有足). That Ancient Elm Kingdom’s royal tutor uses this as his surname.

Chen Ping’an looked up at the sky above the ferry port.

Ancient Elm Kingdom, Great Mao Prefecture.

The royal surname of the Ancient Elm Kingdom was also Chu, and the Ancient Elm Tree Spirit, who went by the alias Chu Mao, had been serving as the royal tutor of the Ancient Elm Kingdom for quite some time.

At this moment, Chu Mao was dining, with a table full of exquisite delicacies, a pot of tribute wine taken from the palace, and two young maids serving him. He was truly living a god’s life.

Judging by the effort he put into his meals, one could tell that he was a refined person.

Of course, this royal tutor was very polite back then, wearing a snow-white armor formed from a military armor pill, and vigorously patting the mirror in front of his chest, begging Chen Ping’an to punch him.

That was the first time Chen Ping’an had seen a military armor pill. It seemed to be from the Ancient Elm Kingdom’s imperial treasury.
Du Yu of the Ghost Axe Palace, whom Chen Ping’an later encountered in Northern Ju Continent, was a hero of the same ilk as Chu Mao – one begged to be hit, while the other offered three free moves.

Chen Ping’an stood at the doorway, slightly unleashing a trace of his cultivator’s aura.

Chu Mao, with a tense face, coldly scoffed, “Guests are welcome, why be so sneaky?”

Without turning his head, he continued to pick at his food with chopsticks.

A cultivator in the Cave Mansion realm, not low in cultivation, yet so audacious.

At the doorway, a blue-robed man with hands in sleeves appeared, smiling, “State Preceptor Chu, how have you been?”

Chu Mao frowned slightly, slowly turning his head. However, upon seeing the man’s face and figure, the State Preceptor immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

On the other hand, the two maids serving the State Preceptor’s meal were still oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

They only thought that the blue-robed man who had jumped over the wall was very bold and, well, quite handsome.

Chu Mao had to hold onto the table to steady himself. He slowly stood up, took a few steps back, first straightened his robes, then took a jade pendant from his sleeve and hung it at his waist. Finally, he bowed deeply and said, “Chu Mao, a Qi Refining cultivator from the Ancient Elm Kingdom, greets Sect Master Chen.”

*This old man* wasn’t blind, he had watched the mirage of the Righteous Sun Mountain with great delight, drinking plenty of wine.

As for Chu Mao’s “Peace and Tranquility” pendant issued by the Dali Ministry of Justice, it was, of course, of the lowest grade.

However, Chu Mao couldn’t fathom why such an unattainable Sword Immortal would come to the tiny Ancient Elm Kingdom.

Chen Ping’an took out a similar pendant from his sleeve, “What a coincidence, I have one too.”

He hadn’t expected this kind of tribute token to be so useful.

Chu Mao immediately changed his tune, “It’s an unimaginable honor to be a Dali tribute cultivator alongside Sword Immortal Chen. Before this, I foolishly hoped to exchange it for a second-class tribute title, but now, even if Dali were to award me a first-class Peace and Tranquility pendant, I would refuse it.”

Chen Ping’an stepped over the threshold, twisted his wrist, revealing the crimson gourd-shaped sword-nurturing vessel, and smiled, “You yourself said that whenever I passed by the Ancient Elm Kingdom, I must visit you. Even drinking in the royal palace would be fine. You even suggested I pick a snowy night so we could sit on the palace roof, openly drinking and enjoying the snow. Even if the emperor knew, he wouldn’t chase us away.”

Back then, Chu Mao claimed to have a relationship of mutual support and wariness with the Chu Emperor. Looking back, it was a very honest statement.

Chu Mao stood there, speechless, as if struck by lightning.

How could the blue-robed Sword Immortal before him be the young man from back then?!

It had only been a few decades. Back then, he and the young sword cultivator had met in a narrow encounter, and their fight could be considered… evenly matched, right?

Besides, couldn’t a Sword Immortal of the Upper Five Realms just treat a small Ocean Viewing stage monster like a fart?

Why dig up old grudges and lose your immortal grace?

Chen Ping’an moved a chair and sat down, smiling at a maid, “Please trouble the young lady to bring another set of chopsticks and a bowl.”

Chu Mao was about to scold the dull-witted goose for being so clueless, but he noticed the Sword Immortal’s ambiguous gaze. Chu Mao immediately said to the maid with a gentle expression, “Remember to bring a few more jars of good wine.”

After Chen Ping’an sat down, he casually asked, “Do you still have dealings with that White Deer Daoist?”

It was hard not to remember the White Deer Daoist, one of Chu Mao’s allies.

He came quickly and ran even faster.

Back then, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Chu Mao immediately called for the Mountain God of Qin and the White Deer Daoist to come and help. Unexpectedly, the White Deer Daoist, who had just landed gracefully on the veranda, barely touched the ground before tiptoeing away. He conjured a white deer mount with his horsetail whisk and left in a hurry, muttering, “Mother, a sword cultivator!”

In reality, Chen Ping’an couldn’t be considered a sword cultivator back then.

Whether a flying sword has a Natal Divine Ability is paramount.

As for First and Fifteenth, the two flying swords that had accompanied Chen Ping’an the longest, he still hadn’t been able to find their Natal Divine Abilities.

Chu Mao became increasingly apprehensive and sighed, “Daoist White Deer was slightly injured in the previous war and is now traveling to other continents to clear his mind. He said that after visiting all nine continents of the Great Purview, he would definitely go to the Sword Qi Great Wall to broaden his horizons. He would even have the audacity to offer a toast to the fallen Sword Immortals. The Daoist also said that he didn’t know the value of the Sword Qi Great Wall before. Only after such a bitter battle, where high-ranking immortals were dying like flies, did he realize that the seemingly unrelated Sword Qi Great Wall had been protecting the Great Purview for ten thousand years. What a spirit, what an arduous task.”

In fact, after returning to the Ancient Elm Kingdom’s capital, Chu Mao had dispatched a group of assassins – two pure martial artists and two wild mountain hermits – to assassinate the young sword immortal. However, they were all like clay oxen entering the sea, meat buns hitting a dog – gone without a trace.

So, over the years, Chu Mao hadn’t sought revenge in Rouge County of Colorful Garment Kingdom. He admitted defeat. Never provoke a sword cultivator.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “With State Preceptor Chu’s Dao foundation, why didn’t you join the Savage Desolate Monster Race back then?”

Chu Mao smiled, “I am a spirit monster, not an animal.”

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl, “Let’s drink to that.”

Chu Mao hurriedly held his cup with both hands, waiting for the blue-robed Sword Immortal to drink first before raising his head and finishing the wine in one gulp.

Chu Mao refilled the wine and quickly offered some pleasantries, “If Sword Immortal Chen didn’t have his own mountain and couldn’t free himself, unlike the carefree Great Sword Immortal Wei of the Wind and Snow Temple, otherwise, if he went to the Sword Qi Great Wall, with Sword Immortal Chen’s talent, he would be no less than Great Sword Immortal Wei.”

Chen Ping’an raised his wine bowl and lightly tapped it against Chu Mao’s wine cup, smiling, “Grudges should be settled separately. Now that we’ve had a drink, let’s let it all go. However, there is one thing I must thank you for.”

He was referring to the fact that the Baofu Store (Lucky Treasure Trove) had picked up money, resulting in a grand opening.

The young sword immortal didn’t say what it was, and Chu Mao certainly didn’t dare to ask.

Finally, when the young sword immortal smiled and said goodbye, Chu Mao still felt like he had woken from a dream.

On a secluded mountain near a mountain god temple, the view was open and suitable for admiring the scenery. Three women had spread out a Colorful Garment Kingdom rug and laid out wine, pastries, and various fruits.

As the old saying goes, in the mountains, beautiful women are either ghosts or demons.

Of course, there are also goddesses, the most yearned-for of the down-on-their-luck scholars.

The young girl was happily rolling around on the blanket.
Haha, truly all things are difficult at the start, but once begun, nothing is difficult.

Made it, made it! Finally prosperous! This old lady is finally rich! Finally, I don’t have to live under someone else’s roof and watch their faces!

It was none other than Mountain God Lady Wei Wei, bringing two temple maidens to drink wine here.

In those early years after being promoted to Mountain God Lady, all her family wealth was spent on building the temple. The more magnificent and imposing it looked, the more money she threw at it. She didn’t have any experience at first. Having been accustomed to being the Comb-Water Country Four Fiends, robbing and intercepting wealth, how would she know how to be a Mountain God Lady? Wasn’t this like a maiden in a sedan chair, a first-time experience? So she didn’t even think about saving money.

That lowliness was truly outrageous. She had to temporarily borrow incense offerings from the City God to maintain the mountain’s aura. Because she owed too much incense, the County City God called her “Grand Aunt” whenever he saw her, even more miserable than she was. He said he was already tightening his belt to make ends meet, and it wasn’t an act, he was truly implicated by her. But the Prefecture City God was not kind enough, and gave her the cold shoulder. When she arrived at the Supervising City God Temple, the governing body of the state’s underworld, even a lowly errand boy could give her a scornful look.

The world of mountain and river deities is truly hard to navigate.

When Wei Wei was still a female ghost, she had already complained about this world, that it was hard for people to live, and hard for ghosts to be ghosts.

Unexpectedly, after finally becoming a Mountain God Lady enjoying incense offerings, she was still constantly strapped for cash.

The turning point came after the visit of that green-robed sword immortal. From then on, the Mountain God Temple began to have a change of fortune.

So much so that Wei Wei privately gave that section of the mountain road near the temple a special name, calling it “Watershed.”

Chen Ping An, taking advantage of Wei Wei’s absence from the Mountain God Temple, sat on the long bluestone slab outside the temple.

Listening from afar to the Mountain God Lady and the two divine maidens recounting the twists and turns of her trip to the capital, he treated it as listening to a storyteller.

It turned out that the three of them had “carefully” selected a scholar heading to the capital for the imperial examinations, which had indeed been a big undertaking and a long wait. If Chen Ping An hadn’t reminded them early on, if they had only been focusing on the scholarly talents within their own mountain boundaries, it was estimated that the Mountain God Temple would have been so destitute that they wouldn’t even be able to afford food.

At first, that scholar simply didn’t bother walking the mountain road, and would only bypass the Mountain God Temple. What to do? Just follow Chen Ping An’s method: send a dream down the mountain!

According to Wei Wei’s assessment, the scholar’s ability in the imperial examination essays was not bad. According to his own literary fortune, he belonged to the category of barely passing. As long as he didn’t make a stupid mistake in the examination hall, it was a certainty. But to say that he could pass as a proper Second Class Scholar was a bit of a stretch, but not entirely impossible. If Wei Wei added her full support and granted him literary fortune, lighting a large red mountain and river lantern behind the scholar, he might indeed have a chance to enter the Second Class.

But it was just that the scholar’s appearance was really too unsightly, with a crooked face and a cracked jaw.

At first, Wei Wei’s maidens were reluctant, complaining that the scholar was too ugly, saying that she really… couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Wei Wei grabbed her ear in anger, scolding her for being obtuse. It was just entering a dream, what was there to “bring yourself to do?” It wasn’t like she was asking her to have a night of love and passion with him.

After a clumsy dream transmission, fortunately, it was the first time in the scholar’s life that he had encountered such a thing, otherwise the flaws would have been obvious. Even Wei Wei herself felt it was unbearable. Later, she gritted her teeth and asked for a mountain and river register. The Mountain God descended the mountain, trying to stay away from waterways, and cautiously made a trip to the capital. That so-called “certain important court official” mentioned by Chen Ping An, hadn’t explicitly said who it was, but both sides understood. Wei Wei was very familiar with this already powerful figure, but once Wei Wei became the Mountain God Lady, the two sides had tacitly drawn a line between themselves.

That guy was no easy target, and didn’t care about old friendships. He beat around the bush and used bureaucratic language, saying that the imperial examination was a major national affair and should not be interfered with, as it would break the rules.

Wei Wei, who originally wasn’t too willing to mention Chen Ping An, had no choice but to invoke the name of this sword immortal.

Well, well.

The name Chen Ping An was simply the best panacea in the world.

Although that guy only said “don’t have too much hope” at the time, Wei Wei still had some understanding of human relationships. That scholar’s passing as a scholar was a sure thing. As for becoming one of the top three in the First Class, Wei Wei didn’t dare to hope for that, as long as he wasn’t at the bottom of the list of scholars.

As a result, that scholar directly obtained the top spot in the Second Class, which was like a dream to the scholar.

Wei Wei and the two maidens felt almost the same way after hearing this great news.

As soon as the newly crowned scholar had free time, he immediately hurried to the Mountain God Temple on horseback, burning incense, kowtowing, with tears in his eyes, and was extremely devout.

It was at that moment, watching with her own eyes the wisps of pure incense offerings rising within the temple, that Wei Wei suddenly had a sense of enlightenment.

It seemed like she instantly understood a series of principles, and truly understood how to serve as a mountain and river deity.

Chen Ping An sat on the bluestone bench next to the ancient pine tree, holding the sword-nurturing gourd and slowly drinking wine.

Over on Wei Wei’s side, she laughed and said, “Our Chen Gongzi, who cherishes women, speaks those underworld slang even more fluently than we do! Truly, you can’t judge a book by its cover!”

She then casually spoke about the events in that mountain and river travelogue, and Wei Wei burst into laughter.

Chen Ping An rolled his eyes.

He wouldn’t stoop to her level.

In the mountain and river territories surrounding the temple, many fist-sized red lanterns were indeed hung up, these were all symbols of the Mountain God’s protection, small and exquisite.

There were those from wealthy families, as well as those from humble alleys in the marketplace.

A seed of good karma, as long as it can truly blossom and bear fruit, has the potential to bloom into a field of flowers.

When one thing goes smoothly, everything goes smoothly.

At the border between the two countries, there were no longer any of the Comb-Water Country Four Fiends causing trouble and harming people. It was originally a scenic place, with both towering mountains suitable for exploring secluded spots, and easily accessible places for enjoying the scenery. Otherwise, Wei Wei wouldn’t have chosen this place as the location for the temple. In addition, there were many tales of the strange and unusual, as well as mountain and river stories. Within the temple grounds, there was also an official road. As the world became peaceful again, there were more scholars and women going on outings and enjoying the mountains and rivers. People from the martial world, traveling scholars, merchants and escorts, people from all walks of life, and the incense offerings at the Mountain God Temple became more and more abundant.

A devout Buddhist benefactor came to the temple and donated a considerable sum of money for incense offerings.

So Wei Wei built a temple in her own territory. The scale was not large, but she specifically hired a temple manager, and repaired those dilapidated Buddhist statues that had been collected long ago, either gilding them or painting them. In short, she did not embezzle a single tael of silver from the money donated by the benefactor.
That grand pilgrim from a certain state capital once specifically chose the fifteenth day of the first month to burn the first incense stick. He had been waiting here since the fourteenth, and after inspecting the temple, he was very satisfied. Wealthy people might be muddleheaded in other matters, but they were the hardest to deceive when it came to making and spending money. So he immediately saw the meticulousness of the Mountain God Shrine and, being very generous, simply donated a large sum of silver to the shrine as a reciprocal gesture.

Wei Wei had once been a specter and had seen his fair share of money. He mostly dealt with spirit money, but incense offerings truly couldn’t be converted using spirit money.

That seemingly unremarkable grand pilgrim, merely a mortal scholar who had genuinely earned his money down the mountain, said something sincere at the time that Wei Wei remembered vividly.

“Actually, I am not doing good deeds, bestowing money upon others, but rather others are bestowing good karma upon me.”

Dali’s secondary capital, Luoyang.

His Majesty the Emperor still had not yet graced the secondary capital with his presence.

The aged Minister of Rites in the secondary capital, Liu Qingfeng, was old and frail, bedridden and had been absent from the government office for a long time.

In fact, in the vast world, many dynasties had precedents for two capitals, three capitals, or even more secondary capitals.

Nowadays, the government offices in Luoyang, not just the Ministry of Rites, but even other ministries, had officials suggesting that the north and south capitals be merged into one imperial capital, without distinguishing between primary and secondary.

There were undercurrents flowing.

It was just one way of saying two different ideas.

Today, the old man heard a long-lost greeting of “Teacher Liu” and opened his eyes, gazing intently at the uninvited guest who had appeared out of thin air. With some effort, he nodded and smiled, “Compared to your restraint back then, you are much more unrestrained now. That’s a good thing. Please, sit.”

Liu Qingfeng sat up, taking a pillow to lean against.

In the warm pavilion, there was actually a maidservant.

Chen Ping’an found a chair, gently placed it down, and sat not far from the bed, his hands on his knees, and said softly, “Teacher Liu, you can just speak while lying down.”

Liu Qingfeng smiled, “I’ll have plenty of time to lie down later, there’s no rush now.”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly.

Liu Qingfeng pointed to the desk, “How to govern corrupt officials in a dynasty, there’s no need to say more. It’s the most important thing besides the country’s military affairs. And our Dali is doing exceptionally well in this regard. However, the downsides of certain upright officials’ ways of governing are relatively subtle. It’s difficult for me to write now, so I’ll have to take advantage of my remaining strength before I die and dictate, having someone else write it down for me, to quickly produce a memorial. They mistakenly believe that governing should not be for personal gain, so they become stubborn and act harshly, which is not the Doctrine of the Mean taught by the sages.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “I once saw a similar saying in a small collection of travel notes, saying that corrupt officials only cause thirty percent of the harm to the country, while the disasters caused by this kind of upright official account for seventy percent.”

“That’s not quite the case, it’s an exaggeration, but it’s also reasonable. If you don’t say a few strange or harsh words, who will listen or pay attention?”

“By the way, I’ve read that booklet. You helped a woman change her name, making ‘Cuihuan’ more elegant as ‘Huancui’.”

Chen Ping’an smiled knowingly and nodded gently, “So Teacher Liu has actually read it.”

That travelogue didn’t sell well in Baoping Continent, and it had long been out of print.

This was enough to show the breadth of reading and the good memory of this old Minister Liu. This was probably what was meant by extensive knowledge and a strong memory, especially since the old man was not a Qi refiner.

“The most delightful part is when the person in the book helps this prostitute escape her misery, handling both public and private matters flawlessly, layer by layer, watertight?”

Chen Ping’an nodded again, “As Teacher Liu said, that’s indeed the case.”

Liu Qingfeng smiled, “Handling a good deed flawlessly, so that the beneficiary has no worries at all. Even if it’s just something in a book, you and I as onlookers, when we read to this point, we should feel a bit gratified.”

Chen Ping’an could only continue to nod obediently.

Liu Qingfeng was silent for a moment and said, “Liu Qingshan and Liu Boqi, I’ll have to trouble Mr. Chen to take care of them in the future.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Teacher Liu, just rest assured.”

Liu Qingfeng smiled, “In case of any unexpected events, if you can’t take care of them, there’s no need to feel guilty. If you can’t do that, then let’s just forget about it. We won’t make things difficult for each other, you don’t have to worry about it, and I won’t bother about it.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You can rest assured.”

Liu Qingfeng glanced at Chen Ping’an and joked, “Indeed, it’s better to go up the mountain and cultivate to become an immortal.”

Chen Ping’an hesitated.

Liu Qingfeng waved his hand, knowing what this young sword immortal wanted to say, “I’m a weak scholar, I can endure some small hardships, but unfortunately, I can’t bear the pain at all. Tsk tsk, flesh being peeled off, body withering, just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle. Besides, I don’t have that idea, even if there’s a shortcut to becoming a mountain and water deity, I won’t take it. Others may not understand, but you should.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t try to persuade him any further.

After coughing a few times, the old man suddenly called out, “Chen Ping’an.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Teacher Liu?”

The old man looked at the mountain sword immortal who still looked very young, closing his eyes and muttering, as if he had found the most delightful page in a book, “The world changes like rain, my heart is exceptionally clear.”