A southward ferry, bearing the colors of the Changchun Palace, made its scheduled stop at Ox Horn Crossing within the Dragon Province.

Cao Qinglang arrived outside Pei Qian’s chamber. Standing in the hallway, he gently tapped upon the door and announced, “It is I.”

Pei Qian opened the door, her feet continuing a deliberate dance, the Six Steps of the Stake. “You seek me?” she asked absently.

For this journey between Fallen Mountain and the capital, Pei Qian, ever mindful of expenses, had concealed her true features beneath a mask of girlish beauty, lest unwanted recognition lead to unnecessary medicinal expenditures.

The Six Steps of the Stake was a “fist technique” that Chen Pingan, in his youth, had taught her without much elaboration.

But the little soot sprite, as Pei Qian then was, had scorned it. She deemed it foolish, forever dreaming of Elder Wei and Little White, of a century’s worth of power bestowed without toil, a peerless martial art fallen from the heavens.

Cao Qinglang hesitated at the doorway. “Shall I wait until you finish your practice?”

Pei Qian’s expression was wry. “Save for sleep, I am *always* practicing.”

Cao Qinglang felt a touch of awkwardness.

Pei Qian relented. “Speaking and conversation will not interrupt my walk.”

Cao Qinglang crossed the threshold, quietly shutting the door behind him. He took a seat at the table, pouring himself a cup of water.

Save for those vessels of the Great Li military, nearly every celestial ferry prided itself on its water supply, drawn from celebrated springs. Long ago, some enthusiast had even categorized the finest waters of a continent into seven tiers.

There was the Pearl Spring of the White Water Temple in the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, and a pool atop Dragon Summit of Cloudy Radiance Mountain, water said to rise above the brim without spilling, able even to float a copper coin. And there had been the Green Plum Temple of South Pond Lake. The water upon the table was the unique spirit spring of Changchun Palace, reputed to greatly benefit a woman’s beauty, to banish crow’s feet with wondrous efficacy.

Back when Zheng Dafeng had been but a doorkeeper on Fallen Mountain, Cao Qinglang, bound for the capital to take the imperial examinations, had been importuned by the elder to make a detour to Changchun Palace. To buy, if possible, but if coin proved insufficient, to *steal* several jugs of spirit spring water for the benefit of his good brother Dafeng!

Cao Qinglang stated his purpose: “Besides our northbound journey with the Master from Lotus Bloom Paradise, you once traveled south to Tongye Continent alone. I seek your knowledge of the lands, the customs, the peoples. As detailed as possible. It may occupy half a day of your practice.”

Pei Qian’s memory was a thing of wonder, exceeding even Xun Qu’s capacity for swift reading and perfect recall, bordering on the divine.

Cao Qinglang’s memory was commendable, on par with Xun Qu, but a comparison to Pei Qian would be an exercise in futility.

According to the Master and Junior Brother, Fallen Mountain would, by year’s end or the coming spring at the latest, select a site in the north of Tongye Continent, to formally establish a lower sect.

Two others in the histories of the vast land had managed to found an upper and lower sect within a single year: the talisman master Yu Xuan of Middle Earth Continent, and the ascended traitor Wan Yan Lao Jing of Golden Armor Continent.

Pei Qian said, “Perhaps I shall write you a booklet?”

Cao Qinglang smiled, cupping his fist in a gentle bow. “That would be most excellent. Thank you, Eldest Sister.”

His original thought was for Pei Qian to dictate, and he, Cao Qinglang, would take quill to parchment and record her travels.

He and Pei Qian both possessed a “small grotto heaven,” a gift from Senior Xi Zhu, of greater rank than the span of an inch, making travel far more convenient.

Pei Qian, her feet still tracing their measured steps, tugged at the corner of her mouth. “There will be a fee. Word count. One copper per word. Agreed?”

Cao Qinglang nodded. “Agreed.”

He had known coin could not be avoided.

In a pause between Six Step sequences, Pei Qian produced a hefty “ledger” from her sleeve and tossed it to Cao Qinglang.

A sprawling tome of two hundred thousand characters, all meticulously rendered in fly’s-eye script.

She was clearly prepared, awaiting only Cao Qinglang’s request.

Judging by the ink, it had been hastily scribed in an inn in the Great Li capital.

Cao Qinglang turned a few pages, surprised. Beyond describing the kingdoms, mountains, and rivers, the garrisons and temples, and the strange phenomena of the lands, Pei Qian had delved into local salt, iron, and other resources. She had copied sections of local gazetteers and interspersed official maps.

Pei Qian ceased her steps and seated herself at the table.

Her hair was bound into a neat bun atop her head, revealing a high forehead.

Her appearance was clean, sharp, even spirited.

She gazed silently out the window.

Not a woman of great beauty, perhaps, but one who, once seen, would linger in the memory.

Outside, the clouds danced. Pei Qian watched, lost in thought.

In her childhood, she had often sat with Sister Nuanshu and Little Millet, watching the clouds drift across the mountain peaks.

But unlike the gifted Little Millet, who could see a flower bloom in even the most mundane vista, her own eyes were less perceptive.

Master had once said that the written word was but a landscape on a table, while the landscape of the world was a book upon the earth. Both could delight the eye and nurture the soul. Especially the latter. Free to look!

The Great White Goose had also said: To study the grandmasters and fail is still to resemble the duck; but to study lesser masters and fail is to be as a dog painted in the guise of a tiger. We are fortunate indeed! Where can one find a Master as mine, a mentor as yours?

Sister Nuanshu, each time she went down to town to procure supplies, would bring back three servings of stinky tofu.

They would sit together on the edge of the cliff, dangling their feet, heads bobbing as they consumed the ever-delicious tofu.

Sister Nuanshu was demure in the presence of strangers, but with Pei Qian and Little Millet, she was lively as any child.

Banishing the fleeting melancholy, Pei Qian turned to Cao Qinglang.

He noticed her gaze and asked, “What is it?”

Pei Qian inquired curiously, “When Junior Brother usurped your place as sect leader, did you feel *nothing*?”

Cao Qinglang smiled easily. “Of course, I felt a touch of disappointment. But mostly, I felt relief.”

He raised a hand, patting his shoulder lightly. “My abilities were simply not equal to the task.”

“At your age, Master was on the cusp of becoming the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

Pei Qian tugged at the corner of her mouth. “The Sage instructed that the disciple need not surpass the Master. I fear, for you, that is unlikely.”

Cao Qinglang suppressed a smile. “The fact that the Sage issued such an instruction only proves that disciples usually fall short. Besides, the Patriarch also wrote, plainly, that ‘indigo can come from the blue, yet be bluer than it.’ A truth well-stated, yet difficult to achieve.”

Pei Qian said no more.

She excelled at sophistry.

Better to abandon logic and reason, for she would never win against this Cao Ironwood.

A *second-place scholar*, no less.

Cao Qinglang prepared to take his leave. With this booklet, he could follow its path through Tongye Continent, grounding the words in the earth beneath his feet.

Pei Qian asked suddenly, “When do you plan to form your Golden Core? Will you ask the Honorable Zhong to protect your process?”

Cao Qinglang resumed his seat. “Here upon our own mountain, protection is unnecessary. Once the lower sect site is settled and the sect ceremonies completed, I shall retreat to the lower sect to close the gates, and form my core. As Junior Brother says, upon opening the gates, the sect will immediately have a golden core immortal, a propitious beginning for the lower sect.”

Pei Qian chuckled. “No wonder you are in no hurry.”

Cao Qinglang merely smiled.

To form a golden core between thirty and forty, attain the nascent soul between sixty and seventy, and reach jade purity between one hundred and one hundred and twenty.

This was the “mountain examination” that Master Lu had set in Lotus Bloom Paradise.

Cao Qinglang had followed its course from his homeland.

With the guidance of the Honorable Zhong, his path had been slow but steady.

Three natal treasures had been a rarity in Lotus Bloom Paradise, but were unremarkable compared to those of a true sect disciple.

Cao Qinglang could have broken through faster, but saw no need. As Pei Qian had said, he was not in a hurry.

Thus, compared to Pei Qian’s meteoric rise, Cao Qinglang, beyond his scholarly pursuits, appeared dim indeed.

Chen Lingjun had often lectured him earnestly. *Do not be like that slow Nuanshu, creeping along like a tortoise! Learn from me, soaring through the realms! Venture forth, like we scholars, who embrace both reading ten thousand books and walking ten thousand miles.*

Pei Qian added, “Cultivation and martial arts are much the same. With resilience, one has staying power. With staying power, there is a chance for a late victory. It is right to be patient.”

As Grandpa Cui had said of the art of the fist, the simplest path to victory was to strike one more blow than one’s opponent.

At the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Great White Goose had secretly brought them to the city wall to visit their Senior Uncle Zuo.

On their way, Junior Brother had offered an analogy.

The drunkards of the vast land are never sober. They drink wine as if it were water.

The drunkards of the Sword Qi Great Wall are never drunk. They drink water as if it were wine.

Pei Qian sensed that Senior Uncle Zuo was fond of Cao Qinglang. After speaking with her, he had drawn Cao Qinglang aside and posed many questions.

Some of Cao Qinglang’s answers had caused Senior Uncle Zuo to frown, others to nod and smile. Finally, Cao Qinglang had said something that had left Senior Uncle Zuo… astonished, and caused him to laugh heartily.

Pei Qian and the Great White Goose had sat at a distance, and she had not heard the specifics.

So she had asked the Great White Goose what Cao Qinglang had said. The Goose had repeated a sentence that chilled her to the bone.

*To kill, one must strike the throat.*

Pei Qian had been terrified.

Was Cao Ironwood, seemingly so honest and kind, harboring a secret malice, preparing one day to settle old scores?

The Great White Goose explained that Senior Uncle Zuo had been questioning Cao Qinglang on the art of scholarship.

Pei Qian had remained unconvinced. Cao Ironwood, seemingly bad, and she wondered if Cao Ironwood really was planning to settle old accounts with her one day? After which, at Teacher’s home, several people helped Teacher engrave seals for money, and when Teacher happened to give Cao Qinglang a treasured carving knife, little Heitan was actually stunned.

Cao Qinglang said, “I had thought you would seize the chance to mock me.”

Pei Qian rubbed her cheeks, turning to look out the window and stretching. “I am not a child. Pointless.”

Cao Qinglang asked tentatively, “These idle conversations, you do not intend to record them on your ledger, I hope?”

Pei Qian chuckled. “Of course not.”

She did not specify what was, or was not, possible.

Pei Qian was reminded, for no apparent reason, of the “Junior Sister” at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Guo Zhujiu, also known as Green End.

Guo Zhujiu had been taller than Pei Qian, and in their contests, Pei Qian had invariably lost. When speaking, Guo Zhujiu had often bent her knees to meet Pei Qian’s gaze.

She had once lifted her arm and asked Pei Qian, with utmost seriousness, “Do you celestial sisters of your vast land, do you have… armpit hair? If so, how often do you shave it? What do you use?”

But it was not this absurdity that unsettled Pei Qian. Pei Qian could hurl insults, curse, speak words that pierced the heart. But the moment she was an adult, it all ended, but she didn’t know when she started to stop, Pei Qian remembered everything, but this one thing, and never thought about it

But that Junior Sister Guo Zhujiu, each time she spoke, each time she asked a question, was utterly sincere. Pei Qian had truly been helpless.

Even now, Pei Qian felt a twinge of discomfort.

At the Sword Qi Great Wall, Guo Zhujiu had infuriated her many times. She had often peeped into Guo Zhujiu’s mind.

It was a flock of iridescent birds. They were either still and silent, or taking flight as one. How could Guo Zhujiu avoid flights of fancy?

Thus, Pei Qian both anticipated and dreaded the arrival of this Junior Sister on Fallen Mountain. She could not imagine what Guo Zhujiu would say or do. The thought pained her.

Cao Qinglang asked softly, “Do you worry about Master?”

Pei Qian shook her head. “With Teacher there, and Senior Xi Zhu, there is nothing to worry about.”

Besides, the most reassuring person in the world was her own Master.

Cao Qinglang hesitated.

Master was so thorough, anticipating so much.

Such as the secret agreement he had made with Cao Qinglang at the Sword Qi Great Wall. In the future, if you two stand together, I will appear to favor Pei Qian.

But that was nothing.

What made Cao Qinglang smile wryly was Master’s addition. *I seem to favor her, anyway. Is pretense even necessary?*

Master had patted the youth’s shoulder, suppressing a chuckle. *Do not blame me. She is a girl. You are a boy. There is no remedy. You must bear with it.*

Pei Qian, snapping back to awareness, noticed Cao Qinglang’s strange expression. “What is it?”

Cao Qinglang smiled. “Nothing.”

From the ferry, someone deployed a martial artist’s skill of sound-threading.

“If I may be so bold, is that Grandmaster Zheng?”

Pei Qian frowned slightly, turning to look.

Seeing Cao Qinglang’s inquiring glance, she explained, “It is that Yu Hong. I know not how he recognized me.”

Cao Qinglang asked, “Was he intentionally following us?”

Pei Qian shook her head. “I believe it is a coincidence.”

She had sensed Yu Hong’s presence upon boarding. The old luminary from the former Zhu Ying Dynasty had deliberately suppressed his grandmaster’s aura, reducing his state to a distant journey.

But Pei Qian had no interest in cultivating a connection, nor any desire for sparring.

A martial artist who, on the capital battlefield, had unleashed seemingly impressive blows that skillfully avoided any true commitment.

Understandable, but unacceptable.

Let them take separate paths. There was no need to feign familiarity.

Pei Qian explained, “I have heard that one of Yu Hong’s disciples once had some… unsavory connection with that River Goddess of the Jade Liquid. Even stranger, it is said that the disciple had a confidante with the reality of companionship without the name of marriage. The woman was a Golden Core immortal from the mountain, skilled in water arts. By the Jade Liquid River was a celestial grotto, a treasure trove for cultivating water arts. In the end, the martial artist, the immortal, and the water goddess became bitter enemies. But this is all hearsay. So Yu Hong traveling aboard this ferry is reasonable, not surprising.”

Cao Qinglang nodded. “The latter is more likely.”

Red Candle Town, where three rivers converged, was now a crucial waterway hub of the Great Li, renowned as a place where gold flowed. But the three rivers differed in their natures. The Embroidery River was gentle, abundant in spirit energy. The Rushing and Vague River, despite its name, flowed with a fierce, tumultuous current. From ancient times, it had been prone to floods and thunderous storms. Its divine seat had remained vacant for many years, but Li Jin, the bookshop owner, had been appointed as the new River God, and his relationship with Fallen Mountain was close.

The Jade Liquid River, with its winding course, was fickle. The strength of its currents varied greatly, with sections that were barren and desolate, and others that were rich in spirit energy, where Goddess Ye Qingzhu had established several immortal residences.

Pei Qian glanced at Cao Qinglang.

How could such a proper gentleman know so much of scandalous gossip?

Cao Qinglang explained. “I heard it from Uncle Zheng. Two women, close as sisters, become enemies only over a man.”

Speaking of Zheng Dafeng, according to Zheng Dafeng himself, he and Cao Qinglang were of similar age and appearance, close enough to be mistaken for long-lost brothers. Thus, he should be called Brother Zheng. To call him Uncle Zheng would be to age him falsely. No one would believe it!

Cao Qinglang, of course, would always call him Uncle Zheng.

Chen Lingjun, on the other hand, had been on great terms with Zheng Dafeng, often draping an arm over the elder’s shoulders, and before long, the big and the small men would look at each other and then laugh heartily.

Pei Qian said, “Uncle Zheng will not be lonely as the manager of the wine shop in Flying Ascension City.”

Cao Qinglang chuckled. “Self-evident.”

Pei Qian frowned once more, speaking in a hushed voice. “He is coming. Besides Yu Hong, there are four others. Martial artists, all, but not of great skill. Two of them, judging by their breathing and footsteps, seem to be of Yu Hong’s lineage. I cannot say whether they are his disciples or grand-disciples.”

After a moment’s thought, consulting her memory, Pei Qian seemed surprised. She hesitated, then removed her mask, revealing her true face.

A party of people walked from the top deck to the main deck.

The leader, white-haired, sturdy, and vigorous, was more than half a head taller than the men of the north. It was Yu Hong, one of the four grandmasters of the martial arts of Bottle Continent.

The fighting contest in the Fire God Temple in the capital made Yu Hong famous.

The old grandmaster’s reputation had soared.

It was said that no fewer than ten mountain sects had invited Yu Hong to serve as a venerated elder or guest elder.

Yu Hong was one hundred and fifty years old and had long been famous in the former Zhu Ying Dynasty. His reputation equaled that of those nascent soul sword immortals.

He had many disciples, but no closed-door disciple. An old man who did not accept a closed-door disciple either believed he would live for many years or had not found a worthy successor.

Yu Hong had not immediately returned to his sect in the middle of Bottle Continent from the Great Li capital because he was going to visit Cape Cloud Mountain and Jade Liquid River, and then Western Mountain. Yu Hong had long admired the mountain lord of North Mountain, Wei Bo. He had no intention of resolving the love-hate entanglement with Goddess Ye Qingzhu. He was there to talk about a business. Several mountain friends in the south planned to train for sixty years near Jade Liquid River, which meant that they would encompass those immortal grottoes. In general, Ye Qingzhu would not sell it to others, but Yu Hong could.

At that time, he could visit the young sword immortal of Fallen Mountain.

A popular and influential figure in Bottle Continent.

A cultivator who could exchange punches with Old Ape, who could move mountains, must be a peak martial artist.

After all, the young mountain master was also the master of “Zheng Qingming.”

However, Yu Hong doubted that the other party was the legendary martial artist who was at the top of his abilities.

Both a sword immortal and at the top of his abilities? One person cannot take up all the good things in the world.

It was more likely that Chen Ping An was very lucky and found a “Zheng Saqian” as a disciple who was bluer than the indigo.

So, if possible, Yu Hong planned to fight the young mountain master.

Of course, the premise was that the other party agreed, and if he didn’t want to, Yu Hong would have to give up. Yu Hong was not so bold as to think that he, a first-class supporter of the Great Li, could make a young sect leader look up to an old martial artist in the ninth realm.

What’s more, the other party seemed to have a bad temper. There were rumors in the mountains that he had actually done the deed of killing Yuan Zhenye in front of everyone.

Fortunately, the mirror, flower, water, and moon of Zhengyang Mountain were closed in time, otherwise, the cultivators of Zhengyang Mountain would not be able to hold their heads up now.

Yu Hong’s two direct disciples, a man and a woman, were both young, around thirty years old.

There were also two warriors, even though they were all old men with white hair, they were still juniors in Yu Hong’s sect.

Yu Hong and his party came to a corridor and saw a young woman waiting outside the door.

Yu Hong quickened his pace slightly, cupped his fists and said with a smile, “I came here uninvited. I hope Grandmaster Zheng will forgive me.”

Pei Qian quickly glanced at the other four pure martial artists, and with a solemn face, cupped his fists in return, “I am fortunate to see Senior Yu.”

Yu Hong mistakenly thought that the other party had heard the news that he and Zhou Haichao were going to have a match, so they disguised themselves and quietly entered the capital to watch the match.

The fist is afraid of the youth, and Yu Hong had to admit that he was getting old.

Not to mention the Pei Qian in front of him, even if he won a match against Zhou Haijing, Yu Hong knew in his heart that he would definitely not be Zhou Haijing’s opponent in ten years.

So, while his old bones still had some strength and mentality, he tried his best to pave the way for these direct disciples.

Yu Hong smiled and reached out, “Let me introduce you, Yu Cangmang from the Longshan Sect and Zhu Fengxian from the Daze Gang, they have been my friends for a long time, and I personally invited them to serve as elders of my sect not long ago.”

Both were warriors.

In fact, this was Yu Hong helping others build a high ladder. Although Yu Cangmang and Zhu Fengxian were both warriors who suppressed several countries, they were not worthy of Yu Hong’s personal invitation. Different from the eight martial arts sects created by more than a dozen entry disciples after completing their studies, Yu Hong’s own Fushu Hall had a very high threshold, and had only more than fifty people, including direct disciples, elders, and various members.

Yu Hong continued to introduce, “As for these two children, they are my useless disciples, Yan Guan and Huang Mei.”

The young man and woman said in unison, “Greetings, Senior Zheng.”

They were all full of curiosity about this woman whose real name was “Pei Qian.”

There was also an admiration with reverence.

Pei Qian said, “I don’t deserve the title of senior. You can call me Pei Qian.”

How dare the two young men and women in the sixth realm call the woman in front of them by her name.

If the grandmaster senior is being polite to you, and the junior is really rude, that’s not called being upright, that’s called being stupid.

The age of this “Zheng Saqian” woman grandmaster has always been a mystery.

Some say that she is in her forties, others say that she is half a hundred years old, and some say that she is nearly a hundred years old, similar to the Huang Yiyun in Tongye Continent in the south, but because she is well maintained.

In short, she was an extremely powerful person who was born out of nowhere. At the beginning, she appeared on the central battlefront of the Great River with an almost invincible posture, with the weight of her fists and the cruelty of her methods.

On the battlefield of the Great River, she seemed to be alone forever, deliberately choosing the dangerous places where the barbarian army was heavily fortified.

Because she was afraid of accidentally hurting the cultivators of her own camp.

The only exception was when she saved people by force, often forcibly digging a **** path and taking people away from the battlefield.

So, “Zheng Qian” now had a good reputation in Bottle Continent, probably even more so than three Yu Hongs.

If the person who was fighting Yu Hong was Zheng Qian instead of Zhou Haijing, not to mention the crowd of people on the street, it was estimated that all the houses near the Fire God Temple would be collapsed by the spectators.

Especially the young masters and young men from the Great Li capital, even those disciples of generals who had been to the battlefield, their admiration for “Zheng Qian” was unparalleled.

Especially Yan Guan, who had been fortunate enough to see “Zheng Qian” punching on the battlefield with his own eyes.

In the midst of a barbarian army gathered together, a slender woman suddenly fell from the sky, and in the blink of an eye, the world was clear, and within a hundred feet, all those who fell to the ground died without a whole body, and the only one standing was the woman warrior.

Therefore, in Yan Guan’s mind, the woman in front of him was like a fairy.

As a result, when he bowed and saluted earlier, Yan Guan’s arms and voice trembled uncontrollably.

Pei Qian asked, “Senior Yu, do you have something to discuss?”

Yu Hong smiled, “I do have something to discuss with Grandmaster Zheng. We will disembark at Ox Horn Mountain Port. We plan to visit Fallen Mountain. I wonder if Mountain Master Chen is on the mountain now?”

Pei Qian said, “My master likes to travel around the world alone. I can’t be sure if he is on Fallen Mountain right now.”

Yu Hong nodded, “It doesn’t matter. When the ferry docks at the port, I will go to Cape Cloud Mountain first. Please have someone send me a message then.”

Pei Qian smiled and nodded.

Send someone?

Who could she tell?

What about the left and right guardians of Riding Dragon Lane?

Little Millet was timid and didn’t dare to go out. As for the other one, she was wandering around all day and couldn’t be found.

Yu Hong would never dare to ask Song Changjing, would die.

He was unwilling to give Pei Qian a reputation for nothing.

Fallen Mountain was really unfathomable.

Guest elder Wei Jin. Sword Immortal of the Wind and Snow Temple, the number one in Bottle Continent.

And the sword immortal “Yu Mi” who delivered the sword on the battlefield of Old Dragon City.

Somehow, he had transferred from Cape Cloud Mountain in North Mountain to Fallen Mountain.

Plus those pure martial artists who were at least in the distant journey realm,

The martial luck was number one in the continent.

Such a sect was indeed worthy of Yu Hong lowering his stance and taking the initiative to make friends.

Pei Qian glanced at Zhu Fengxian, hesitated, and still said nothing.

The other party did not recognize him, but Pei Qian recognized the old gang leader of the Daze Gang.

Back then, she and his master had traveled to the Golden Osmanthus Temple in the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, and they happened to meet Temple leader Zhang Guo accepting a disciple. When they were sheltering from the rain, they ran into two groups of Jianghu people, one from the Rouge Workshop in the Cloud Sky Kingdom, and the other from the Daze Gang in the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, including the old gang leader Zhu Fengxian, a famous Jianghu demon.

At that time, there were also two young girls, Zhu Ziyang and Liu Qingcheng. The former had an oval face, and liked to blush when he spoke. He had a paper cutter with him, named “Zui Er”.

The other one had a round face and spoke very fluently.

In Mount Qingyao of the Azure Phoenix Kingdom, there was a Golden Osmanthus Temple with a long history. There were six old osmanthus trees in the temple. A wandering immortal once revealed the secret that it should be planted in the moon.

The chessboard under the tree was 18 vertical and horizontal lines, said to have been engraved with sword energy by Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden. The osmanthus branch umbrella given away by the Taoist priests in the temple was more valuable.

Yu Hong didn’t even say to sit down and have a cup of tea. He just took people away and left.

Just this one scene was enough to give “Zheng Qian” a great deal of face.

Pei Qian accompanied them all the way and stopped only after walking out of the corridor.

Huang Mei found that his master seemed to be in a good mood when he went back.

Pei Qian returned to the room, and Cao Qinglang was reading a book there.

Before long, a green shirt sneaked into the room through the ferry window, landed lightly.

Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang got up one after another and shouted their respective words, “Master.” “Sir.”

Xiao Mo then appeared out of thin air next to Chen Ping An.

Chen Ping An sat in the chair, Cao Qinglang was like a piece of wood, and Pei Qian had poured two bowls of water for his master and Senior Xi Zhu.

Xiao Mo thanked Pei Qian, picked up the bowl of water from the table, held it with both hands, and drank while standing.

Chen Ping An smiled, “It’s okay, I’m just here to see you off, and I’ll be back to the capital soon.”

Pei Qian said, “Master, I just met the old gang leader of the Daze Gang.”

Chen Ping An nodded, “I just saw it from a distance with Xiao Mo in the clouds. I’ll go say hello later.”

On the way to the old trip, Chen Ping An had many encounters in Jianghu. The realms were high and low, the people were good and bad, the things they did were particular and unscrupulous, the temperaments were different, but they were all Jianghu and Jianghu people in Chen Ping An’s mind.

Chen Ping An held a bowl in one hand and supported his cheek in the other, looked at Pei Qian, and then at Cao Qinglang.

The green-shirted man squinted and smiled.

Chen Ping An then told the two people about the conjecture from the Great Li Imperial Palace, clearly and unmistakably, and asked them to remind Cui Dongshan when they returned to Fallen Mountain that they should be more careful when choosing the location of the Tongye Sect.

Pei Qian silently remembered the name of the Lu family in Middle-earth and Lu Wei.

Cao Qinglang then asked, “Is this move by the Lu family in Middle-earth a violation?”

Chen Ping An smiled, “The Yin Yang family is slippery in doing things. If both sides really argue to the Temple of Literature, it will also be a mess. Even if we win the argument, the board that hits the Lu family in Middle-earth will not be too heavy.”

Speaking of this, Chen Ping An raised a palm, “So it’s better to do it yourself. When the time comes, both sides will go to the Temple of Literature to argue.”

Pei Qian grinned.

Chen Ping An suddenly listened intently, drank the tea in his cup in one gulp, got up and smiled, “I didn’t expect there to be something lively to watch. That Huang Mei seems to be fighting with someone. You guys are busy with your own things. After I’m done watching the fun, I’ll say goodbye to the old gang leader Zhu. I won’t say goodbye to you when I disembark.”

Cao Qinglang followed up and said in a voice, “Sir, the ‘small cave’ that Senior Xi Zhu gave me is actually not very meaningful. Sir might as well give it to the future manager of the Storm Kite Ferry. It can be used to store some precious natural treasures.”

Chen Ping An smiled and declined, “Sir has his own plans, and doesn’t need your thing.”

Then Chen Ping An took Xiao Mo out of the house to join in the fun.

After the master left, Pei Qian asked suspiciously, “What did you secretly say to the master just now?”

Cao Qinglang said seriously, “I just asked the master to take care of his health.”

Pei Qian narrowed her eyes, “Stop it! Did you report me to the master?”

Cao Qinglang waved his hand, “Senior Sister, you’re wronging me.”

Pei Qian was about to speak, but Cao Qinglang smiled, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask the master yourself.”

Walking in the corridor, Xiao Mo smiled, “I saw Yu Hong going downstairs earlier. I felt that the frame of his appearance was more imposing than some of the old friends I knew.”

Chen Ping An said, “That’s called having everything in sight and being proud of yourself. It sounds like a derogatory term, but for a martial artist, it’s not a bad thing.”

Xiao Mo nodded, “I’ve learned.”

It turned out that someone wanted to ask the old sect master Yu for a fist, and even brought a contract of life and death.

In fact, the middle-aged man was just a sixth-realm warrior with a good foundation, but in that small country, he was also a hero.

This was Yu Hong’s fame. There was no Jianghu feud that required signing a contract of life and death. The other party was sure that Yu Hong would not kill people, which was equivalent to earning a reputation in Jianghu for nothing. It’s just that Jianghu sects also have ways to deal with it, and they will let the opening disciple be responsible for helping to take the fist, so the big disciple of a sect is like the mountain gate, responsible for blocking the ghosts and snakes. Today, Yu Hong sent Huang Mei, and Yan Guan was in charge of guarding the side. Yu Hong himself left, and did not even look at the match with no suspense. The old sect master just used the sound to remind Huang Mei in secret, not to be too heavy.

Huang Mei understood that what the master meant was that his fist should not be too light.

The first floor of the ferry was already full of people, and the stairs were full of people. Chen Ping An had to stand on tiptoe at the back of the crowd and watch the match from a distance.

If it wasn’t for this competition, Chen Ping An really wouldn’t have known that the Changchun Palace ferry business was so good.

If a fairy ferry that pierces through clouds and fog does not talk about the commercial income of material transportation, it is a dream come true to have all the big and small houses on the ship full.

Xiao Mo was not interested in this kind of competition, and raised his hand lightly, yawning.

It was like two chicks that had just come out of the cage. You peck me once, and I bite you twice.

Chen Ping An saw some clues through this observation. Decisive punching and sinister punching were two completely different punching methods.

Once a warrior has a fist intent, especially after the sixth realm, he will have his own aura.

Yan Guan suppressed the infiltration of the fist with his own temperament, while Huang Mei’s temperament was naturally in line with the fist path passed down by the master.

It could be seen that the warriors who went out of Fushu Hall to start a new life and become a sect were not fuel-efficient lamps.

However, that woman was born in a famous sect, so although her fist was not light, she had a sense of propriety. The fist moves she used on the other party never touched those fatal points, nor did they land on the big acupoints. She only selected some unimportant acupoints on the body. Then, after the other party lost the match, it was estimated that they would not be able to detect those hidden diseases and sequelae, which was very imperceptible.

When Huang Mei delivered the last punch, the middle-aged man almost flew out with his feet off the ground, but she smiled and grabbed his arm, saying that she had accepted it, so the latter only swayed and suppressed a mouthful of congestion, and cupped his fists to admit defeat to Huang Mei.

Huang Mei let go of his hand, “I’m sorry.”

The man failed to ask Yu Hong for a fist, but at least he had a fight with Yu Hong’s direct disciple. Although he was a little injured, he was still satisfied.

It’s just that he still didn’t realize that those small injuries accumulated on his body would suddenly become a mountain range one day.

As for the spectators on the ferry, almost all of them were mountain practitioners who didn’t know how to fight, and who didn’t like to watch the fun.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Zhu Fengxian and Yu Cangmang were chatting on the bow of the boat, and they didn’t pay attention to the match.

What Jianghu people see when they go out is mostly Jianghu affairs.

They had not gone to watch the martial arts contest at the Fire God Temple in the Great Li