Chen Ping’an and Xiao Mo walked onto an arched bridge and paused.

A gentle breeze suddenly stirred on the Iris River, causing the water to shimmer with golden scales, a captivating sight.

Xiao Mo asked, “Young Master, are you troubled by something?”

Chen Ping’an placed his hand on the railing. “I’m calculating how much silver a tavern opened here could earn in a year.”

Xiao Mo chuckled softly, amused.

He thought of the Gui-veined courtyard on Guihua Island, the Jade Cliff and Ant Shop in the Spring Dew Garden, and even the Duckweed Island in the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, acquired for a mere eighty Grain Rain coins.

Furthermore, when Jiang Shangzhen served as the Sect Master of the True Realm Sect, he had allocated five islands as an exclave for Fallen Mountain, temporarily under Zeng Ye’s name. Of course, the Ministry of Rites of Great Li secretly documented this, ensuring Fallen Mountain could claim them at any time.

The current Chen Ping’an could be said to possess considerable private property.

Chen Ping’an turned to look at his yellow-hatted, green-shoed “attendant,” teasingly saying, “Later, I’ll gift you a walking staff and a bamboo chest. When you travel, you’ll look even more like a bookish scholar journeying for education.”

Xiao Mo nodded. “Then Xiao Mo will take that seriously. If Young Master happens to forget, Xiao Mo will shamelessly remind you.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Back then, Yang Zhi was intercepted by Liu Qi, who used magic against magic, preventing her return to the Great Domain of the Azure Billows. It seems she’s now confined by the Confucian Temple in a cluster of volcanoes, rumored to be the former ‘Alchemy Furnace’ of the Dao Ancestor. If we have the opportunity to travel through the Central Earth Divine Continent together in the future, I can take you to chat with her.”

Xiao Mo pondered for a moment, then reached up to adjust his hat. “Actually, there’s not much to reminisce about with Yang Zhi. It’s that Zhuyan who’s truly annoying. He seems reckless in word and deed, but he’s actually shrewd and calculating. Back then, several of Xiao Mo’s more straightforward old friends suffered at Zhuyan’s hands, enduring quite a bit of hardship. So, after Xiao Mo awakened this time, I originally planned to first gather my old subordinates from the Six Caves as much as possible, and secondly, to invite two friends to watch the battle. I need to have a sword duel with Zhuyan.”

Saying it was a sword duel was, of course, a siege to eliminate Zhuyan. Otherwise, why would Xiao Mo invite two old friends?

If the news were to leak and White Ze or the Propping Moon Mountain intervened to save Zhuyan, then he’d find another opportunity next time.

Perhaps this was the unique style of the apex kings of the Wildlands, their unyielding spirit etched into their bones.

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Old Ancestor Moving Mountain taking on three at once, what heroic spirit.”

Xiao Mo, hearing this, was filled with admiration. As expected, his Young Master’s knowledge was vast, and he was skilled in speaking.

Chen Ping’an said, “Xiao Mo, let’s go to the immortal inn run by the Earthly Branch cultivators.”

Xiao Mo nodded. “That works out well. I can thank the proprietress and give her a robe I wove last night. Young Master, is this appropriate?”

Chen Ping’an said, “One doesn’t strike a smiling face, especially one bearing gifts. There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Whether she accepts it or not, it’s appropriate for you.”

This trip to the Great Li capital was mainly for his Natal Porcelain, which had been accomplished. There was also an unexpected bonus: he had followed the clues and uncovered Lu Wei, an old ancestor of the Lu family from the Central Earth. Just like the old saying from his hometown: bad things aren’t bad if they come early, good things aren’t bad if they come late.

Once Ning Yao finished her seclusion, Chen Ping’an would leave the capital. However, some things still needed to be finalized. For example, Zhou Haijing, the ninth-realm martial artist, joining the Earthly Branch was a foregone conclusion. Her current hesitation stemmed from her habitual cautiousness. But as long as Zhou Haijing still wanted to seek revenge on Yu Hong, the First-Class Imperial Protector of Great Li, and it was the kind of satisfying revenge that avenged her grievances, she would definitely join the Earthly Branch to find a protective charm even greater than the Headless Amulet of the Ministry of Punishments.

Furthermore, Liu Jia had asked him for two seals with specific inscriptions: “Sword Immortal” and “National Master.”

The head of the Heavenly Waters Zhao family, the creator of the Imperial Academy style of calligraphy, and the well-deserved master of copybooks, had given “Liu Jia” a full two scrolls of calligraphy, a total of twenty-two pieces, especially the “Yuanjia Cyan Robe Post,” which was breathtaking.

Chen Ping’an, in return, would only give two seals. Such an exchange was indeed a win-win.

Since Ning Yao was still in seclusion, Chen Ping’an wouldn’t go to the room next door to carve the seals, fearing it would distract her.

However, doing so in the Words-Follow-the-Crowd Building felt a bit awkward to Chen Ping’an. Wouldn’t it be a laughingstock? After all, everyone knew how skilled his senior brother, Cui Chan, was in calligraphy; it was one of the three great treasures of the Azure Billows. The immortal inn was a more suitable place for carving seals.

Leaving the brightly lit Iris River, Chen Ping’an and Xiao Mo first went to a relatively secluded alley. Chen Ping’an used the Water Cloud Body technique to conceal his presence and rode the wind to the immortal inn.

The two landed at the entrance of the inn, located at the end of a small alley. There were seven or eight such inns in the Great Li capital, catering to the needs of Qi cultivators. Chen Ping’an could guarantee that this one was definitely the most deserted, without exception.

Xiao Mo took the lead, walking to the gate, adorned with two life-sized colored paintings of door gods. He gently knocked on the gilded beast-head knocker, three soft knocks, but waited a long time before the proprietress of the inn, a woman in colorful clothing, the alluring ghost cultivator of the Golden Core realm, emerged.

The first time Chen Ping’an came here, this “painter” ghost had given him quite the rude awakening.

Tonight, Gai Yan saw Chen Ping’an. Although it was a ghost seeing a person, she looked as if she were seeing a ghost.

Chen Ping’an teased, “Proprietress Gai Yan, you’re as frugal and thrifty as ever, even reluctant to spend money on a gatekeeper for your inn. No wonder business is so good.”

Gai Yan forced a smile. “Responding to Mountain Master Chen, the inn has been looking for someone, but we haven’t found the right person.”

Gai Yan wasn’t just making things up. She, Han Zhoujin, and Yu Yu had discussed the matter of a gatekeeper and maids. Han Zhoujin thought it was enough to find some decent-looking female Qi cultivators, as long as they were nimble, gentle, and didn’t cause trouble, there was no need to worry too much about their appearance. Yu Yu, however, said that wouldn’t do, of course they had to find some glamorous women whose breasts could kill people. In the end, the two couldn’t agree, and the matter was temporarily put on hold.

Gai Yan led the two to a vacant courtyard.

During this time, Xiao Mo gave Gai Yan a robe, stored in a miniature green bamboo tube.

Gai Yan was very envious and accepted it without a second thought, without the slightest bit of polite refusal.
Chen Pingan’s initial intention for tonight was simply to find Prince Song Xu, or the surviving youth, and have them relay a few words to the other cultivators.

He never expected that tonight, all nine cultivators of the Earthly Branches lineage would quickly gather, with Ge Ling and the young Shramana Houjue rushing over after receiving temporary messages from the Jing Shi Dao Record Institute and the Translation Bureau respectively. As for Yuan Huajing and the others, they each left their snail dojos in the inn. Upon arriving, they all looked at Chen Pingan with a somewhat strange expression.

This was because the inn had just received a classified intelligence report from the Sunset Ferry during the day.

Two truly earth-shattering events had occurred in the Wilderness World.

Following Chen Qingdu, Dragon Lord, and Guanzhao, three sword cultivators, the Sword Qi Great Wall once again challenged Tuoyue Mountain with their swords after ten thousand years.

This ultimately led to the utter annihilation of Tuoyue Mountain, reduced to fleeting smoke.

Furthermore, following Dong Sangeng dragging the moon down to the mortal realm, a bright moon was moved to the Azure Billow World by several sword immortals working together.

This left only one moon in the sky of the Wilderness World.

Yu Yu cautiously asked, “Mr. Chen, is it true?”

The usually bold and audacious girl used a vague way of speaking.

According to the Dali intelligence, it seemed that two “Chen Pingan” appeared simultaneously in the world, one in the Azure Billow World and one in the Wilderness World. The key was that both of them possessed extremely high realms, so high that it was almost unbelievable. According to the Astronomical Bureau’s deduction, they might be the legendary Fourteenth Realm…

The only difference was that the Daoist Chen Pingan, wearing a lotus crown, carried a sword and ventured deep into the Wilderness World with several sword immortals, while the Qing Shan (Azure Shirt) sword immortal, traveling alone through the Bottle Continent, did not carry a sword.

Chen Pingan asked, “What?”

Yu Yu blinked her eyes.

Chen Pingan smiled slightly and said, “Just say it’s true.”

Then, Chen Pingan cut to the chase and said, “I’m here today to tell you three things.”

“First, the rules remain the same. As long as it is within the rules established by Senior Brother Cui, I will not interfere too much with your cultivation, nor will I dictate how you act outside. However, if any of you are willing to send a flying sword letter to Jise Peak and consult Luopo Mountain about cultivation matters, you are welcome. I will answer everything I know.”

“Second, approximately every ten years, I will request a resume and income statement from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Punishment to examine your cultivation achievements. Once anyone reaches the Jade Purity Realm, they will be exceptionally exempted from the evaluation.”

“Finally, whether the first two points count or not is up to me.”

The nine Earthly Branches cultivators had no objections.

No matter how proud or arrogant they were, facing this existence who had once played them in the palm of his hand, they were insignificant.

Like Yuan Huajing, who was extremely competitive, he no longer had the desire to compete with Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan said that he would stay here for a while, and then they could all return to their respective places to continue their cultivation.

As for the young cultivator who always stood behind Chen Pingan with a smile, no one could see the depth of his cultivation, and no one dared to explore it casually.

They could only learn from the mountain and water intelligence sent by the Ministry of Punishment today that this person’s Daoist name was Xizhu, his name was Mo Sheng, and he was a newly appointed honorary devotee of Luopo Mountain.

Mo Sheng had recently accompanied Chen Pingan to the Imperial Palace. That was all the information they had.

According to Ting Ganyan, Mo Sheng had also come to the inn last night, claiming to be Chen Pingan’s attendant. In addition to calculating the immortal money, he also asked for an extra bag of golden melon seeds.

Another strange person and strange thing that could not be judged by common sense.

Luopo Mountain is full of wonders and has unfathomable depths. This is now a consensus on the Bottle Continent.

Like the mountain-protecting devotee named Zhou Mili, she was the most secretive because, during that viewing ceremony, it seemed that only this Right Guardian of Luopo Mountain had hidden her cultivation realm, making her terribly unassuming.

Therefore, there were many different opinions about how high the “little girl’s” realm was. Some said it was at least at the Jade Purity Realm, and others guessed that she was an immortal. A land immortal? Were they blind or had water entered their brains? In Luopo Mountain, where martial arts masters and Nascent Soul cultivators were not worth much, could she suppress the mountain? Could she be worthy of being a mountain-protecting devotee?

Moreover, at that time, the white-clothed youth with a mole between his eyebrows and the Chief Devotee surnamed Zhou were both extremely respectful to this Right Guardian.

Chen Pingan sat on the steps and took out two plain seals from his miniature world. When he partnered with Yan Zhuo in the Sword Qi Great Wall, he had left behind a lot of stone seal materials.

Then, he sacrificed a sword immortal flying sword made in imitation of Henjian Mountain, He Lei.

As for the imitation sword Songzhen (Pine Needle) copied from “Gu Cui”, it had already been crushed into pieces by Pei Min with his fingers.

Chen Pingan held He Lei as an engraving knife and began to engrave the side inscriptions, which were exactly the contents of the “Yuanjia Qingyi Tie”, and finally the bottom inscription “Sword Immortal”.

As for the second seal with the bottom inscription “National Hand”, the side inscriptions were several words from the Zhao Family’s precepts in Tianshui. What Chen Pingan admired most was that the atmosphere should be clear and high, learning should be deep and far-reaching, one should be upright and honest in life, and the colors should be gentle and dignified.

At the end of the side inscriptions of these two seals, “Chen Eleven” and “Chen Pingan of Luopo Mountain” were respectively inscribed.

It took Chen Pingan half an hour.

If it were in the Sword Qi Great Wall, because the seals rarely had side inscription content, there would probably be twenty seals.

Chen Pingan put away the flying sword He Lei, held the seals in both hands, lowered his head and gently blew a breath, blowing away the small pieces of debris and dust in the gaps of the seal characters, and raised his head and smiled: “This is called worthless, not worth selling for ten thousand gold.”

Xiao Mo said: “Young Master is too modest.”

After putting the two seals into his sleeve, Chen Pingan took out a white jade Ganoderma lucidum. Seeing Xiao Mo curiously looking at the two lines of inscriptions, he simply handed it to Xiao Mo. Chen Pingan smiled and explained: “The movement technique I used to rush to the inn earlier was learned from the former owner of this white jade Ganoderma lucidum.”

Xiao Mo praised the inscriptions for their beautiful meaning.

A person who has been flawless for a thousand years, a family of Zhilan with a secluded fragrance for a hundred generations.

It’s a perfect match to give it to his young master.

Such a gift is considered a state of mind.

Therefore, the generous immortal master must be seen in the future if there is a chance.

Chen Pingan learned the Yunshui Body Technique from the immortal Yun Miao of Jiuzhen Immortal Hall. The meaning of this method originated from the fact that dense bamboo does not hinder water, and high mountains do not hinder clouds.

Yun Miao also had a trump card magical power, which had the reputation of “Water Essence Realm” in the mountains, forming its own small world, which was quite impressive.
Bearing the cultivation of the Fourteenth Realm, the Landslide Realm, Chen Ping’an traveled throughout the Verdant Bottle Continent, never idle for a moment. He made the most of everything, wasting nothing. From the Heart Lake Library, he unearthed several scrolls depicting the battle between light and time with Yun Miao. Using these as inspiration, he deduced and evolved the technique. Yun Miao’s self-created Water Essence Realm already possessed a semblance of divine power, a task much simpler than reverse-engineering the Thunder Formation, a secret of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion.

After a river duel at Mandarin Duck Isle, the suspicious immortal Yun Miao received a secret letter from Chen Ping’an. He quickly and respectfully replied, sending a White Jade Ganoderma of Semi-Immortal grade to the Hall of Meritorious Deeds.

In the future, should Chen Ping’an encounter conflict during his travels in the Central Earth Continent, were he to sincerely declare, “I am not Yun Miao,” it is unlikely anyone would believe him.

Xiao Mo returned the White Jade Ganoderma to Chen Ping’an.

Holding the White Jade Ganoderma, Chen Ping’an gently tapped it against his palm.

Once the selection of the Lower Sect’s location was complete, and after a period of secluded cultivation to strive for a return to the Nascent Soul Realm and the First Layer of the Returning to the Origin Realm, Chen Ping’an planned to journey across the Great Domain with Liu Jinglong. Their route would roughly encompass the Northern Majestic Continent, the Snowy Continent, the Central Earth Continent, the Southern娑婆 Continent, then the Ascending Cloud Continent, heading north towards the Golden Armor Continent and the Flowing Sunset Continent.

Chen Ping’an was already quite familiar with much of the Northern Majestic Continent, save for the northernmost regions. And on the Snowy Continent, he would visit the Wealth God Liu’s family and Pei A’xiang’s Thunder God Temple as a guest.

As for the Central Earth Continent, there were even more places to actively visit or leisurely explore: the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Mansion, Fu Lu Yu Xuan’s old blessed land, the Azure God Mountain in the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, the Great End Dynasty where Cao Ci resided, the Mysterious Secret Dynasty where Yu Pan Shui acted as the retired Emperor… not to mention the many scenic wonders recorded in the *Mountain and Sea Records* and its supplement.

Chen Ping’an looked up. In the distant night sky, a flash of light indicated a cultivator fleeing on the wind, followed closely by a sword light that instantly stretched into a hundred-zhang-long golden lightning bolt.

The Qi Refiner desperately attempted to escape, changing course multiple times, but was still ensnared around the ankle by the ever-present golden rope. It yanked him violently towards the ground. Neither the pursued nor the pursuer were Earth Immortal cultivators.

The point where the sword light and the Qi Refiner fell was only about half a kilometer from the inn. Chen Ping’an smiled, “Since we’re idle anyway, might as well go see the commotion.”

In this strictly regulated Great Li Capital, a Qi Refiner dared to freely fly and fight in the sky?

The only ones permitted to levitate freely here, besides the Great Li Song Clan’s Imperial Offerings, were the holders of the “No Trouble Talismans” registered with the Great Li Ministry of Justice.

Even Chen Ping’an himself had to carry a low-grade “No Trouble Talisman” from the Ministry of Justice as a pretense whenever he traveled within the capital.

Moving in unison with Xiao Mo, using the Diminishing Earth, Expanding Landscape technique, they arrived at the sword light’s landing point.

The Great Li Capital covered a vast area. The inn was located in a district that was neither particularly wealthy nor impoverished, only slightly better than Zhou Haijing’s residence in the capital.

It seemed a street brawl was unfolding, with two large, opposing groups. They appeared to be members of the Jianghu. They didn’t seem like the type to exchange harsh words only to end up drinking together at a table; they looked ready for a real fight.

Combined, even excluding those secretly mixed among the onlookers, the two groups numbered around one hundred and forty to fifty people.

Chen Ping’an squatted on the wall of a residence, hunching his shoulders and tucking his hands into his sleeves, like a farmer inspecting his fields.

Xiao Mo sat beside him, noting the large number of people gathering to watch the excitement, seemingly unafraid of trouble. Instead of closing their doors to avoid involvement, they flocked to the scene, drawn by the loud crash of the fleeing Qi Refiner being pulled back to the ground and the noisy confrontation between the two factions. Even those who were already asleep in nearby houses were awakened.

In the middle of the street, the person who had unleashed the flying sword was a short, brocade-robed old man. He stood with one hand behind his back, forming a hand seal with two fingers, gently swaying.

He seemed confident and composed, as if victory was assured.

The old man’s head was sparsely covered with hair, resembling a barren field deprived of irrigation, with only a few scattered weeds. However, it was still slightly better than a harvested rice paddy.

But according to Xiao Mo’s way of speaking, this unassuming old senior looked self-important and arrogant.

Since the old sword immortal hadn’t retrieved his flying sword, the golden light it had transformed into still ensnared his opponent’s ankles. As the old man swayed his joined fingers, sword energy surged around the young cultivator’s ankles. The young man’s face showed pain, and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he didn’t beg for mercy, only glared fiercely at the old man.

Xiao Mo glanced at the street confrontation and asked, “Young Master, disturbing the peace in the middle of the night like this, won’t the Capital authorities intervene?”

As for this battle between immortals, it was undoubtedly a violation. She wondered how the authorities would deal with both sides afterward.

Chen Ping’an said softly, “As long as it doesn’t result in death, and it’s not an armed conflict, if both sides are fighting bare-handed, the government will likely turn a blind eye. A capital city is often a place where dragons and snakes mingle. Jianghu sects, martial arts academies,镖局, silver houses, shipping guilds, carriage companies, and even petty thieves each have their own ancestral masters, mountain strongholds, and branch halls. I once heard a funny story from Shopkeeper Liu about a fellow in the capital who controlled thirty-seven of the city’s sewage routes and earned more money than someone running a restaurant in the Iris River district.”

Of course, there were also some inexperienced hotheads, filled with youthful arrogance, who disregarded government laws, treating a few prison sentences as Jianghu experience.

Chen Ping’an said, “Xiao Mo, help me listen to the old sword immortal’s thoughts.”

Xiao Mo nodded.

The young cultivator’s face turned ashen with anger. “Framing me with false accusations, using despicable means!”

The old sword cultivator laughed loudly, “If you’re innocent, why did you run? Does the Ministry of Justice unjustly accuse people? You’re clearly guilty.”

At the same time, his thoughts revealed a different story. “I was afraid you wouldn’t run. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything to you.”

The old sword cultivator shook his head. “As a cultivator, you brazenly flew through the air in the capital, a first-class offense. Why bother? Couldn’t we have sat down and talked calmly? Gang Leader Fan is a very reasonable person.”

But his thoughts were entirely different. “You little bastard, I’m going to keep you here tonight. Even if the Ministry of Rites convicts me and the Ministry of Justice pursues me afterward, it’ll still be better than what awaits you.”
Lying through his teeth, a wise man speaks foolish words.

After the war ended, the Great Li Dynasty remained strict with the immortal sects on the mountains, but the current Song Dynasty court treats the matters of Jianghu and martial artists with exceptional leniency and tolerance. As long as things aren’t too outrageous, the major and minor yamen of the capital city don’t interfere much with Jianghu affairs. Therefore, Jianghu sects in Great Li sprouted like mushrooms after the rain, and many wandering heroes from the countries south of the Great Li’s secondary capital, along with merchants, flocked north.

Noticing Xiao Mo’s inquisitive gaze, Chen Ping’an said calmly, “It’s easy to confuse the goodness of a person with the correctness of an event. The Great Li Dynasty’s laws have always been impartial.”

Nearby, at a martial arts hall, a group of robust young men had arrived. The martial arts hall had strict rules, including a curfew, and their master didn’t allow them to cause trouble outside. They could only sneak out to join the excitement. Seeing that someone had already climbed onto the wall, one of the brawny young men asked, “Brother, this spot…?”

Chen Ping’an moved closer to Xiao Mo, making room, and smiled, “There are only two of us, feel free.”

One by one, they rushed towards the wall, leaping high, grabbing the top of the wall, and then with a sudden surge of Qi, they were on the wall.

It was a long-brewing conflict between Jianghu sects, but it had twisted and turned and somehow involved these soaring immortals, like dumplings being thrown into the pot one after another, a rare opportunity.

The brawny man asked in a low voice, “Brother, are you also a practitioner?”

His breathing was steady, possessing that certain aura.

Of course, anyone who could climb such a high wall wouldn’t be a powerless scholar.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I’ve practiced some fist and foot techniques, know a bit of combat skill. My family is in business, we need to travel all over, so it’s good to have some skills to protect ourselves.”

The young martial artist beside the brawny man secretly rolled his eyes. “Combat skill,” indeed! He must be a wealthy young master who had read a few broken books. The poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts.

The brawny man continued, “Brother, have you heard of our Yangyuan Martial Arts Hall? Our Master Wu, although young, is a well-known hero in the Jianghu around the capital.”

Chen Ping’an said, “My knowledge is lacking.”

Regardless of whether the Master was a hero, the martial arts hall was certainly short of money.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be trying to recruit anyone they met on the street to be a cash cow.

Jianghu sects need patrons, much like the temples of mountain and water deities need a few big incense contributors.

Seeing that the man seemed uninterested, the brawny man persisted, “Have you heard of the ‘Six-Armed Divine Fist’ hero, Situ Qiuting? He’s a martial arts grandmaster famous throughout Great Li, the top dog in the area north of the capital. Even the government has to ask him to step in when they can’t handle things. Our Master often drinks with Hero Situ.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. He had indeed heard of him. Actually, he wasn’t that old. He was just a pure martial artist who had gotten some medicine money from his eldest disciple. He didn’t know what this Six-Armed Divine Fist hero was thinking, but he seemed to have even enshrined that bag of money. If Pei Qian had her childhood temper, this hero’s ending would be bleak.

However, a Golden Body Realm martial artist was indeed formidable enough to roam the Jianghu.

Back then, when he accidentally entered Lotus Root Paradise, neither the teacher Zhongzi nor the knife-sharpener Liu Zong had yet reached the Golden Body Realm. Of course, this was intentional on the old Daoist’s part, and also related to the invisible suppression of the Great Dao within the Paradise.

The brawny man asked, “Brother, are you from out of town?”

Chen Ping’an brought his hands out from his sleeves, turned, clasped his fist and smiled, “You have good eyes, old brother. I am indeed from a small place, my surname is Cao, my name is Mo, like in ‘to cherish each other in hardship’.”

The brawny man nodded, pretending to understand. He didn’t know the character, but that didn’t stop him from addressing him.

Chen Ping’an added with a smile, “Like in ‘saliva’.”

A handsome young master walked out onto the street, a wine pot in his fingers, drunkenly, wearing a crane cloak, his eyes blurry.

The brawny man’s eyes lit up. “Brother Cao, our capital city is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Not to mention a group of old grandmasters who have reached the pinnacle of martial arts, whose every move possesses the force of thunder, not at all inferior to the immortals on the mountains, there are also the Four Great Beauties and the Four Young Masters, each with extraordinary talent, martial geniuses. For example, this one in front of us is one of the Young Masters. Like Brother Cao, he’s from out of town. In just three or five years in the capital, he’s made such a big name for himself. It’s said that he frequents Chi’er Street.”

In the eyes of a Qi refiner, there are only mountains. In the eyes of martial artists, there is only Jianghu.

The brawny man’s junior apprentice had not wasted all that money and time listening to storytellers at bridges and teahouses.

A young martial artist on the wall wiggled his buttocks, resulting in a fart.

The brawny man turned his head and scolded with a smile, “A loud fart isn’t smelly, a smelly fart isn’t loud. You’re the opposite, telling you not to eat garlic like it’s rice, now look what’s happened, your fart could kill someone. Be careful, I heard the young lady of this family is in poor health. Your loud fart might scare her soul away.”

“Liu Xiao Kui, watch your mouth, what nonsense are you talking about!”

Inside the house, two beautiful young ladies, were about to lean a ladder against the wall. A slender woman was holding a handkerchief to her nose, frowning slightly.

Two maid-like girls beside her were holding the ladder, allowing their young lady to see the outside scenery. One of the maids was rather sharp-tongued and now stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the man on the wall who couldn’t utter a civil word.

However, none of them were telling them to leave.

The other maid quickly reminded, “Quiet, quiet, if the master finds out, we’ll be in trouble and the young lady will be grounded.”

The man named Liu Xiao Kui turned around and squatted down, smiling, “Oh, isn’t this Fengsheng, I heard you hired a Taoist priest to perform a ritual, is the house safe now? Does that Taoist who offered to help exorcise demons have a degree? He doesn’t look like an honest man to me. Don’t get ripped off. If you ask me, you should invite our Master to help guard your house at night. Just by sitting there, with our Master’s Yang energy, any dirty thing will be scared away, and you won’t even have to spend any money. How about it?”

The maid spat and said, “Liu Xiao Kui, what do you know? Besides a few pounds of muscle, what else can you do? A small martial arts hall that only knows how to swindle money can’t handle the affairs of immortals!”
Liu Xiaokui smiled, not at all annoyed, nor did he retort. He simply craned his neck, gazing at the young woman’s chest, from where the view was particularly delightful.

While listening to Xiao Mo relay the thoughts and conversations from the street, focusing sound into a single thread, Chen Pingan turned his head towards the interior of the residence. He was somewhat puzzled. It was understandable for ordinary small country capitals to have fox spirits, haunted houses, or lewd shrine deities causing trouble. But in this capital of Dali, were there really roaming ghosts and spirits? Apart from the City God Temple and Earth God Temple, there were numerous government offices. Just the Night Watch Gods alone could make any demon, ghost, or evil spirit unable to bear it. How would they dare to roam freely here? It was like an insignificant petty thief openly challenging the county sheriff, who was in charge of catching thieves, right in front of the county government office. “Go ahead and catch me! Come and kill me!”

Within this affluent family’s residence, there were indeed wisps of Yin energy, flowing erratically, but very faint. They had to detour around the places where door gods were pasted. They only lingered in the shadows of the residence. Anyone with slightly stronger Yang energy could make them yield. Chen Pingan glanced again at the expressions of the three women by the corner of the wall, and they showed no abnormalities.

There were two possibilities for this situation. One was that someone was physically weak, their soul unstable, and their Yang energy insufficient. They had also broken a taboo outside the home, attracting what common people called “dirty things” into the house. The other was that someone in the family had accumulated insufficient Yin virtue, causing the residence to lose the protection of their ancestors. However, this family did not seem to fit either of those scenarios. Then it was most likely a Jianghu trick of the Taoist’s, taking money from one hand and putting it into the other. They specifically sought out wealthy households with some savings, creating a stir to scare people and swindle money.

Just as door gods could block demons and evil spirits, they couldn’t stop the dark and treacherous nature of the human heart.

The voluptuous maidservant reached out to cover her chest, glaring fiercely at the row of lecherous men on the wall, like sparrows. Among them were two unfamiliar faces, especially one who was still peering into her courtyard. She turned her head and quietly reminded her mistress, “Miss, I think that scoundrel hangs out with Liu Xiaokui. He’s not a good person either.”

Chen Pingan retracted his gaze and smiled.

He was being implicated.

Xiao Mo retorted with a smile, “Miss, you misunderstand my young master. My young master is a gentleman of impeccable character.”

The young woman scoffed, “Heh, a gentleman burglar, more like.”

At the same time, Xiao Mo relayed a thought, “Oh, how handsome, and with such a scholarly air. Could he be a scholar from out of town on his way to the capital for the imperial examinations?”

Chen Pingan was puzzled.

Xiao Mo explained with a smile, “That’s the thought of this Miss Fengsheng.”

Chen Pingan silently memorized the faces of the Qi Refiners and “Jianghu Grandmasters” on the street. Then he asked, “Xiao Mo, can you find the guy who’s making money through illicit means?”

Xiao Mo nodded, “Easily.”

Chen Pingan said, “Then let’s move. We’ll go and meet this ‘resourceful’ Taoist.”

For some reason, Chen Pingan felt in his heart that this was a fortune yet to be determined, good or bad… an opportunity. Not too big, not too small, dispensable, and ethereal.

For Chen Pingan, such emotional fluctuations were extremely rare.

Even when he met Xun Xu, who called himself a “penniless ghost who couldn’t hold onto money,” Chen Pingan only realized afterward that Xun Xu was actually a reincarnated deity.

After being led by Xiao Mo to an ordinary inn nearby, the two of them appeared out of nowhere outside a somewhat shabby room. The door bolt came loose on its own. Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open and entered.

There was a young Taoist sitting cross-legged, wearing an old Taoist robe that had been washed white. He was reading a Taoist book by the light of a lamp. A bowl of wine and two dishes of snacks were placed on the table. When Chen Pingan and Xiao Mo appeared, the young Taoist slowly turned his head, his expression calm. “You’ve finally come.”

This opening line made Chen Pingan narrow his eyes.

The young Taoist still didn’t get up, but simply looked up at the two who had crossed the threshold. The young man in the yellow hat and blue shoes closed the door.

The young Taoist closed the roughly printed Taoist scripture in his hand and sat there motionless like a mountain. He leaned forward slightly and made a Taoist salute, “Blessings of Infinite Heaven.”

Then, with two fingers together, he gently moved an empty wine cup forward on the table and extended a palm towards the two uninvited guests, smiling freely, “Wandering travelers, visitors are guests. I only have a cup of poor wine. I am impoverished, so I apologize for the poor hospitality. As for which of you two will drink, it depends on your individual fate.”

“Young Master, he looks like a cultivator below the Fifth Tier. He seems calm on the surface, but his heartstrings are trembling, and he is very flustered.”

Xiao Mo said in a voice transmitted directly to Chen Pingan’s mind, “Unless… unless he’s a Transcendent Realm Great Cultivator who’s even better at hiding his identity than Lu Wei and Cao Rong, and must be at the peak of the Transcendent Realm, and also enjoys playing in the mortal world.”

Chen Pingan sat across from the young Taoist’s table expressionlessly, picked up the wine cup, and poured himself a cup of wine in silence.

The young Taoist shook his head and smiled, “The immortals on the mountain are never foolish, while mortals are naturally stubborn.”

He extended a finger and gently tapped the rim of his wine cup, “I have toiled for a long time, and regret not entering the mountain sooner.”

Xiao Mo, standing behind Chen Pingan, was completely confused. Was this guy speaking in riddles?

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, it hurts.”

Suddenly, the young Taoist began to grimace in pain. Chen Pingan had come to his side and grabbed his arm.

Chen Pingan said, “We’re from the government. You know what you’ve done.”

The young Taoist’s face turned pale, and he said loudly, “I was wrong! I shouldn’t have pretended to be a ghost at that family’s house…”

As soon as he heard that the two were government officials, the Taoist could no longer pretend. Like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, he recounted all his tricks of swindling and deception.

He was from a vassal state in the central part of Dali, and of course, he had no Taoist credentials. He didn’t dare to wear a Taoist crown casually. After all, impersonating a wandering Taoist was a world apart in terms of guilt compared to pretending to be a Taoist from a certain Taoist lineage. One was under the jurisdiction of the imperial government, while the other would be under the jurisdiction of the immortal overlords of the Taoist sects on the mountain.

Chen Pingan released his hand and looked at this audacious young Taoist. No matter how he looked, he couldn’t see any special skills.

The young Taoist rubbed his arm with a mournful face, in pain, and asked timidly, “May I ask, two officials, how many strokes of the paddle would I get in the Dali capital government for thirty taels of silver, and how long would I be imprisoned?”

This guy, whose real name was Nian Jing, courtesy name Xianwei, and who had given himself the title “Master Xuxuan,” was clearly a habitual offender.
Chen Pingan smiled and asked, “Reverend Xu Xuan, you earned thirty taels of silver from that ritual. How much do you have left?”

The young Daoist glanced at the books and wine pot on the table, “Life in the capital is expensive. Not much is left, only seven or eight taels.”

Chen Pingan twitched his lips. The young Daoist immediately changed his tune, “Reporting to the official, if you include my savings, I have about twenty taels of silver.”

Chen Pingan began to look around. The young Daoist sniffed, his heart aching. He said in a trembling voice, “I also have a gold ingot.”

Xiao Mo found it somewhat amusing, this kid couldn’t even confess properly.

But in an instant, Xiao Mo almost instinctively took a step back. However, relying on his extremely resilient Dao heart, he forcibly resisted the urge. Instead, Xiao Mo came to Chen Pingan’s side and was about to speak telepathically, but Chen Pingan had already spoken, “It’s alright. I already know.”

Xiao Mo summoned his natal flying swords for the first time, and all four of them at once.

Chen Pingan reminded him telepathically, “Put away the flying swords.”

Xiao Mo wanted to say something but hesitated. Seeing the determined look on his young master’s face, he silently put away the flying swords.

It turned out that the young man pretending to be a Daoist had a wooden hairpin in his hair, simple and unique.

Xiao Mo was far too familiar with that hairpin!

Although the wooden hairpin on the young Daoist’s head was definitely not the same one from back then, the mere resemblance was enough to make Xiao Mo’s heart tremble.

Chen Pingan remained seated, his expression unchanged.

Could this be the karma from him personally cleaving the Immortal Hairpin City in two in the Wilderness?

“It seems you’ve already guessed my identity.”

The young man smiled, slowly stood up, and shook his Daoist sleeves. He was about to speak, but then he started to yell in pain again, “Ow, ow, ow, my hand is going to break! Sir, have mercy…”

In his heart, he complained endlessly. No matter how good he was at reading faces or how eloquent he was at nonsense, he couldn’t withstand the pain. These officials were just reckless and liked to use violence. So uncivilized…

Taking the “Reverend Xu Xuan” out of the inn, the young Daoist slung his package over his shoulder, making sure to pay for the room at the counter.

The young official with the bad temper told him to move to a more spacious place. The young man sighed. Prison food wasn’t good.

He was inexplicably given a yellow paper talisman, called a Yang-Qi Igniting Talisman, and told to paste it on the door of the ancestral hall of that household tomorrow.

He thought he was going to the yamen, but after a winding route, the young Daoist was drenched in sweat. He suddenly stopped in a small alley, his expression panicked. He proactively handed the package to the man claiming to be Cao Mo, his teeth chattering, “You can rob me, but don’t kill me! Including the gold ingot, all my possessions are less than a hundred taels of silver. It’s not worth killing for!”

As he spoke, the young man leaned against the wall, his voice tinged with tears.

Liu Jia and Zhao Duanming were in the White Jade Dojo, watching the good show outside the alley. Master and disciple exchanged glances. Had Master Chen brought back a treasure?

“Keep the package yourself. I don’t care about this little bit of money. Immortal Envoy… Forget it, it’s easier to call you Immortal Envoy. As for your real name, we’ll leave it for later.”

Chen Pingan waved his hand and smiled, “Right, I’m a mountain man. You’ll cultivate Dao with me from now on.”

The dazed and speechless Immortal Envoy was stunned, wondering if there was someone even better at lying than him. What else did this person want besides money? The problem was, what else could he want? He wasn’t a woman… Thinking of this, the Immortal Envoy glanced at the follower beside Cao Mo, and a wave of sorrow washed over him. He threw the package to Cao Mo and sat down on the ground, refusing to move an inch.

Chen Pingan frowned and had to raise a hand, summoning the Five Thunder Dharma Seal from his palm. Its light illuminated the alley.

The Immortal Envoy was stunned, then suddenly came to his senses. He quickly picked up the package from the ground, slung it over his shoulder again, and followed Cao Mo into the alley. A true man wouldn’t frown, even if he walked through mountains of knives and seas of fire.

“Immortal Master Cao, did you see my immortal roots at a glance in the marketplace? Do you think I’m a diamond in the rough?”

“May I ask which mountain residence Immortal Master Cao is from in Treasure Bottle Continent? Are you a Land Immortal who can pluck the moon and stars with a wave of your hand?”

“Immortal Master Cao, how about I call you Master? We can delay the formalities of the apprenticeship tea and ancestral image. Master, do I have any senior brothers or sisters now? When can I meet them?”

Seeing that the mountain immortal didn’t reply, the Immortal Envoy touched his stomach, steeled himself, and changed his address to Immortal Master Cao again, tentatively asking, “Is there anything to eat? I’m starving from all that walking.”

Chen Pingan took out the key, opened the door to the residence, and smiled, “Xiao Mo, go buy some late-night snacks.”

Xiao Mo nodded silently and vanished in a flash.

In the front courtyard, Chen Pingan let the Immortal Envoy stay in a wing room, telling him not to wander around and to stay in the room obediently. Chen Pingan returned to the alley and chatted with the master and disciple for a while before handing over the two newly completed seals to Liu Jia, asking him to pass them on to the patriarch of the Zhao family of Tianshui.

Back in the front courtyard, the “young Daoist” was wolfing down food. Xiao Mo stood at the door. Chen Pingan looked at the Daoist hairpin again and returned to the study.

Nothing happened overnight.

After eating and drinking his fill, the Immortal Envoy tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He finally drifted off to sleep.

The next day, the young Daoist discovered that Cao Mo had disappeared without a trace. As expected of a mountain immortal, unpredictable and elusive. Only the man claiming to be “Xiao Mo” was in the courtyard, accompanying him to that household. The Immortal Envoy gave his own explanation and stuck the Igniting Talisman given to him by Immortal Master Cao on the gate of the ancestral hall, considering the matter settled. Then Xiao Mo grabbed his shoulder, and he felt like he was flying through the clouds. When he looked again, he was at an immortal ferry outside the capital, the Grieving Silk Ferry. The name wasn’t very pleasing, but the Immortal Envoy knew why it was named that way. The Great Li border army had been fighting many wars in the past century. The reason why he traveled across the land solely on foot to the capital of Great Li was because he yearned for the unrivaled might of the Great Li iron cavalry.
A single copper coin could stump a hero, but if he truly had money, why would he resort to trickery? He would have already been spending lavishly at the restaurants near Changpu River.

Xiao Mo told the Immortal Guard to stay put. The latter then focused his gaze and realized that there was a fortune-telling stall in the distance. It was actually that Cao Immortal Master, but in a different guise, wearing a green gauze Daoist robe with a bamboo divination tube on the table.

At the ferry, it was just the break of dawn. Surprisingly, the stall already had business – a woman of average looks with two children, a boy and a girl with similar features. The three of them were sitting on a long bench in front of the stall.

Beside them stood an elderly steward.

However, a little further away, there seemed to be two burly men with sharp eyes, undoubtedly the guards of the family.

The Immortal Guard had this much discerning ability. The woman’s demeanor, the guards’ lean and fierce presence, all indicated that they were no ordinary family, likely from a military household in the capital.

Cao Immortal Master was indeed impressive; his skills were undoubtedly a cut above his own. Recognizing him as a master was definitely worth it.

Previously, when Chen Pingan traveled around Baoping Continent, he had made a special trip to the hometown of General Su Gaoshan. He had not built grand mansions or extravagant tombs, nor had his family risen to prominence overnight. His relatives, however, had all gone from poverty to a life of comfortable cultivation and study.

At that moment, the fortune teller who called himself “Daoist Xu Xuan” was interpreting a divination slip for the woman, meant to predict the outcome of a long journey. Fortunately, it was an auspicious slip of upper-middle fortune. The woman listened carefully, a hint of joy in her eyes.

Besides the agreed-upon divination fee, the woman offered an additional ten taels of silver.

The young Daoist smiled and took out a white jade fortune tablet from his sleeve. Then, as if struck by inspiration, he produced another fortune tablet, saying it was a gift for the noble son and noble daughter.

“Prosperity and peace, glory and auspiciousness, may all wishes be fulfilled, and a shared fragrance across a thousand miles.”

“Strong roots and lush leaves, rain nourishes the crops, peace in the home, and lasting descendants.”

The woman examined the inscriptions on the fortune tablets, delighted, and accepted them. She turned to take out a snowflake coin from an old embroidered pouch and gently placed it on the table, “I implore the Daoist to accept this.”

However, the young Daoist, though young, spoke with uncommon grace, and gently pushed the celestial coin back, smiling, “Fate is priceless. Madam, you need not be so polite. Consider it a karmic reward for your good deeds.”

Xiao Mo asked via spiritual link, “Young Master, will the Great Li Song Clan have objections to this?”

Chen Pingan replied, “Let them think what they want.”

Xiao Mo smiled and nodded slightly, because behind the two children beside the woman, a pair of large red lanterns had appeared.

On each lantern was a string of golden characters, “Secretly made by the Ancestral Hall of Jise Peak,” with the inscription “Chen Pingan.”

And a personal seal:

“Hidden Official.”

The woman left the fortune-telling stall with her children, but not before reminding them to thank the young Daoist.

After walking some distance, the woman seemed to have a conversation with the old steward and learned some truth. She suddenly turned her head and saw that the young Daoist with the jade hairpin had already stood up, hands clasped in his sleeves, a smile on his face, waving goodbye to them.

The woman stopped, turned around, and gave the young man a deep blessing.

The man took a step back and returned the courtesy with a bow.

Although she was a first-rank titled noblewoman of the Great Li Dynasty, not well-versed in court affairs or battlefields, she had only learned today that the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall was also a citizen of their Great Li.

At dawn, the moon set and the sun rose, the air fresh and clear.

Like one traveling at night, wearing the stars and moon, finally reaching the light of day.