The dynasty of Yu, in the imperial capital of Luo.

Dai Yuan, a Gold Core cultivator from the Azure Seal Sect, had just returned from the palace. His carriage passed the magnificent Jade Verdant Pavilion, but the Yu dynasty’s Gold Core supplicant held no aspirations of cultivating a relationship with the nationally renowned and beautiful Daoist priestess. His cultivation was insufficient; while a visit wouldn’t result in a refused entry, what meaning was there in merely drinking tea and feasting his eyes? Moreover, Lü Bilong’s Dao was profound and her origins unclear. Dai Yuan dared not risk the wandering of his gaze.

Lowering the carriage curtains, Dai Yuan sighed. For some reason, he found himself longing for his aquatic acquaintance from Little Dragon Pool.

Unbeknownst to Dai Yuan, a white-robed youth, staff of emerald bamboo in hand, lay upon the carriage roof, legs crossed, as though guarding the Gold Core cultivator.

The Yu dynasty’s royal supplicants were divided into inner and outer circles, akin to registered and unregistered retainers in Immortal families.

Dai Yuan belonged to the inner circle, though not of high rank. However, his sect boasted a distinguished founder: Gao Taishu, the dynasty’s second-ranking supplicant, second only to the extraordinarily skilled Protector-General.

Two Gold Core practitioners within a single sect were enough to command respect in the current age of dwindling magical energies throughout the Willow Leaf Continent.

The heavy snowfall near the year’s end had reportedly led to the freezing deaths of numerous impoverished and ill-clad peasants, prompting the aging emperor to issue yet another imperial edict of self-blame.

His sect had long secured an alliance with the Marquis household of Old Dragon City, a jewel in the Azure Continent.

A “righteous” gentleman from the Marquis household’s Lakeside Academy, distinguished by his remarkable battlefield exploits during the war against Old Dragon City, had now been promoted to vice-principal of the Five Creeks Academy in the Willow Leaf Continent’s south.

Dai Yuan, however, had returned empty-handed from the site of the Fallen Peace Mountain. It was only by offering the Daoist inkstone depicting a moonlit pine that he had narrowly escaped with his life.

Yet, all those illusory displays he had watched alongside Zhang Liuzhu, the chief retainer of Little Dragon Pool, had not been in vain. He had, in fact, found himself with a companion in hardship.

Dai Yuan had his ways of explaining and concealing the matter from both the sect’s founder and the Yu emperor. Gao Shuwu, under the pretense of avoiding future troubles, carefully examined Dai Yuan’s injuries but found nothing. The emperor, more magnanimous, rewarded Dai Yuan with a rare spirit tool from the imperial treasury, a symbol of recognizing his efforts, if not his success.

The Yu dynasty’s previous emperor, a son of the current ruler, had allied himself with the barbaric demon races during the era of societal decay, only to be beheaded.

As to how the assassin managed to penetrate the heavily guarded capital, infiltrate the heart of the imperial palace, and successfully sever the emperor’s head, it remained an unsolved mystery in the camps of the barbarians.

The news of the tragedy had been suppressed by the barbarian warlords, but after the war’s conclusion and the Yu clan’s restoration, rumors began to spread, starting with a slip of the tongue from an old palace maid. She spoke of the founder of the Yu dynasty, the emperor who had conquered the land from horseback, returning to seek vengeance. That night, the moon was obscured by dark clouds, and ominous winds howled, toppling countless trees and flowers. The thunder of hooves echoed as the founding emperor, astride his steed and spear in hand, charged into the palace, striking down his degenerate offspring with a single blow, and then again, obliterating the man, bed and all, into three pieces.

Such tales grew ever more extravagant, filling Dai Yuan with a sense of eerie unease each time he visited the imperial court. It was not a place to linger.

Dai Yuan, a divine Immortal of the mountains, feared not spirits, but death.

This visit was prompted by an edict from his sect founder, urging him to invite the Crown Prince and Princess to revisit a place of great importance.

His sect possessed a Jade Grotto Heaven, where the snow-covered Jade Mountain was a renowned Willow Leaf Continent beauty spot.

Dai Yuan knew well the old emperor was failing, at most half a year from his final departure. Down from the mountain, they would call it his demise.

Even the brilliant alchemist Lü Bilong, the Protector-General, was unlikely to succeed in prolonging the emperor’s life.

The representative from the Marquis household of Old Dragon City was awaiting the Yu dynasty’s future ruler and royal consort in his sect.

However, the Azure Seal Sect’s grand gesture, which had brought not only Dai Yuan to Luo but also their founder Gao Shuwu, was due to a force even more formidable than the Marquis household having come to the mountain. More than just wealthy and influential, they were said to possess several Immortal weapons and were related to the Jiang clan of Cloud Forest by marriage. It was Fu Nanhua of the Fu family from Old Dragon City.

Dai Yuan drew a golden-yellow dragon-patterned brocade box from his sleeve, clearly crafted in the imperial workshops. Inside lay a colored inkstone, a gift from the old emperor, illustrating the True Forms of the Five Peaks. It was a defensive treasure akin to a talisman, empowered by the spirits of the Five Peaks, and even suitable for medicinal use. Yet its one-time consumption kept it from achieving the rank of a true treasure. Dai Yuan’s fingers traced the inkstone, his brow furrowed. Another inkstone, so coincidental. The Inner Circle supplicant thought of the green-robed sword immortal who had appeared at Fallen Peace Mountain. Was it an attempt at enticement, a threat of murder, or something else? He at least needed a clear answer to ease his anxieties.

If the other party was merely relying on sword arts, then Dai Yuan would simply appeal to the academies. Whether it was Skyeye or Grand Canopy, he could surely obtain a life-saving talisman. The sword immortal, surely, would be unwilling to kill an innocent Gold Core just for the reward of confinement at an academy or the central earth’s Temple of Culture. Yet Dai Yuan feared the sword immortal who claimed to be a retainer of the Jade Guidon Sect would abandon the style of an immortal and resort to trickery.

After all, what kind of upright gentleman could a mountain cultivator who called Jiang Shangzhen brother be?

What was more, the sword immortal had said that he might visit the Azure Seal Sect sometime.

You should just come, but openly reveal your identity. Otherwise, you should learn from the nun Huang Ting, and try to spar with the barrier spell of Azure Seal sect.

Dai Yuan regretted his decisions. “I should not have troubled myself at the Fallen Peace Mountain,” he sighed. “If I knew it would come to this, I would have broken my own legs before going.”

Although the Yu lineage’s reputation was thoroughly tarnished, the Yu dynasty’s foundations remained. Having restored its dynasty, its territory had not diminished but increased. Now, the Willow Leaf Continent proudly proclaimed a Top Ten Nations list, with the Yu dynasty ranked respectably among them. Thus, civil and military officials alike were emboldened, publicly declaring a goal to preserve their top five ranking and contend for the top three within ten years.

The third-ranked nation was the Grand Chong dynasty, known for producing a notorious womanizer. Word had it that the young Minister of Works had had a change of heart, and the former libertine was now a capable official.

The top spot, of course, belonged to the unquestioned Grand Spring Yao clan.

Yu’s civil and military officials undoubtedly wished for a ranking second only to Grand Spring. Dai Yuan scoffed inwardly. Regardless of whether it was achievable,

what if they truly ranked second? Would they of the Yu dynasty, by being close in the rankings to the Grand Spring Yao dynasty, be like a man sticking close to the Yao’s empress?

During his attendance at the Peach Leaf Alliance with the sect’s founder, Dai Yuan had overheard reliable rumors of the bewitching and peerless empress of Grand Spring, during her youthful prime, having trysted with a foreign man and betrothed themselves.

Moreover, it was said that the man was of humble birth, not even a cultivator, having deceived the future empress with sweet words.

Dai Yuan clicked his tongue inside the carriage, consumed with envy. What lucky bastard whose ancestral graves emitted such auspicious smoke had enjoyed such an encounter?

He should just not let me see the man, or else a Dao spell would be unleashed, aimed directly at the rascal’s crotch, ha! Then that boy could directly enter the palace for service.

The carriage halted. Dai Yuan possessed a residence in Luo, bestowed by His Majesty, previously owned by a Minister of Rites. Rumor held that the elderly official had died in the mountains of the Azure Seal Sect, succumbing to fright. But it was more like he had gotten “carried away by the pleasure” while riding two horses simultaneously.

As Dai Yuan stepped from the carriage, a sudden joy filled him as he spotted a man of Daoist bearing outside his gates. Speak of the devil! It seemed his luck had turned for the better.

Unable to contain himself, Dai Yuan hurried forward, grasping the Old Nascent Soul cultivator’s hand without ceremony. “Old Brother Zhang!”

The Old Nascent Soul cultivator was moved as well, shaking the Gold Core cultivator’s arm. “Old Brother Dai!” he said with a heavy tone.

Their shared adversity at the Fallen Peace Mountain, their fortunate survival, and the present sight were deeply moving, no less than “old friends meeting in a foreign land.”

Near the two, just a few steps away, stood a white-robed youth, bamboo staff in hand, yawning as he watched the two sworn brothers reminiscing.

Dai Yuan whispered, “Old Brother Zhang, it would be dull for just the two of us to drink at my residence. How about…?”

Dai Yuan should fulfill his duties as a host, by all rights. Zhang Liuzhu hesitated briefly.

“Old Brother Zhang, listen to me here in Luo!” Dai Yuan urged.

Dai Yuan led Zhang Liuzhu back into the carriage, bound for an Immortal inn in the capital called the Riddle Pavilion. There, the Three Luminaries Tower, the tallest structure in the capital, was favored for banquets hosted by ministers and Immortals, always bustling with activity. A table could only be secured with a reservation a month in advance, but Dai Yuan was a regular at the Three Luminaries Tower, an Inner Circle supplicant, and the Azure Seal Sect was the leader of the immortal residences, and there was always a place available.

This also owed to the emperor. The Yu dynasty’s capital was nearly unscathed, spared from the devastation of the demon races.

En route, Dai Yuan had dispatched two paper cranes, inviting two junior female cultivators from other sects, both familiar faces at the Azure Seal Sect. At the Green Pearl Well, the two young Immortals received a yearly share, and Dai Yuan oversaw two of the Azure Seal Sect’s four attractions, and the Green Pearl Well and the Sword-Tying Tree.

In his paper crane messages, Dai Yuan inquired whether they were free to join a small gathering at the Riddle Pavilion, with himself and a mountain friend.

Entering the Riddle Pavilion, Dai Yuan bypassed the boisterous Three Luminaries Tower, led instead by a young female cultivator to a secluded spot, rustic in its charm. Two thatched huts stood surrounded by a bamboo fence, before which lay a tranquil pond filled with lotus flowers.

The female cultivator, her garments fitted to her swaying waist, exchanged laughter with the two Immortal masters.

Seated beneath a grape trellis with Zhang Liuzhu, Dai Yuan had intended to ask the female cultivator to fetch the Riddle Pavilion’s finest vintage, but Zhang Liuzhu declined, producing two jars of Dragon Pool wine from his sleeves. The female manager, aware of the Inner Circle supplicant’s tastes, cast an inquiring look at Dai Yuan, but he waved his hand with a smile. Before departing, the female cultivator offered her services, indicating she would even stay to pour wine had Dai Yuan wished.

The grapevine was evidently an Immortal plant, lush and bearing fruit even at the year’s end.

Zhang Liuzhu poured two cups, each an exquisitely delicate imitation of a flower goddess cup.

After sipping the Dragon Pool wine and praising its flavor, Dai Yuan inquired softly, “I heard that the Golden Summit Pavilion’s Daoist Baozhen’s prized disciple is in seclusion, with hopes of reaching the Nascent Soul realm? There’s also the rumor that Shao Yuanran received a Town-Mountain treasure from Daoist Du, as well as the dragon Qi of the Grand Spring Yao clan, allowing him to reach the end of the cycle in a mere twenty years. It is that he has obtained the right timing, the right terrain, and the support of his peers.”

Zhang Liuzhu smiled knowingly. “Such a young and promising Earth Immortal, not marrying into the Grand Spring Yao clan to bolster their dragon Qi seems such a shame.”

Born a rogue cultivator, the old Nascent Soul cultivator looked down on the pedigreed Immortals who took every shortcut possible, such as Gao Shuwu, the head of the Azure Seal Sect, whom Zhang Liuzhu particularly disliked.

Dai Yuan chuckled. “If one could truly marry into Grand Spring, uniting with the empress, bolstering and pressing down on their dragon Qi every night, it would be an enviable fortune indeed.”

Good wine and racy stories were akin to sweeping away sorrows. As Zhang Liuzhu raised his cup, Dai Yuan quickly did the same, lightly touching their cups together before each drank their fill.

Dai Yuan inquired softly, “Does Old Brother Zhang’s visit to Luo, in your capacity as Little Dragon Pool’s chief retainer, involve matters to discuss with the old emperor, or…?”

Zhang Liuzhu smiled playfully, speaking in a hushed voice, “I’m entrusted to discuss a deal with you, Brother Dai. Allow me to keep you in suspense. It’s a stroke of good fortune in disguise, so drink your wine and ease your mind.”

Hearing “good fortune in disguise,” Dai Yuan felt reassured. He did not rush to ask for the details, instead focusing on urging drinks and discussing Willow Leaf Continent news with the chief retainer.

Zhang Liuzhu casually inquired about the Azure Seal Sect’s recent happenings. Except for certain sect secrets, Dai Yuan was candid. If Zhang Liuzhu were still a rogue cultivator, Dai Yuan would not dare be so forthright, but since Zhang Liuzhu had now reformed and become Little Dragon Pool’s chief retainer, he could no longer return to his old ways. He would have more to lose than gain.

Yet Dai Yuan wondered why Zhang Liuzhu was so concerned with the revenues from the Green Pearl Well and Jade Mountain, and moreover, why the questions were so detailed. Did Quan Qingqiu, who now held power in Little Dragon Pool, intend to use Zhang Liuzhu to probe Dai Yuan, planning an alliance, perhaps merging the Immortal ferries from the two peaks into a joint venture?

Before half an incense stick had burned, Zhang Liuzhu ceased speaking, turning to look, his eyes lighting up.

Two female cultivators, pedigreed he thought, were coming over. One was slender, the other plump, each with their own charms.

The former was pretty, with a heart-shaped face, walking gracefully, her waist so thin that the old Nascent Soul cultivator worried she might snap in half.

As for the latter, the old Nascent Soul cultivator was immediately smitten, unable to avert his gaze.

In the words of that scoundrel Jiang Shangzhen, as she walked towards me, it was as if two great mountains were colliding with me.

The old Nascent Soul cultivator sighed inwardly. If there was to be a battle on the bedsheets, I would certainly be defeated.

All those illusory displays had not been for nothing. Dai Yuan was well aware of the old senior’s tastes, gesturing for the slender female cultivator to sit beside him. The plump Immortal maiden, upon first seeing Zhang Liuzhu, betrayed no sign on her face, but she had a lot of lamentations in her heart. How did Inner Circle Dai call such an old thing here to drink together?

But then she remembered Dai Yuan’s background, and her mood brightened somewhat.

She glanced at the old cultivator’s hand, relieved to see it was not as wizened as the hands of an old man in the mortal world. Instead, it had the luster of white jade. This caused her some astonishment. Was this a “golden branch and jade leaf” Immortal of the land?

In the current Yu dynasty, there were three pillars of the nation. The Protector-General Lü Bilong of the Jade Verdant Pavilion in Luo possessed unfathomable Dao.

Then there was the General Huang Shanshou, a martial artist of the Distant Travels realm. Of humble origins, rising from the ranks, not yet forty years old, but there was no further promotion he could make. The only achievement that the Yu dynasty now put on display was that General Huang had had refused to flee with the old emperor. Instead, he had gathered an elite cavalry, roaming the old land and battling with the barbarous demon tribes.

“This man is a gem in the Yu dynasty’s cesspool.”

These words were uttered by the new vice-principal of Skyeye Academy, revealing his disdain for the entire Yu dynasty and admiration for the martial artist.

The last was Dai Yuan’s Azure Seal Sect.

Thus, when she heard that this Water Immortal was none other than the renowned chief retainer of Little Dragon Pool, and that he was a Senior Nascent Soul Immortal, she was even more compliant, her posture softer. As she knelt to pour wine, one of her thighs was intentionally pressed close to the old Nascent Soul cultivator.

The woman wore a silk robe. It was a kneeling posture, so the curves were taut, the sensation cool. Yet it warmed the old Nascent Soul cultivator’s heart.

After a few rounds, tipsy, Dai Yuan put his arm around the slender female cultivator, and the Immortal next to Zhang Liuzhu was already leaning against the old Immortal, calling him “Brother Zhang.”

However, Zhang Liuzhu’s journey was not a pleasure trip. Tonight’s gathering beneath the grape trellis was, at most, a perk. Otherwise, Zhang Liuzhu would have already gone to fondling those white and fleshy peaks.

Before the sword Immortal Chen had left, he had instructed Zhang Liuzhu privately, politely asking the Water Immortal to visit the Yu dynasty. Zhang Liuzhu was to visit with Dai Yuan and say he still had a relationship that was like “night and day” and was the kind of friend that would pull you out of a burning building. So Chen would be on the lookout for how he can pull some strings and give Dai Yuan some influence in Yu’s dynasty.

Frankly, Zhang Liuzhu envied Dai Yuan’s Inner Circle supplicant status. Unlike himself, he could only be a retainer in Little Dragon Pool.

He wondered if he could discuss with the next mountain lord and ask to take the “Lord position” in a successful restoration of a dynasty. He thought he could choose from one of the ten best performing ones.

When that day came, himself as Grand Chong’s new national master, with the sword Immortal Chen as his backing, who would dare to look down on me, Zhang Liuzhu?

I have to hang on to this big leg.

After a gathering, Dai Yuan, greatly surprised, listened to Zhang Liuzhu’s hushed reminders. They would now get to the point. The ladies would have to leave for now.

The plump one was already asking when they can go to Dai’s residence.

Dai Yuan got a message from Zhang to agree to it.

After the cultivators had gone off into the distance, Zhang Liuzhu released his tipsiness, and his tone became serious. “Dai Yuan, do not leak a single word I say, to anyone, not even Founder Gao Shuwu or the Yu dynasty government. Today’s discussion is only known to Heaven, Earth, you, and I.”

It was common sense in the Vast World that one should not underestimate a rogue cultivator who had climbed to the Nascent Soul realm.

Upon seeing Zhang Liuzhu’s change in demeanor, Dai Yuan immediately recognized the gravity of the situation, stifling his smile and casual tone, straightening his posture, respectfully listening. “Chief Zhang, please speak. I am all ears.”

Zhang Liuzhu relayed Chen’s message, and Dai Yuan listened intently, not daring to miss a word. Yet after hearing it, joy mingled with unease, breeding suspicion. Was this a pie falling from the sky, a free offer of future prospects? Was there truly such a thing as a free lunch? Why did this ruthless, deeply cunning sword immortal favor him? Was he subtly coveting the Azure Seal Sect’s wealth? Could it be that Zhang Liuzhu and the sword immortal had already made a deal in secret, seeking to snatch it by stealth rather than by force? Would he toil in vain, only to be branded a traitor to the Azure Seal Sect?

Zhang Liuzhu seemed to sense Dai Yuan’s thoughts. He picked up the imitation flower goddess cup, tapped the table with it twice. “The sword Immortal Chen has two more sentences for Brother Dai. First, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Don’t be ungrateful, only to sell your own life.”

Dai Yuan forced a smile, his nerves taut.

Zhang Liuzhu paused, continuing with the “second sentence.” “Upon seeing Dai Yuan, it’s not to discuss whether he wants to do something, but to teach him how to be a man.”

Dai Yuan felt as if he had swallowed bitter water. He was momentarily unable to respond.

So this Brother Zhang was indeed an ally of the green-robed sword immortal.

Zhang Liuzhu smiled, “Brother Dai, don’t overthink it. This Chen Immortal is a pedigreed cultivator from a sect in Willow Leaf Continent. There’s no reason for him to harm a Gold Core cultivator. The three academies aren’t just ornaments.”

Dai Yuan, still anxious, hesitated, a smile plastered on his face. He tentatively asked, “Brother Zhang, can you tell me the truth? The sword immortal doesn’t covet the Azure Seal Sect’s wealth, does he? Am I to be a traitor, an accomplice to theft?”

Zhang Liuzhu scoffed, too lazy to even offer an explanation. These two are just friends in the pleasure house. If it weren’t for the guy in front of him, why would he be here? Zhang knew that this would never have happened with the old Zhang.

Zhang Liuzhu turned the cup over, placing it upside down on the table. “I have delivered the message. It is up to you to decide, Brother Dai. I, as your brother, will offer a final reminder. Opportunities like this, where you are being offered great fortune for free, are rare. Once it has passed, there is no going back, and you will only regret it.”

Dai Yuan gritted his teeth, saying, “I’ll do it!”

What truly swayed Dai Yuan was the sword immortal’s origins in a Willow Leaf Continent sect.

As long as it was not a reckless gamble, Dai Yuan would feel reassured. Otherwise, he would truly fear ending up hated by both sides, perhaps even losing his Inner Circle status, and definitely his standing in the ancestral hall. Should the truth be discovered by Gao Shuwu, that old Founder would never allow him to live as a rogue cultivator.

Zhang Liuzhu chuckled, arrogant. He was a true rogue, and not this guy.

Zhang Liuzhu turned the cup right-side-up again. Dai Yuan immediately leaned forward, pouring a full cup for Zhang Liuzhu, and then for himself.

Zhang Liuzhu smiled. “Let’s not speak of empty words. We must work together with one mind.”

Dai Yuan, holding his cup in both hands, said with resolution, “Brother Zhang, I offer my life in this cup.”

A head suddenly peeked out from the grape trellis, looking at Dai Yuan, protesting, “What’s wrong with you people from Azure Seal Sect? You are treating Dai, the old god, like a donkey! Surely you are wasting his talent!”

Dai Yuan was startled, and even Zhang Liuzhu nearly produced a defensive magic tool. As for whether he might accidentally harm Brother Dai, it was up to Heaven.

Dai Yuan stared, mouth agape, at the head hanging from the grape trellis.

Aside from the Green Pearl Well, Dai Yuan held no real power in the sect. The actual caretakers were all Founder Gao Shuwu’s confidants. The one managing the finances was Gao’s paramour, who, aside from controlling the treasury, oversaw all matters concerning Jade Mountain. The sect enforcer was merely an old cultivator of average talent, yet he controlled the dragon pool.

Zhang Liuzhu remained composed, asking, “From what realm is this fellow Daoist? What might your Daoist name be?”

The white-robed youth maintained his strange posture, saying sincerely, “I’m from East Mountain.”

Zhang Liuzhu smiled, “For how long has the Daoist from East Mountain been here? What have you heard?”

The other party shook a letter of imperial order in his hand, rustling it. “A bit earlier than you. I was admiring the Edict of Self-Blame when I came, and I did not hear anything about betraying the Sect or selling my life. You all need to be executed!”

Zhang Liuzhu’s expression darkened. This person’s attitude was unpleasant indeed.

The white-robed youth tucked the edict into his sleeve, smiling. “Ha ha, does Chief Zhang feel relieved that I arrived earlier? Do you think I’m only good at stealth, and not at fighting? Heh, you will be sorely disappointed. I followed you all the way into the Riddle Pavilion, and since you two got along so well, I took a nap beneath the grape trellis. Do you not believe me? Take a look at your feet. Is there not a small pile of grape seeds?”

Dai Yuan immediately looked down, but Zhang Liuzhu did not move. The two were separated by only one realm, but this was the true difference between a pedigreed Immortal and a rogue cultivator.

Zhang Liuzhu feigned composure, stroking his beard and smiling. “Daoist, you truly take an unusual path.”

Someone who could lie beneath a grape trellis for half a day, yet he had not sensed from beginning to end, was undoubtedly impossible to defeat!

Cui Dongshan flipped around, grabbing the grape trellis, landing gracefully, dusting his sleeves off. “Enough with the games, I have important matters to attend to.”

Cui Dongshan looked at the old Nascent Soul cultivator. “My master was worried that you might not be clear about the details, or add your own flourishes, so he sent me to Luo. It seems he was right. The two of you can no longer be confused or pretend to be confused.”

Cui Dongshan turned to Dai Yuan, speaking directly. “Dai Yuan, would you like to be the Azure Seal Sect’s eighth, most respected master within a century? And, as an added burden, become the Yu dynasty’s Chief Inner Circle supplicant?”

Dai Yuan’s expression turned awkward. What lunatic was spouting nonsense here?

Seeing his silence, Cui Dongshan nodded with a smile. “Very well, I will take it as consent.”

He said to Zhang Liuzhu, “As for Chief Zhang, your official hat in Little Dragon Pool is already big enough. There is nothing to promote you to. After all, you are an outsider, so it isn’t right for you to be the mountain lord. Without Lin Huizhi and Quan Qingqiu, Little Dragon Pool isn’t truly without talent.”

Zhang Liuzhu’s expression changed. How could this person know such a secret?

Cui Dongshan smiled. “My master said that as compensation for your trip to Luo, he will say a good word for you, allowing you to retain your position and seek an official position in the Grand Chong dynasty, perhaps… a national master? So after leaving Luo, you may head straight for the Grand Chong dynasty, seeking out the Minister of Works called Cai Youjun. Say that you are Zhou Fei’s mountain friend and are willing to be his advisor for a few years. The master reminds you, more haste less speed. Spend some time to understand the inner details of the Grand Chong court, Chief Zhang. What would you call this?”

Zhang Liuzhu immediately replied, “Sharpening the blade does not hinder the cutting of firewood!”

The jar of Dragon Pool wine had warmed the old Nascent Soul cultivator’s heart.

As for this friend calling himself “Dongshan,” since he was Chen’s prized student, he was practically family.

Moreover, Chen had seemed to foresee everything, smoothing the path in advance. The Grand Chong dynasty was precisely the best place for the old Nascent Soul cultivator.

At the same time, Zhang Liuzhu had even greater reverence for Chen, who seemed able to see through people’s hearts with ease.

Linking it to the changes at Little Dragon Pool, Zhang Liuzhu had a strange premonition that the sword Immortal Chen, with his mystical swordsmanship, temperament, methods, and bearing, was more like a rogue cultivator.

At the drop of a hat, he had turned two Nascent Soul cultivators into prisoners, now confined in the central earth’s merit forest, their fates unknown.

Cui Dongshan nodded approvingly. “Teachable material. In the future, you will have limitless potential.”

Then, Cui Dongshan raised a sleeve, waving off the lingering feminine fragrance, tsking. “You two are Immortals who seek great things, so you must be upright, must cultivate yourselves. Especially with those pedigreed female cultivators, drink less, engage in fewer fights with Immortals. Save some strength, build up your reputation. Otherwise, a future Grand Chong national master and the Azure Seal Sect’s eighth master known for wallowing in pleasure won’t do. What kind of state is that? Willow Leaf Continent is big, but it’s also small. Good deeds don’t go past the door, but bad news travels far.”

Dai Yuan glanced at Zhang Liuzhu, but the latter remained sitting, looking straight ahead.

Cui Dongshan held up a finger, pointing at the two Immortals. “The master and I don’t wish for the guests of our sect to be heroes who frequent brothels and skirts.”

Zhang Liuzhu felt resentful, cursing Dai Yuan for misleading him!

Before meeting Dai Yuan, he had been known for diligent cultivation, unfamiliar with any female cultivator.

Cui Dongshan clapped his hands, smiling. “Like Chief Zhang said, should we work together with one mind?”

Zhang Liuzhu and Dai Yuan stood to offer their respects, making vows, nearly swearing an oath to Heaven.

Lastly, Cui Dongshan tugged at his sleeves, smiling mischievously. “I’ll follow Chief Zhang and add my own flourishes. If either of you makes a mistake, someday disappointing my master, I will beat you half to death, then make you wish you were dead.”

Before departing the Immortal Capital Mountain, his master had asked a most interesting question.

If the Jade Guidon Sect’s Wei Ying had made similar promises, would Zhang and Dai be just as eager to serve?

Cui Dongshan had nodded yes.

His master had smiled, saying that the work on people’s hearts was still far from secure.

The two Immortals, one Gold Core and one Nascent Soul, one Gold Core not daring to speak, another that has heard Zhang tell a few lies. Both looked at the sky and thought there was nothing to do and nothing to look forward too.

I give you all this. Why do you want to talk bad about me? I am doing this for your benefit.

I want to work together!

I have a feeling it’s the end of the world!

Please do not leave or forsake me!

The white figure vanished into thin air, the magical energy of heaven and earth undisturbed, leaving no trace.

Beneath the grape trellis, Zhang Liuzhu and Dai Yuan exchanged glances.

After a long silence, Dai Yuan whispered, “Brother Zhang, at my residence, will it be just us drinking tea?”

“What else?!”

Zhang Liuzhu retorted, annoyed. “The world of pleasure is a hero’s grave, wasting the energy of us cultivators. It does far more harm than good.”

Dai Yuan nodded silently. Was it my fault?

Zhang Liuzhu said, “I won’t be drinking tea at your residence. Let us continue drinking here, to carefully consider and devise a general plan.”

Dai Yuan perked up, immediately sitting back down, pouring wine for Zhang Liuzhu, vibrant. “Brother Zhang is as dependable as ever. We must discuss it thoroughly.”

The two Immortal masters, now riding the same boat, began to exchange confidences, eventually even discussing how the Yu and Grand Chong dynasties might form an alliance.

Truly, it was far more interesting than drinking in brothels.

Surely, a great man should not indulge in pleasure, but pursue great deeds!

Then, a head peeked out from the grape trellis once more, lamenting, “Are you two stupid or what? What did you talk about? Did you ever tell the world where the body was buried?”

Zhang Liuzhu and Dai Yuan stiffened, exchanging a glance, feeling utterly helpless.

Cui Dongshan drew two volumes from his sleeves, tossing them onto the table. “Sharing is caring. Make sure to read them carefully, memorize them, and write a thousand words of reflections. I will be testing you later.”

The white figure vanished once more.

The two Immortal cultivators were like schoolchildren, newly given homework by their master.

Speechless for a long time.

Dai Yuan asked with his eyes, “Is that guy gone?”

Zhang Liuzhu replied with his eyes, “How should I know? Ask that crazy Immortal teacher!”

But if they sat out in the open, they would be killed by a strike of lightning!

Why don’t we just sit in our residence.

Why don’t we just sit in our residence.

With those two immortals having read their lips, you would see that the thoughts were being shared between those two. It didn’t take long for them to go back to the residence with more to offer.

At the Jade Verdant Pavilion, the old General Liang Shuang turned to look at the courtyard. A figure in white seemed to have sprung from the ground, and he saw the female General Lü Bilong. “Oh, old General has taken in a successor, or has found a partner.”

But Liang was more on the line that old General was a big player and would be known through all the lands. He got along with his counterpart and new a lot about him.

Cui Dongshan, swinging his sleeves, strode into the building, sitting opposite the nun Ma Xuanhui, staring straight at Lü Bilong, whose Daoist name was Manyue, or Full Moon.

According to the Yu dynasty’s secret records, the Protector-General Lü Bilong was half pedigreed, having cultivated in an obscure nation’s Daoist temple. Because she was celibate and sought truth, she reached the Nascent Soul realm before venturing out. Passing the Yu dynasty’s capital, she found the Jade Verdant Pavilion to be a blessed place of Daoist energy, resting there. Given a Daoist certificate, she still refused to reveal her power until the advent of the chaotic era. Reluctant to see the Yu dynasty fall, she had acted against her wishes, abandoning her former serene cultivation, becoming the Protector-General.

As for that obscure Daoist temple, it did exist. The small kingdom’s records confirmed the presence of a nun named “Lü Bilong.”

The female General felt uneasy, but with the venerable General present, she dared not reveal any displeasure.

A “youth” who could casually joke with the Dragon Tiger Mountain’s external Great Teacher was not someone she could afford to provoke.

Cui Dongshan’s opening words caused her to tremble. “My master says you are from the Three Mountains Paradise, Ten Jade Sect, a pawn placed here by Immortal Han Yushu?”

“Are you still holding onto the delusion that Han Yushu will intercede for you at Skyeye Academy? Perhaps Han Sect Master will instruct his daughter, Han Yushu, to ask the old Yu emperor or his successor to exonerate you, mitigating your crimes at the academy, perhaps even allowing you to remain in Luo, keeping at least the title of the Jade Verdant Pavilion’s master? Using your private money, sacrificing your dowry, expending two or three centuries of cultivation, to host grand Daoist rites to atone for your sins?”

“Do you claim you cannot understand what I’m saying?”

“Tell us your real name in the Ten Jade Sect’s golden records. Don’t take Skyeye Academy for fools. I am busy, and have no time to play games.”

Hearing “Skyeye Academy,” “Lü Bilong” realized the gravity of the situation.

Liang Shuang, with his powerful presence, understood her mental state. He asked in a hushed voice, “Did you guess?”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “I wouldn’t dare claim credit. It was my master’s guess. I didn’t think this fake ‘Lü Bilong’ would crack so easily.”

Hesitating, Cui Dongshan revealed an even greater truth, “My master and Han Yushu had a dangerous duel at the site of Fallen Peace Mountain. Han Yushu unleashed his secret weapons, his talisman and formation skills were exceptional. Combining the formations in Luo and the Azure Seal Sect, my master had a guess. Given the Ten Jade Sect’s tendency to turtle, if it intended to found a lower sect, it would