The hour was late in reaching Ascendspire City, but the spirit of revelry never slumbered.

The tavern’s coffers jingled merrily this day. Two distinct parties of drinkers had arrived in quick succession. First, the bachelors Fan Dache and Wang Xinshui, among others, claimed their seats. Hardly had they settled before a group of maidens, led by Situ Longqiu and Luo Zhenyi, graced the establishment with their presence.

No glance was needed from the acting proprietor, Zheng Dafeng. Fan Dache and his fellows, ever mindful of propriety, swiftly yielded the last table to the ladies, resigning themselves to the roadside. From there, they hoped to glean tales of celestial skirmishes and boudoir secrets from their brother Dafeng.

But alas, Zheng Dafeng was already scurrying towards the ladies’ table.

An old golden-core swordsman, seated on the roadside, sighed deeply. A bachelor of considerable years, he nursed a single cup of wine for half an age. Every time he overheard Zheng Dafeng’s stories, a good half of his drink remained, the sounds having robbed him of his thirst.

As the old man departed, he muttered his oft-repeated lament, “I never thought a life dedicated to virtue and righteousness would lead me to hear such things!”

As Zheng Dafeng settled at the ladies’ table, perching on the very edge of the bench, one of the female swordsmen rose at once. She retreated to share space with two friends on a smaller seat.

Zheng Dafeng, undeterred, silently edged his way along the bench, a sly grin on his face. Warmth, indeed! Even without wine, the Brother Dafeng’s heart was already brimming with warmth.

The woman, witnessing this, nearly drew her sword. But she thought better of it, realizing that rebuke would only embolden him. Perhaps he would reply with some ridiculous jest. So, she lifted her wine bowl and took a long, sullen draught.

Seated across from Zheng Dafeng was Luo Zhenyi, a swordswoman from the Summer Palace’s Hidden Guard lineage.

Her beauty, figure, grace, and swordsmanship were beyond reproach.

From every angle, front and back, she was a feast for the eyes.

In the eyes of Ascendspire City’s young men, Luo Zhenyi was what Song Caiyun and Zhou Cheng had once been to the old veterans of Sword Qi Great Wall.

Our acting proprietor, Zheng Dafeng, had established himself at Sword Qi Great Wall with just three traits.

He possessed a handsome visage, was fair in his gambling at the taverns, and was responsible for the creation of two lists—a selection of the Ten Immortals and the Ten Beauties. The criteria was not limited to beauty alone.

The lists were compiled every two or three years, and Luo Zhenyi consistently held a place in the top three of the Ten Immortals.

As for Dong Bude, who was absent today, she was included twice, with wildly varying results. Her initial appearance was at the bottom of the list, but her second catapulted her into the top three.

However, in the forthcoming selection, Dong Bude was secretly slated for the number one spot.

Guo Zhujiu, before departing the Five Colors Heaven, had secretly provided a sum of celestial coin. She demanded that the “old maiden” be placed first, lest she remain unwed.

The young woman possessed the spirit of a nameless heroine, repeatedly instructing the proprietor not to reveal her contribution. Should the old maiden inquire, let it be said that Deng Liang, the Chief Emissary, had funded the endeavor.

Situ Longqiu inquired, “I heard from the Hidden Guard that there is a place in your Treasure Bottle Continent called Yandang Mountain. Is its scenery truly so magnificent? Is it destined to become a monarchical mountain?”

Long ago, she and two close companions had asked Chen Ping’an for three seals. Her own collection seal was tied to a place of splendor called the Great Dragon’s Pool of Yandang Mountain.

Zheng Dafeng nodded. “Indeed, the scenery is exceptional. You must visit it someday. Brother Dafeng will gladly guide the way. You see, Lady Situ, the Land of Vastness is full of scholars, but righteous souls like Great Feng are rare.”

Situ Longqiu was the concubine’s daughter of the Situ family of Great Axis Street. Before the war, she was a waterside cultivator trapped in a bottleneck. She broke through in Ascendspire City and entered the golden core realm after training in the Five Colors Heaven.

She and Dong Bude were inseparable companions. Among the younger generation of Sword Qi Great Wall, Situ Longqiu was hardly a genius, but her connections were extensive.

In recent years, she had acquired an odd title: “A mobile gazetteer of Sword Qi Great Wall’s landscapes”.

The moniker had quickly spread throughout Ascendspire City, said to have originated from a slip of the tongue by the Hidden Guard within the Summer Palace.

The Hidden Guard, long ago, had unintentionally let slip a phrase. The bootlickers of the Summer Palace had taken it to heart and spread the phrase.

Guo Zhujiu, as a disciple, had to fill the role of her master, who was not in Ascendspire City.

Since a father’s debt falls to his son, then a master’s debt falls even more so upon his disciple. If there were any vendettas, all would be directed at her!

Guo Zhujiu’s fate was thus decided.

Zheng Dafeng suddenly inquired, “Lady Situ, what do you think of Brother Dafeng’s character?”

Situ Longqiu glanced at the man and said, “I don’t know if you’re useful, but you’re certainly not pleasing to the eye.”

A maiden such as this, in a city such as this—how could Zheng Dafeng not be fond?

It was so very much like home.

Zheng Dafeng raised his wine bowl. “One must never trust the words of beautiful women. They must always be taken as their opposite!”

Luo Zhenyi, beneath the table, gently nudged her friend’s foot.

A woman named Guan Mei glared at her friend before asking Zheng Dafeng with a smile, “Acting Proprietor, when Ning Yao returned from the Land of Vastness, did she bring back any news? What is life like for Lin Junbi and the others in their hometowns?”

On the way here, Luo Zhenyi had asked her to inquire about the fate of the swordsmen from the Summer Palace.

Guan Mei, for her part, held a favorable opinion of Zheng Dafeng. He was witty, affable, and never took offense, no matter the provocation. Though his jokes were often suggestive, and his gaze lingered on women of pleasing form, the proprietor never laid a hand on anyone.

Zheng Dafeng stroked his chin, a look of concern on his face. To be called “Proprietor” was too formal, enough to break his heart.

Guan Mei quickly leaned forward and filled his bowl, speaking in a soft voice. “Brother Dafeng, please tell us. I beg you.”

Zheng Dafeng raised the bowl with both hands, craning his neck to peer into the depths of her collar. “Sister Guan Mei, to speak of begging wounds Brother Dafeng. What need is there for such things in the presence of your Brother Dafeng?”

Guan Mei deliberately maintained the pouring posture, prolonging her stay. With a playful sway of her shoulders, she said, “Tell me.”

She was willing to risk it for a friend.

The swaying of the collar caused Brother Dafeng’s heart to flutter and his eyes to ache.

Zheng Dafeng, seeing that the maiden had resumed her seat, said, “Ning Yao said little. They have all returned to their families and continue their cultivation. However, Lin Junbi has become the Imperial Tutor of the Shao Yuan Dynasty, the youngest to ever hold such a position among the Ten Great Dynasties. To say he is renowned throughout the world is no exaggeration. Cao Gun is fortunate. His sect resides in the Floating Cloud Continent, untouched by war. They plan to establish a lower branch in the Supporting Cloud Continent. Perhaps Cao Gun will receive the exceptional honor of becoming the sect leader. Song Gaoyuan and Xuan Can are less fortunate. Their sects, in the Supporting Cloud Continent and Golden Armor Continent, are busy with reconstruction. Whether they rebuild on the old sites or start anew, I cannot say.”

The previous generation of Summer Palace Hidden Guard swordsmen:

Those from abroad were Chen Ping’an, Lin Junbi, Deng Liang, Cao Gun, Xuan Can, and Song Gaoyuan.

The locals were Chou Miao, Pang Yuanji, Dong Bude, Guo Zhujiu, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, Xu Ning, Luo Zhenyi, and Chang Taiqing.

Any one of them, when challenged to a duel, was a formidable opponent, skilled in both combat and strategy. As long as the difference in cultivation wasn’t too great, victory was almost certain.

In Zheng Dafeng’s estimation, the two younger generations of Hidden Guard swordsmen were less impressive than their predecessors.

Guan Mei waited, but Zheng Dafeng merely lowered his head and drank. “Is that all?”

Zheng Dafeng looked up, a sheepish expression on his face. “Some things cannot be forced, eh? I am no scholar, able to churn out endless tales.”

Guan Mei was perplexed. What was he so shy about?

If Dong Bude, who had always been shameless, were here, she would surely understand Zheng Dafeng’s thoughts.

When Situ Longqiu and her companions departed, Zheng Dafeng deflated, no longer needing to maintain his persona of a seasoned gentleman.

These inexperienced maidens were vulnerable to such charm.

To ensnare them would bring nothing but trouble, trouble that was best avoided.

Zheng Dafeng turned and waved. “Hurry along, you lot! The benches will be cold if you tarry.”

Zheng Dafeng kicked off his boots and sat cross-legged on the bench. “Xinshui, are there any maidens who keep you awake at night?”

Wang Xinshui shook his head. “No.”

Zheng Dafeng tutted. “If you devoted a fraction of your thoughts to romance, you wouldn’t be stuck with Fan Dache.”

Wang Xinshui was a true sword cultivator. His only problem was that his mind was too sharp, his premonitions too accurate. His swordwork simply could not keep pace, a situation difficult to remedy.

Over the years, Wang Xinshui had found solace in drinking here.

Fan Dache looked annoyed. “Why drag me into this?”

Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine and picked up a morsel of food. It was exceptionally salty, so he quickly washed it down with another swig. He turned to Fan Dache. “Dache, what is your reaction when children call you ‘Uncle Fan’ on the street?”

Fan Dache smiled. “No reaction. It’s quite pleasant.”

Zheng Dafeng rubbed his chin. In the early days of the Summer Palace, Pang Yuanji, Lin Junbi, and Cao Gun were renowned for their beauty.

They probably possessed seven or eight tenths of his own charm.

After Fan Dache and his friends left, the sun set and the tavern emptied. Zheng Dafeng slumped at the counter, tallying the day’s takings.

Since Zheng Dafeng took over, business had been good. The tavern thrived, a veritable hub in Ascendspire City.

But Feng Kangle and Tao Ban grumbled that it wasn’t as lively as it once was.

Zheng Dafeng felt wronged. Ascendspire City had few upper-five cultivators and not many young nascent souls.

He could not wave his hand and conjure a crowd of jade blossoms and nascent soul swordsmen.

The tavern regulars were still there: Qiu Long, Liu E, Feng Kangle, and Tao Ban. Only the proprietor had changed.

Zhang Jiazhen and Jiang Qu had long ago been taken by the Second Proprietor to the Land of Vastness.

Qiu Long and Liu E were long past marriageable age, but had delayed it for many years. Eventually, Qiu Long heeded the proprietor’s advice and chose to embrace the person before him. The two married before the year’s end. Qiu Long had taken Liu E as his wife, Zheng Dafeng was the officiant, and he had led the rabble in disrupting the bridal chamber.

The young couple now lived a peaceful life. They planned to earn more money and save up before opening their own tavern. They would not open it in Ascendspire City. They would pick one of the four border towns, most likely Summer Retreat City. Because a swordsman of the Summer Retreat Palace was the city lord, the owners could be considered part of the family. If something happened, the tavern would have someone to look after it.

Every swordsman who entered the Summer Retreat Palace would drink at the tavern. It had become an accepted tradition.

Feng Kangle and Tao Ban, who had once worked as errand boys, were now proper tavern attendants.

The tavern still offered only three drinks: the cheap Bamboo Sea Paradise Wine, the exceedingly expensive Green God Mountain Wine, and the scalding Dumb Lake Liquor. Accompanying the drinks were a dish of pickles and a bowl of spring noodles.

The wine bowls were as large as ever, and the benches were as thin as ever.

The plaques on the tavern walls, as old as they were, remained untouched, neither diminished nor increased.

Since Zheng Dafeng came to Ascendspire City, this tradition had died.

It was like sealing a mountain.

If there truly was nothing to fear, there was no need for a plaque of safety.

At first, there had been resistance from both new and old patrons. Zheng Dafeng, ever polite, would apologize and punish himself with three bowls of wine. But the plaques of safety would not return.

Fortunately, the Second Proprietor had secretly cultivated a band of shills, who helped Zheng Dafeng persuade the customers. As Zheng Dafeng, in time, had become a favorite, the customers eventually grew accustomed to the change and no longer troubled him.

The acting proprietor was a true scholar, more knowledgable than the Second Proprietor when it came to certain things.

The taverns of Ascendspire City had purchased barrels of genuine Green God Mountain Wine for a high price. It was used to compete with the tavern. It was sold by the ounce, but after the first cup, many would depart, cursing and grumbling.

It was fake wine! Green God Mountain Wine did not taste like this.

There was a constant chatter like chickens pecking at rice.

The proprietor of the tavern was driven to madness.

To this day, less than one barrel of Green God Mountain Wine had been sold. The tavern had not earned any money and could not even recover its capital.

Zheng Dafeng glanced at the two figures at the nearby table, busily devouring bowls of spring noodles with two fried eggs.

Tao Ban and Feng Kangle were tall young men with stubble on their faces.

Back when they were boys, Tao Ban had asked the Second Proprietor a question. He had asked a similar question to Proprietor Zheng Dafeng, except that he had changed sword immortal embryo to martial arts genius.

Later, Tao Ban asked a question that Zheng Dafeng was unsure how to answer.

Would he ever see the Second Proprietor again?

For Tao Ban knew that he was neither a sword immortal embryo nor a martial arts genius. He was only an ordinary man. He would soon become a middle-aged man, an old man, and might not live to see the next opening of the Five Colors Heaven.

Seeing that Zheng Dafeng had said nothing, Tao Ban had muttered to himself, saying that he had been too young to drink back then.

In the twilight, a group of drunken patrons laughed. “Brother Dafeng, we keep winning your money! We started out happy, then we were embarrassed, then we felt pity, and now we regret it!”

Zheng Dafeng nodded as he worked the abacus. “Yes, it’s similar to love.”

Someone understood and cheered.

Someone else asked, “Tell us the truth, Proprietor! Are you just lucky, or are you not washing your hands all year?”

Zheng Dafeng lazily flipped his middle finger.

Someone began to speak drunkenly. “If I’m being honest, the Second Proprietor couldn’t land two punches on me.”

“Why hasn’t the Second Proprietor returned? There’s no one to sit at the dealer’s chair anymore.”

There were old and new ways of listing the most notable people of Sword Qi Great Wall.

The old ones were Lucky’s cheating at gambling, Deaf’s ability to talk to people, Lu Zhi’s beauty, Hidden Guard’s pity for jade, and Mi Yu’s inability to hold onto affection.

The new ones were Second’s honesty and reluctance to be a dealer, Situ Longqiu’s promises of truth, Gu Jianlong’s desire to speak the truth, Dong’s spending money without thinking, and Wang Xinshui’s pre-battle calmness and post-battle responsibility.

Both versions had foreigners on them, and both of the foreigners were scholars. They did have their differences. Ah Liang wanted to have the words scholar, refined, and you’re wrong if you don’t find me handsome carved into his forehead.

The young Hidden Guard was the opposite. He never deliberately flaunted his status as a scholar. In the taverns, he swore blind to all kinds of immoral things. He was very skilled at drinking, never acted as a dealer, and lectured others with things such as politeness and fairness.

Later, Ascendspire City had the “Four Oddities.”

One was that Ning Yao was serving as the acting Hidden Guard but was not the city lord.

Another was that Nianxin, second-in-command of the Justice Official, had a real identity that no one knew.

It was said that Nianxin never spoke at ancestral hall meetings.

The third was that the three male swordsmen who lived in the city’s hermitage, Winnowing, were dressing in women’s clothing.

The last was the avarice and scavenging of the finance cultivators. Whoever stopped them from earning money was an enemy to be fought.

These cultivators had plaques with inscriptions that said, Heavenly Dao Rewards Diligence, Diligence Can Make Up for Clumsiness, May Wealth Come in Abundance, Heaven is Three Feet Above.

These were all unique to them.

The names had spread far and wide.

It was because the three immortal swordsmen, Hexie, Shuiyu, and Yanzhen, were taking turns searching for sword immortal embryos from other places.

But this method was exceedingly difficult, and only two of the dozen students had even mastered it.

Of them, Hexie had become a nascent soul. According to his master’s will, he could put on proper clothing.

It was said that Hexie had barely put on a robe before his brothers begged him to continue their current practice.

Because Hexie and his brother Shuiyu had asked a dumb question, all of the Winnowing disciples had to follow their masters and wear women’s clothing.

As such, the “big brother” was despised by his fellow disciples.

Actually, the Four Oddities was interesting and fun.

But for some reason, it was no longer as interesting. It felt as though something was missing.

Perhaps it was because the upper-five swordsmen, the old men of Sword Qi Great Wall, and the scholars who were always getting scolded were gone.

Just like with scolding, if no one insults back, the process will become tiring.

So someone had to insult back.

Cheng Quan and Zhao Geyi were able to insult, right?

But they were no match for the Second Proprietor.

It was said that Justice Official Zhang Heng had merely been standing on the city walls, minding his business, when he was nearly showered with curses and spit by a yelling Cheng Quan.

Sword Qi Great Wall either liked or hated the young Hidden Guard. There was no third option.

Of course, there were also those who had been scammed and those who had not.

Once, there was a finance cultivator who had gone mad for money and had secretly wanted to steal the Second Proprietor’s plaque. Of course, they did bring a counterfeit to replace it. But Zheng Dafeng caught the thief and forced them to come to the tavern for a month.

Zheng Dafeng looked out on the street and sighed.

The three powers of Ascendspire City had taken shape.

They were the Justice Official, Hidden Guard, and Finance Office.

Ning Yao was the acting Hidden Guard, and the swordsmen of Summer Retreat Palace had grown to twenty.

But Zheng Dafeng saw many problems with Ascendspire City.

The Hidden Guard lacked a number two who everyone could get behind. Luo Zhenyi was a nascent soul who was almost certain to become an upper-five, but because of her personality, she was unable to make a decision when Ning Yao was not present. It wasn’t that the Hidden Guard wasn’t intelligent, it was that everyone was intelligent but no one was the most intelligent.

Furthermore, the Hidden Guard could not go back to how they were before.

For example, the original followers of the young Hidden Guard had six swordsmen: Guo Zhujiu, Mi Yu, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, Cao Gun, and Xuan Can.

The four young swordsmen were considered the Hidden Guard’s lapdogs, and they all saw Guo Zhujiu as the leader.

There was no way something like that would happen in the current Hidden Guard.

After all, neither Chen Ping’an nor Sword Immortal Chou were present.

Ning Yao was the strongest person in the world and the only ascension in Five Colors Heaven.

However, Ning Yao was not capable of dealing with menial tasks. It shouldn’t be something she had to do.

Furthermore, the First Consort, Deng Liang, had gradually built up a group.

It wasn’t that Deng Liang wanted to compete, but things just fell into place.

And as the state of the world became clearer, more and more people were coming to Ascendspire City. Even though there were four towns to filter them, these infiltrations were hard to stop.

Moreover, the people of Ascendspire City had not realized one thing.

The future of Ascendspire City was not decided by a few immortal swordsmen. Rather, it was the ordinary scholars.

Zheng Dafeng knew things that normal swordsmen did not.

Not long ago, Ning Yao had left Five Colors Heaven, returned from the Land of Vastness, and convened an ancestral hall meeting. She said a few words that left the forty people puzzled.

Chen Ping’an had taken her, Qi Tingji, Lu Zhi, Justice Official Hao Su, and Jade Capital’s Third Headmaster Lu Chen into the heart of the Barren World.

They had split Immortal Hairpin City in two, killed the ascension great demon Xuanfu, split Mount Totyue, and slain the great villain, a round moon was moved to Green Nether Heaven.

Ning Yao did not say who had accomplished what and quickly moved onto other topics.

Even when the Hidden Guard asked, she did not reveal the truth. She merely said that they should ask the relevant person. She hadn’t done much.

One of the decisions made at the meeting was the selection of an almanac.

The year one of the world was called the Jiaspring, and that had been decided by the Confucian Temple. Five Colors Heaven had been a project by the Confucian Temple and the decision was not contested.

However, the compilation of the almanac was given to the powers of Five Colors Heaven. This was not a small matter, especially if the book were to spread throughout the world. Then it would mean a share of what has been called the precious “heavenly time.”

In the Lands of Vastness and Green Nether, changes in the heavens were tied to the rise and fall of monarchs. Thus, compiling and distributing the calendar was considered a major endeavor and was entrusted to experts and scholars to ensure that there were no mistakes.

The Taoists of Jade Capital had released an almanac, which had spread far and wide throughout Five Colors Heaven.

In response, the Waning Year Palace and Dark Metropolis Palace had teamed up to release an opposing almanac.

Moreover, the exiles of Supporting Cloud and Tung Leaf Continents had also released ten different versions.

At the Ascendspire City Meeting, Ning Yao recommended that the almanac produced by the Waning Year Palace and Dark Metropolis Palace be used.

There was no objection, but the members of the ancestral hall, except for the Hidden Guard swordsmen, stared at Ning Yao with complicated expressions. There was curiosity and there was doubt.

They seemed to be asking Ning Yao if the Hidden Guard had said anything.

Ning Yao was at a loss. Did they really think he was omniscient?

In the twilight.

Fan Dache left the tavern and walked the streets. No one knew if they were more lively or lonely than before. The lonely golden core swordsman did not return to his house or look through the archives. He merely wandered until late at night and sat at one of the tavern tables.

Nianxin sat in her small house, spacing out. At the ancestral hall meeting, it was decided that she would oversee a new prison, similar to Deaf’s old one.

The woman that everyone called an old maid sat on her balcony and looked at the lights of Ascendspire City.

She held a delicate fan.

She had received it during the treasure splitting of the Summer Retreat Palace. It possessed radiance and beauty: Golden Waves, Jade Orbs. Old and silly, dreaming of a moonlit palace. The jade axe has taken down boughs; they say the brightness is increased. Tonight is roundest. Millions of homes are lit.

It could be said that the young Hidden Guard had used his position. But Hidden Guard swordsmen earned all of this through hard combat. The Hidden Guard had only looked out for his own people.

Luo Zhenyi, who lived at the Summer Retreat Palace, sat at her desk with her head propped up by her hands. Beside her was an old inkstone.

Inscribed on the inkstone was: Clouds Hang, Water Stands. Our Words Have Depth.

Xu Ning and Chang Taiqing were drinking together elsewhere in the Summer Retreat Palace.

The two friends spoke about everything, but they deliberately avoided talking about the young Hidden Guard.

How had a foreigner who was not a swordsman been able to retain his position?

Xu Ning, to this day, was bothered by something that had happened.

Back then, the young Hidden Guard had known every swordsman and civilian, even those whose names were merely archived by the Summer Retreat Palace.

But the Hidden Guard had used these names to find those who might be traitors.

Zhang Heng was standing on the walls of Totyue City, looking at the stars.

In his eyes, the sectarians who had no worries and no experience in the world were mere babies. In terms of wisdom, they were less than boys in the streets.

Fortunately, the young swordsmen of Ascendspire City were growing up at an exponential rate.

Everyone was motivated and eager to expand.

At the same time, the swordsmen were making and correcting mistakes. Fortunately, this was a new world, so the people had time to err.

And Deng Liang served as a bridge.

Eight areas had been settled, and four cities had been built, with Ascendspire City as the center, making an area of one thousand miles.

Moreover, there were four distant outposts that had stood firm. The guarding swordsmen had not fought in over two years.

Zhang Heng suddenly patted the walls and smiled. “Everything is new now.”

At the Chen household in Great Axis Street.

A young man named Chen Ji was reading a book of writings that a wandering swordsman had bought from Tung Leaf Continents.

A maid stood silently. She had just reached the jade core realm from the nascent soul.

Chen Ji had now accepted a jade core swordsman as his first disciple.

He had given her the family name Chen and called her Hui.

Hui was the last day of the month.

The name meant that she would become a powerful immortal.

Chen Ji, or rather Chen Xi, had regained a soul and a spirit after reincarnation. With the changes to his soul, his personality had changed, so he was in no rush to become the city lord of Ascendspire City. He hoped Zhang Heng could take the burden.

As for Ning Yao, she would never be a city lord.

In the modern Ascendspire City, many swordsmen felt injustice for Sword Immortal Chen Xi. Had Chen Xi not been forced to kill a flying demon and found himself surrounded by old rulers and barbarian cultivators, then Chen Xi would have been the first swordsman on the walls with two names.

Chen Ji did not care about such things.

At Purpurea Mountain, one of the eight satellite lands of Ascendspire City.

Deng Liang was standing before an old tablet. He read the old inscription: Six Caves of Crimson Clouds, Three Purpureas of Green Markings.

He reached into his sleeve, pulled out a jade box, and prepared to refine it. If all went well, he would reach the jade blossom threshold.

This was predestination.

It was as though the mountain had waited ten thousand years for Deng Liang.

As such, Deng Liang was settling down.

The woman that was called “Not Get,” he was no longer trying to get.

Deng Liang had entered Five Colors Heaven in Jiaspring seven and had become the First Emissary of Ascendspire City.

At the time, Zhang Heng had just become a jade core.

Deng Liang turned and left.

The fifth world was too big, and not enough people had entered it. It was like throwing a basket of fish into a lake.

He walked to a tree, crouched on the ground, and picked up a leaf.

Fallen leaves from a distant home.

Memories were like fallen leaves. They looked similar but were all different.

The proprietor had once said that unrequited love was like a hanging. The rope was the longing, and the beam was the desired person.

Every unfulfilled unrequited love was a ghost.

It did not frighten. It did not harm. It only angered and worried.

Zhang Heng was a jade core swordsman, and the Finance Office had taken over the sword, clothing, and pill offices of Sword Qi Great Wall. As such, Zhang Heng had become the treasurer of Ascendspire City.

However, Zhang Heng did not interfere with the details. Most of the people at the Finance Office were youths selected from the Yan and Nalan families. They were not swordsmen and were merely average. Perhaps, the Finance office had inspired people to work with accounting.

Inside the brightly lit Finance Office, Zhang Heng thought of his sister. He wondered if she was doing well in Sword Lake and whether she had found someone she loved.

But just the thought of founding a school made Zhang Heng annoyed. It wasn’t a matter of money, which made it all the more troublesome.

In the darkness, two people came to the southern town, a middle-aged man in a blue robe and a young man in a yellow hat and green staff.

At the city gates, the man said, “Who comes?”

“Cannot understand.”

The man gestured north and south.

If they were from the north, then they were from Supporting Cloud Continent or Tung Leaf Continent.

The man in blue spoke a Tung Leaf dialect. “Tung Leaf cultivator, Dou Yi. A follower, Mo Sheng.”

The man winced and replied in broken Tung Leaf. “Do you know the rules?”

“I don’t know.”

The man grabbed a piece of paper and turned it over. “Write everything on the list.”

When he heard that the man was from Tung Leaf, the expression on his face became less warm. If it wasn’t his job, he would have ignored them entirely.

As such, the one called Dou Yi sat down and began to write.

The young man silently asked in his mind, “How do you read the word Yi?”

The woman replied, “I don’t know, I have never seen it before.”

The man cursed in his mind, “The bastards from Tung Leaf are bookworms.”

The woman nodded.

To their surprise, the blue-robed man asked for another piece of paper. He had written on it how he had repeatedly failed at the exams. He had written so much more than three hundred characters that the man asked, “Do you drink? If you do, take a rest and take your time writing. The alcohol is free.”

The man stopped writing and looked up. “I can’t hold my alcohol.”

“Then I’ll leave you?”

“Drink, why wouldn’t I drink? It’s free.”

The woman smiled and poured a bowl.

The man put down his brush and turned to the youth. “Xiao Mo, sit and drink with us. You will have to wait longer for your document. My thoughts are coming like a flood.”

The oddly named young man took the seat.

The man asked, “Are you not curious as to how I can suddenly understand your language?”

The woman laughed. “We aren’t curious. We already sent the message to the city.”

When the man asked him whether he drank, he had asked in the language of Ascendspire City.

Chen Ping’an nodded. The people of Justice Official were not bad.

Zhang Heng was doing a good job.

They were close friends.

“Is the alcohol good?”

The meaning was, Is it fun to play this game?

Are you going to visit every town before coming to Ascendspire City?

How about going to Dark Metropolis Palace and Jade Capital Palace? You have so many friends.

Xiao Mo stood up and walked to the side.

The two swordsmen stood.

How had Ning Yao come?

The two swordsmen saw the man turn to face Ning Yao and hold his hand.

Ning Yao raised an eyebrow.

Chen Ping’an said, “Take it in.”

Ning Yao’s eyes widened.

The two swordsmen were stunned. This guy was either drunk or insane.

Chen Ping’an waved his sleeve, dispelled the spell, revealed his real face, clasped his hands, and laughed. “Everyone, long time no see.”

The swordsmen floated to the ground and spoke in unison, “Greetings, Hidden Guard!”

It didn’t matter if Ning Yao was the acting Hidden Guard. She was with the Hidden Guard.

Moreover, even if they thought the young Hidden Guard was the worst, everyone had to acknowledge him.

Swords flew through the city and the lights turned on.

“The Hidden Guard is back!” “Really?”

“The dealer better include me this time.” “Hidden Guard, there are people selling fake alcohol here. You aren’t going to deal with that?”

“I knew it. The Hidden Guard can’t forget about the alcohol here.”

Perhaps, in the hearts of the swordsmen, the Hidden Guard of Sword Qi Great Wall was not Xiao Xuan, nor was it Ning Yao. It was the one who stood on the walls and waved. The ghost was called Chen Ping’an and was both a foreigner and local.