Along the southeastern coast of Baoping Continent, a young couple strolled. They had just left a mounting shop in a county town and entered a nearby tavern. Choosing a table against the wall, the man ordered a flagon of rough rice wine and a few side dishes, while the woman requested an extra plate of salt-cured plum.

The man gazed up at the poems penned by the village scholar on the wall. The woman glanced at them, picked up a sour plum, and chewed on it. “Truly sour,” she commented.

The man retrieved a book from his satchel, placing it on the table. He casually flipped through a volume on physiognomy while sipping his wine.

He enjoyed reading miscellaneous books, dabbling in even the most arcane arts like geomancy, ornithomancy, and the esoteric techniques of void and fullness. He called it “knowledge is power,” arguing that having diverse skills was like having extra rice bowls when traveling.

The woman’s eyebrows arched like spring mountains, and when troubled, her long, limpid eyes seemed veiled in misty clouds.

Her brow furrowed with worry as she communicated silently, “Yu Lu, do you think I can refuse his request?”

Someone had sent her a letter, expressing an intention to accept her as a nominal disciple—not a true, inner-circle student, but one who, upon reaching the upper five realms, could freely change allegiances or establish her own sect. Yet, the more agreeable the offer seemed, the more uneasy she felt. The memories of being taken advantage of by that devious individual during her travels were still a psychological burden.

Yu Lu said, “I think it’s actually a good thing.”

It was something that was destined and there was no point in worrying, but Yu Lu didn’t say it aloud, lest Xie Xie become more anxious.

After all, the sender was Cui Dongshan.

Xie Xie retorted, “You think so?! Why don’t you become his nominal disciple then?”

Yu Lu simply smiled. What could Cui Dongshan teach a pure martial artist like himself? Besides, with his connection to Chen Ping’an, Cui Dongshan wouldn’t dare to take advantage of him.

Xie Xie knew her frustration was unreasonable, so she raised her wine bowl as an apology.

Yu Lu patiently explained, “With his new status, Cui Dongshan will soon become a sect leader and will restrain himself more when interacting with you. Furthermore, Cui Dongshan is of a high realm and possesses many treasures. Setting aside his eccentricities, having him as a mentor is a dream come true for any Earth Immortal.”

Xie Xie remained apprehensive.

“Generally,” “ordinarily,” and “in theory” were words that never seemed to apply to that Great White Goose.

Xie Xie suppressed a smile and said seriously, “If you’re too embarrassed to speak up, it’s fine. When we get to Immortal Capital Mountain, I’ll find an opportunity to put in a good word for you with Chen Ping’an in private. Even if you don’t trust Cui Dongshan, you can always trust Chen Ping’an, right? He probably won’t even need me to say much. Chen Ping’an will just give Cui Dongshan a few stern words, and no matter how unruly Cui Dongshan is, he wouldn’t dare disobey his teacher.”

Xie Xie felt slightly relieved and sighed, “Let’s hope so.”

She truly envied Yu Lu, who dared to call the Great White Goose by his name, something she could never do.

She had initially thought that with Cui Dongshan becoming the lower sect leader, separated by an entire continent, they would be worlds apart. That letter had caused Xie Xie to be on edge these past few days, hindering her cultivation as she couldn’t concentrate.

During their travels to the Cliff Academy of Great Sui, Yu Lu had quickly advanced to the Golden Body Realm martial artist, but after so many years, he remained an Ascendant Realm cultivator traveling the lands.

Even if Yu Lu was carefree and lacked ambition, he couldn’t help but feel guilty. After all, in nearly thirty years, Yu Lu’s martial arts realm had only advanced by one stage.

Yu Lu’s aptitude and talent for martial arts were actually excellent, but this was the consequence of a pure martial artist taking shortcuts, making his Ascendant Realm bottleneck extremely difficult to break.

In contrast, after Cui Dongshan removed all the Dragon-Binding Nails, Xie Xie’s cultivation had progressed smoothly. She was now a Golden Core Earth Immortal with a loosening bottleneck.

One was the crown prince of a fallen Lu Dynasty, and the other was the once-promising Heaven’s Pride of the Lu Dynasty’s Mountain Top Immortal Manor.

Over the years, Yu Lu and Xie Xie, these two compatriots and classmates, seemed to have been traveling together constantly, not inseparable, but certainly in each other’s company day and night.

Yet, no romantic feelings had blossomed between them.

Xie Xie asked, “Do you regret acting impulsively back then?”

“Of course, I regret it. It’s made me too ashamed to ask Chen Ping’an for instruction. If it were you, wouldn’t you be angry? I’m just fairly open-minded and don’t like dwelling on things. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be regret; I’d be filled with remorse, always looking miserable, and probably a drunkard by now.”

Yu Lu took a sip of wine, turned a page in his book, and smiled, “But regret is still regret. The things that must be done still have to be done. Even if I could do it all over again, I’d make the same choices. I’d still act impulsively, and I’d still regret it.”

Xie Xie, who had once been a criminal exile, hated no one more than that Great Li woman, or even Cui Dongshan, who had taken her as a servant, but rather this crown prince who felt no grief over his fallen kingdom. She could even say she loathed him.

Thus, from the Yuan Clan ancestral home in Erlang Lane to their travels to Great Sui, Xie Xie had deeply resented the crown prince who was carefree and seemingly unconcerned even when the sky was falling.

It wasn’t until the incident at the Cliff Academy of Great Sui, when Yu Lu, at the expense of the kingdom’s remaining martial fortune, used a secret technique to advance to the Golden Body Realm, that he defeated the young sage and had him carried out of the academy.

The optimal choice would have been for Yu Lu to steadily advance to the Golden Body and Ascendant Realms through his own abilities, to use that martial fortune as a stepping stone, a ladder to reach new heights, when he encountered a major bottleneck at the eighth realm, or when attempting to break through to the peak.

Xie Xie’s impression of Yu Lu improved slightly. Although he was carefree, he still had some sense of responsibility and wasn’t entirely useless.

However, when Yu Lu began neglecting his studies at the academy, spending his days fishing by the lake and getting along well with the Great Sui prince, Gao Xuan, Xie Xie became annoyed with him again.

Now, Yu Lu still enjoyed fishing, but he released all his catches. By the great rivers, he and Xie Xie often encountered like-minded people. Even without holding a rod, Yu Lu could squat beside them and watch for a long time, claiming that anglers enjoyed watching others fish.

Yu Lu laughed, “Speaking of which, the foundation of my Ascendant Realm, built up over ten years, isn’t too bad.”

Xie Xie narrowed her eyes and smiled, “I won’t ask if it’s comparable to Cao Ci or Chen Ping’an, but how does it compare to Pei Qian?”
Yu Lu sighed, “Might as well compare me to Chen Ping’an.”

How many times had Pei Qian won martial luck as the “strongest” in some realm?

It was truly an unimaginable thing. That mischievous, lazy little imp back then actually learned martial arts, and was so good at it.

Xie Xie asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “Never thought about finding a way to cultivate on a mountain? I heard there’s a Pu Mountain Cloud Grass Hall in Tongye Continent with a unique secret method that allows martial artists to practice immortal arts. You might as well try your luck. Anyway, we’ve pretty much toured the entire Treasure Bottle Continent over these years. We can just travel to Tongye Continent next.”

Yu Lu chuckled, speechless. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, “Never thought about becoming some immortal.”

In the back room of the tavern, someone gently lifted and then heavily dropped the bamboo curtain. Xie Xie glanced sideways and saw a young maiden standing behind the curtain, gazing at someone with affectionate eyes.

“Yo, not so subtle.” Why didn’t the little girl just tear the whole bamboo curtain down? Wouldn’t Yu Lu hear it even more clearly?

Xie Xie asked, “When are you going to visit Miss Mao and Fairy Mu?”

They had encountered two extremely outstanding young women by chance at an ancient battlefield relic and an immortal ferry crossing.

Xie Xie wasn’t blind; she could see that both of them had fallen in love with Yu Lu at first sight.

Yu Lu laughed, “It’s just a polite, perfunctory remark. Like ‘let’s get together when we have time’ or ‘I’ll pay next time, should we order two more dishes?’ Only a fool would take it seriously.”

Hearing Yu Lu’s witty words, Xie Xie laughed.

Among his former classmates, Lin Shouyi was a sage of the academy and had even served as the temple warden of Qi Du Temple.

Even Li Huai was a sage now.

And Li Baoping, who was now studying at an academy in the Central Earth Divine Continent, was already a junzi who had been personally examined in scholarship by two academy rectors. She was a female teacher capable of imparting knowledge and resolving doubts for the scholars of the academy.

However, in the history of the vast world, there had never been a precedent for a woman to serve as the head of the seventy-two academies or as the director of an academy.

Yu Lu closed the book and asked, “When are we going to Jiang Prefecture?”

The current Daliang Jiang Prefecture was where Xie Xie’s sect was located.

Because Xie Xie’s master had resolutely refused the Daliang Dynasty’s offer of surrender, it led to the sect’s destruction.

Xie Xie’s face turned pale.

Yu Lu said softly, “You can’t get past it until you go there.”

Xie Xie lowered her head, biting her lip. In the end, she shook her head.

Yu Lu laughed, “Then there’s no rush.”

That was one good thing about Yu Lu. It seemed like everything was optional.

Xie Xie breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, “I’ll definitely go.”

It was like a promise to Yu Lu, and also like cheering herself on.

Yu Lu used sound transmission to say, “Aren’t you curious about the letter Cui Dongshan sent me? Or have you already guessed its contents?”

Xie Xie remained silent.

Yu Lu revealed a rare hint of sadness, muttering to himself, “Is continuing the dynasty in a foreign land really considered a restoration?”

Xie Xie drained the wine in her bowl in one gulp, her eyes shining brightly. “Yes, why not?! When we get to Tongye Continent, choose a place. It doesn’t matter if the territory is small, just carefully plan for a decade or two. When I reach the Nascent Soul Realm, you ascend the throne and I’ll be the national preceptor!”

Xin Chu Prefecture, Huaihuang County.

Li Huai, with the young Daoist, walked through the streets and alleys, and found Dong Shuijing at the entrance of a narrow, secluded alley where they had agreed to meet.

Dong Shuijing had made a special trip back to his hometown to meet with Li Huai.

Li Huai joked, “Won’t it delay Dong ‘Half-City’ from making big money?”

Dong Shuijing smiled, “I can still make money without staring at the ledger or personally using the abacus.”

Dong Shuijing led Li Huai to his ancestral home, personally cooked and brought three bowls of wontons to the table.

In the courtyard, next to a well, there was a willow tree planted.

Li Huai pretended not to see anything and only regretted that he only had one elder sister.

The young Daoist saw through Dong Shuijing’s realm at a glance, not the least bit surprised. In this old Lizhu Cave Heaven, a young Nascent Soul Realm cultivator wasn’t a big deal, let alone a Ascension Realm. What was there to be surprised about?

It would be strange if the Young Master’s friend didn’t have some skill, right?

If he encountered an old Nascent Soul cultivator who had lived for hundreds of years on the road, the young Daoist would probably be shocked instead, wondering how they cultivated, the waste!

He might even question them face to face, “Old man, are you worthy of the blessed land of your hometown?”

Dong Shuijing seemed to sense the yellow-robed old man’s thoughts and smiled, “It’s just a realm built with money, making Senior Tao Ting laugh.”

The young Daoist wasn’t surprised that the other party knew his old identity. Money makes the world go round, and Dong ‘Half-City’ of Treasure Bottle Continent had considerable wealth, not to be underestimated.

The young Daoist laughed heartily, “No matter how the realm came about, a realm is a realm. In this vast world, who dares to laugh at the Wealth God Liu from Aiai Continent? The same principle applies to Little Dong.”

Speaking of “Little Dong,” the young Daoist couldn’t help but sigh. Back then, he had also chased after a “Little Dong” who had passed by the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Li Huai slapped the table, and the young Daoist immediately shut up. Did he say something wrong?

Li Huai gave a thumbs up, “Shuijing, delicious! Two more bowls!”

It was clear that Dong Shuijing often came to the ancestral home. After Li Huai ate another bowl of wontons, Dong Shuijing had already set up a brazier and squatted beside it, warming taro and roasting zongzi.

Tearing open the thread and peeling off the bamboo leaves, Dong Shuijing roasted a zongzi to a golden color. Li Huai was hungry again. He snatched the zongzi and broke half of it to the young Daoist.
Dong Shuijing sighed, then unwrapped another zongzi. The three of them sat huddled around the stove. Dong Shuijing spoke softly, “Yangjiaobian’s husband, Bian Wenmao, has just been appointed the Xuezheng (Education Commissioner) of our Chuzhou. It’s not exactly a promotion, more like a gilding appointment from the capital to the provinces. This Xuezheng position, newly established by the Great Li Dynasty a few years ago, is usually reserved for senior officials from the Hanlin Academy or the Six Ministries of the capital. When their prospects for further advancement dim and they are about to retire and return to their hometowns, His Majesty grants these scholars a special honor. The Xuezheng itself doesn’t have a formal rank. Just like Ling and Qing prefectures near the secondary capital, which are respectively held by a former Vice Minister of Works and an official from the Honglu Temple. Now, Bian Wenmao’s substantive post is Cheng (Vice Director) of the Guanglu Temple. After serving a four-year term as the Chuzhou Xuezheng, he will return to the capital and likely become Shaoqing (Director) of the Guanglu Temple. It’s unlikely he will ever truly control the Guanglu Temple. More likely, he’ll be transferred to one of the Six Ministries or sent back to the secondary capital, accumulating honors along the way until he finally receives a low-ranking academic title (Xueshi). Then, he might hope for a favorable posthumous title. As for being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, even Bian Wenmao wouldn’t dare to dream of such a thing.”

Li Huai munched on his zongzi, looking utterly bewildered. “Ah?”

The young Taoist sighed with emotion.

Little Dong had rambled on for so long, when a single, concise word from his young master would have sufficed.

Dong Shuijing chuckled, “You are a Sage of the Academy. According to the new regulations of the Confucian Temple, you will inevitably interact with the Great Li court in the future. These seemingly tedious and uninteresting matters of officialdom are things you will have to face sooner or later.”

The Great Li officialdom was currently in a state of constant flux. The roads from the capital to the provinces were bustling with activity. Even within the new Chuzhou territory, nearly all the top officials of the prefectures and counties had been replaced with new faces.

Wu Yuan, who once resigned in disgrace from his post as magistrate of Huaihuang County, had made a triumphant return as the Governor of Chuzhou.

And Wei Li, the former Governor of Longzhou, a scholar-official, had gone to the Great Li secondary capital to succeed the Minister of Rites.

Before that, Cao Gengxin, the head of the Kiln Supervision Office, had gone from a supervisory role in Longzhou to the position of Vice Minister of Works in the secondary capital, and then rose further to become Vice Minister of Personnel in the Great Li capital, earning a place among the central authorities.

Yuan Zhengding had been promoted to Governor of Hongzhou, the northern neighbor.

Jing Kuan, the newly appointed Prefect of Baoxi Commandery in Chuzhou, was once a Director in the Ministry of Revenue in the capital, managing the finances of three prefectures, including Hongzhou.

Yet, many times, Dong Shuijing, the covert Moist itinerant blade-seller, envied Li Huai’s ability to go with the flow, or perhaps it was better described as taking things as they came.

Li Huai said guiltily, “I know that our classmate, Zhao Yao, is now a Vice Minister of Justice in the Great Li.”

“And our former local official, Lord County Magistrate Wu Yuan, has returned here as the Governor of the new Chuzhou.”

“Also, that Cao Supervisor who liked to drink and didn’t care much for his duties, it seems he was transferred to the Ministry of Personnel in the capital a few years ago to become a high-ranking official?”

Dong Shuijing smiled and asked, “Anyone else?”

Li Huai sighed. “That’s all.”

The young Taoist began to express his discontent. “Why should young master concern himself with these mundane affairs of the court?”

Li Huai shook his head. “Our Great Li is different.”

Regardless of how he had come by his title of Sage, or how it had landed upon his head, now that he was a Sage, Li Huai didn’t want to be worse than others.

When he was traveling for study as a child, Chen Ping’an had once told him some things from the heart while helping to keep watch in the wilderness late at night. He didn’t remember it clearly now, but Li Huai remembered the general idea: in those years when a person had only one thing to do – studying – it wasn’t that he was afraid of not remembering the teachings of the sages in the books, but that he was afraid of not being willing to do even that one thing well. If he wasn’t, then when he left the study and no longer had to read, he would easily fail at the next thing he had to do.

At the time, Li Huai had said that he wasn’t suited for studying. Chen Ping’an had said that he wasn’t suited for making porcelain either, that he learned too slowly and his hands couldn’t keep up, but that as long as he worked hard, he would have a greater chance of doing the next thing well in the future.

The young Taoist immediately changed his tune. “With your humility, young master, what is there to fear?”

It wasn’t that Tao Ting lacked integrity, but that the old blind man was too tyrannical.

For example, on this trip to protect Li Huai on his travels, the old blind man had told Tao Ting that if his disciple was even slightly frightened, he would break his five legs.

Pitiful young Taoist, now he was afraid that Li Huai would burn his mouth just from drinking tea. A being of the Ascension Realm, acting as a protector to this extent, was not only unprecedented, but certainly unparalleled.

Even so, the old blind man still seemed to be worried about Li Huai. He had somehow used some ancient secret technique from the Barren World to directly enter Li Huai’s dreams and then casually drag Tao Ting, this Ascension Realm being, into them as well.

The young Taoist felt as if he had returned to the Shiwan (100,000) Mountains. That night, the earth shook and thunder roared. Li Huai rose from his bed in his dream, put on his clothes, and ran out of the thatched hut. He saw that the ground around the mountain he stood on was covered in a sea of golden light, densely packed with golden-armored puppets.

One of the golden-armored puppets, taller than a mountain, knelt on one knee at the foot of the mountain and slowly raised its massive head, until it was level with the mountain, staring at Li Huai.

The old blind man slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, grabbed the arm of his disciple, whom he had half-kidnapped, and drew a talisman in the air. He said something to Li Huai that made Tao Ting’s eyelids twitch, “From now on, they are under your command.”

Tao Ting cautiously peeked at Li Huai’s face, but there was no sign of elation or ambition. Only fear.

His young master was good in every way, except that he lacked ambition. He would definitely risk his life to advise him on this matter…

It turned out that the old blind man had stepped on his spine, snapping it in two with a crisp crack.

In the end, Li Huai only said, “Can I hear Chen Ping’an’s advice first?”

The old blind man actually nodded in agreement and even helped his disciple straighten his collar. At the same time, he praised Li Huai in a tone of elderly satisfaction, saying that he was stable and reliable, just like his master.

The conversation between the two masters and disciples made the young Taoist, who was lying on the ground quietly reassembling his spine, nearly pop his eyes out of their sockets.

A knocking sound came from the front door of the house.

A visitor had arrived.

To avoid suspicion, Li Huai was about to get up and leave.

Dong Shuijing smiled and stopped him. “No need to go. It’s our Supervisor Jian. He’s been single-mindedly trying to make a name for himself, but he doesn’t know how. He’s stumbled quite a bit in recent years and suffered a lot.”
In those days, Jian Feng, full of ambition, replaced Cao Gengxin as the new Superintendent of Kiln Affairs in Longzhou. Before taking office, he thought that even a lazy drunkard like Cao Gengxin could get promoted by coasting along. If he went, he would handle all the affairs of the office in an orderly manner.

In name and in reality, a Superintendent of Kiln Affairs’ Office actually hung two official plaques. Therefore, the chief official held two official titles and ranks simultaneously. The Superintendent’s Office, internally, along with the newly built weaving bureaus of Great Li, and the logging yard set up in Hongzhou, were all the Emperor’s eyes and ears. The confidential reports of the officials could directly reach the Emperor.

But when Jian Feng actually arrived in Huaihuang County, he ran into walls everywhere. The local powerful families of the small town had complicated relationships, were deeply entrenched, and extremely united. Yang Hua, the Water God of the Iron Talisman River, had a high mountain and water rank, and a powerful backer, and simply refused to be governed. The water gods of the Embroidery, Serenity, and Jade Dew Rivers near Red Candle Town also ignored him. The mountain gods, including Song Yuzhang of Chessboard Mountain, plus the City Gods of the City God Pavilions at the state, county, and township levels, the martial temples within the state… anyway, no one took him, the Superintendent of Kiln Affairs with the rank of fourth grade, seriously. When he arrived with high spirits, he waited bitterly for half a year, but not a single person took the initiative to visit the Superintendent’s Office at night. Fine, if you don’t look for me, I’ll look for you. As a result, he received no shortage of cold shoulders. Even those who opened the door had nothing to talk about.

Jian Feng had to write a letter to his old friend in the capital, Yuan Zhengding, the former local prefect, who had now been promoted to the Prefect of Hongzhou.

As a child in Yichi Lane in the capital, he liked to follow the slightly older Yuan Zhengding, focusing on his studies and ignoring worldly affairs.

Yuan Zhengding did indeed reply with a letter, but it was a blank sheet of paper, with not a single word written on it.

However, Jian Feng finally figured out some of the ways of officialdom and began to hold his nose and learn from the previous superintendent, watching and listening more, and speaking and going out less.

Fortunately, there was no time limit for the position of Superintendent.

But it wasn’t a solution to just stare blankly, so as soon as he heard that Dong Bancheng had returned to his ancestral home, Jian Feng immediately paid a visit, of course, incognito.

Seeing the Confucian scholar-like youth and the old man in yellow robes, Jian Feng was merely polite.

He recognized Li Huai, a local of the small town, now a virtuous scholar of Cliffside Academy.

As for the kind-faced old man, he was a stranger, and there were no relevant secret files recorded at the Superintendent’s Office. Jian Feng had already had someone record him before coming, and at the same time sent someone to Niujiaodu to look up the customs clearance records left by Li Huai’s ferry as required.

Dong Shuiing seemed to know nothing about the rules of officialdom, not letting Li Huai and the old man leave this somewhat shabby house, not even letting them move to another place.

If it had been when he first took office, Jian Feng would probably have been displeased, but he had eaten too many cold shoulders and closed doors, and his edges and temper had been worn away.

Dong Shuiing invited Superintendent Jian to sit down, then handed him a zongzi (rice dumpling). Jian Feng thanked him, skillfully patted the dust off the zongzi, peeled it open, and ate it. Jian Feng didn’t need to pretend to be approachable for this kind of thing. Although he was born into a Great Li family, Jian Feng had studied at Chunshan Academy for many years in his early years, during which he traveled and studied several times, earning a lot of money along the way. Therefore, Yuan Zhengding often joked that he should be appointed to the Ministry of Revenue.

Because there were outsiders present today, Jian Feng had to start with official jargon as an opening, chatting with Dong Shuiing about matters barely related to kiln affairs. After all, many kilns were no longer official kilns, and this Dong Bancheng was hiding behind the scenes, but he almost monopolized the entire path of porcelain exports. Like the Baoxi Kiln, which had been converted into a private kiln, it was now allocated to a puppet merchant supported by Dong Shuiing.

Dong Shuiing talked and laughed with him, without revealing anything, responding appropriately.

Li Huai admired him greatly.

Jian Feng had actually prepared himself for a fruitless return. While the zongzi in his hand was not finished, he casually chatted about the establishment of local schools and the road and bridge repairs funded by Dong Shuiing behind the scenes. Some places were worth discussing, and a lot of money was not all spent wisely. These things were beyond the scope of the Superintendent’s Office, and they were trivial matters. Jian Feng was just bored as the Superintendent, and he felt that there were too many details to improve. Since he had finally met Dong Bancheng today, he would just say a few irrelevant words outside of officialdom, even if it was annoying, it didn’t matter.

Sure enough, Dong Shuiing was very perfunctory, only saying that he would ask about it when he had time later. Jian Feng knew that it was definitely a no-go.

After leaving the house, walking alone in the alley, Jian Feng smiled bitterly. He had wasted another day.

He deserved to be called the most incompetent Superintendent in history behind his back.

Inside the house, Li Huai wanted to say something but hesitated.

Dong Shuiing shook his head and smiled, “The muffled sound of hitting a wall is conscience.”

Li Huai asked, “Did you read it in a book, or did Chen Pingan say it?”

Dong Shuiing laughed angrily.

Li Huai said with a smile, “You dropped out of school early, read less, and are even worse than me.”

Dong Shuiing hesitated, but after holding back for a long time, he still couldn’t ask.

Li Huai immediately knew what Dong Shuiing wanted to ask, “If it’s just a choice between the two, I would definitely choose you to be my brother-in-law.”

Dong Shuiing was dubious, “If you saw Lin Shouyi, how would you answer the same question?”

Li Huai burst into laughter.

Dong Shuiing no longer pried, but turned to look at the willow tree by the well in the courtyard, gentle and weak, the man’s eyes as gentle as the willow tree.

The Post and Courier Reporting Office, a seemingly unimportant office under the Vehicle and Cavalry Department of the Ministry of War in the capital, located in Hatband Alley, received two distinguished guests from the officialdom who had never set foot here before.

One was from the Ministry of War, and the other was an official from the Ministry of Rites. Both were officers with the title of Director, and they were both the most powerful Director-level officials in the Great Li court.

The scion of a capital family who held the top position in the Reporting Office was named Fu Hu. He had a very promising elder brother named Fu Yu, who had recently returned to the capital from the local area to report on his work, having relinquished his position as the Prefect of Baoxi County in the former Longzhou. It was considered a lateral transfer. He had just taken up the position of Junior Tutor of the Court of State Ceremonial, one of the lesser nine ministers, in charge of the Left Spring Workshop. Fu Hu both respected and feared this successful cousin of his, and since Fu Yu was a round older than Fu Hu, he had something of the air of an elder brother and father.
Having concluded his official duties for the day, Fu Hu was leisurely lounging, twirling a piece of mutton-fat jade in his hand. However, upon receiving news from the gatekeeper, he was instantly jolted awake, as if the river wine from last night had been dispelled by a sudden shock, fearing some monumental blunder had occurred on his watch. He recalled a scandalous incident from the past dynasty of the Lu Clan – the theft of the official seal box from the Ministry of War. The Emperor, in his fury, ordered a relentless investigation, which led to the discovery and destruction of even the spare seal box from the courier station. This resulted in a multitude of officials from the Lu Clan’s Ministry of War losing both their positions and their heads, an event that was treated as a mere jest in the Great Li Song Dynasty’s bureaucracy.

Learning that the commotion was directed at old Lin, Fu Hu paced his room, then stomped his foot, resolving to venture into the lion’s den.

Old Lin, he mused, had always been a diligent and dependable worker, as reliable as an old ox. Their relationship was harmonious, he was always getting things done, dutiful and never one to vie for power.

Moreover, Fu Hu was the head of the courier station, and it was his duty to protect his brethren within the office.

However, upon reaching the entrance of Lin Zhengcheng’s office, Fu Hu’s courage immediately evaporated. He was so taken aback that he didn’t even notice that old Lin, upon seeing the two unexpected guests, remained seated by the brazier, hunched over, warming his hands, without even rising to greet them. His manner was as presumptuous as a Minister of the Six Departments!

The two men standing inside, the white-haired elder and the imposing, robust man, were none other than a Secretary from the Sacrificial Affairs Department of the Ministry of Rites and a Secretary from the Personnel Selection Department of the Ministry of War!

These two positions had always been crucial appointments personally selected by the State Preceptor Cui Chan, requiring no approval from the Ministers or Vice Ministers of the Ministry of War or Rites.

Lin Zhengcheng had just stood up when the station chief, who had only poked his head in through the doorway, suddenly vanished without a trace.

Lin Zhengcheng was left with no choice but to sit back down and nod to the two secretaries, saying, “I understand His Majesty’s intention. I will depart immediately for the Yuzhang Prefecture Logging Bureau.”

The old Secretary chuckled and said, “It was originally supposed to be Vice Minister Cao of the Ministry of Personnel leading the delegation to inform Mr. Lin in person. However, upon hearing that he was to meet Mr. Lin, Vice Minister Cao immediately twisted his ankle and is now busy seeking ointment.”

Cao Gengxin had served as the Director of Kiln Affairs in Longzhou for many years, which allowed him to access a top-secret file of the Great Li Dynasty.

Within the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, there existed an extremely secretive “official identity,” without rank or title, yet of greater importance to the Great Li court than any Director of Kiln Affairs.

This individual was known as the “Doorkeeper,” a sentinel.

He was the true eyes and ears of the Great Li court, the true confidant of the Great Li Song Dynasty Emperor, or rather, of State Preceptor Cui Chan.

The last Doorkeeper assigned to the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven by the Great Li Dynasty was none other than Lin Shouyi’s father, a former assistant officer in the Directorate, and now a lowly clerk in the Capital Courier Station, Lin Zhengcheng.

Furthermore, Cao Gengxin had an even greater suspicion.

That back in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, and now in the Great Li Capital, Lin Zhengcheng had likely retained the identity of the Doorkeeper. If the young master of Luopo Mountain were to fall out with the Great Li Song Dynasty one day, and the two sides were to completely break ties, Lin Zhengcheng would be the last flood barrier that State Preceptor Cui Chan had left for the Great Li Capital, at least ensuring that Chen Pingan would not embark on a great massacre.

Although Cao Gengxin did not understand how a middle Fifth Realm cultivator could achieve this, Cao Gengxin adhered to a simple principle: he would avoid contact with anyone he could not afford to offend.

Seeing the two men still standing there, Lin Zhengcheng asked, “So eager to rush me on my way?”

The old secretary chuckled wryly, hesitated, then shook his head and said, “We dare not.”

Since there was no place to sit, the Secretary from the Personnel Selection Department leaned against the door with his arms crossed. He was indeed quite curious about this inscrutable fellow. If it hadn’t been for this unusual official transfer, he would never have learned that Lin Zhengcheng had such an interesting background. In fact, as the Secretary of the Ministry of War, he was merely accompanying the old gentleman standing beside him, and in the bureaucracy, he had no jurisdiction over Lin Zhengcheng, the future Director of the Yuzhang Prefecture Logging Bureau.

A new office had been established in Hongzhou, named the Logging Bureau, ostensibly overseeing the apprehension of those who illegally felled giant trees.

Similar to the Kiln Affairs Directorate in Chuzhou and the Silk Weaving Bureau in Wuzhou, the officials in charge had varying ranks, but were of similar standing.

Hongzhou, located north of Chuzhou, bordering it, possessed the famed Yuzhang Prefecture, known not only as the ancestral home of the current Great Li Empress Dowager, but also as a region renowned for its towering trees since ancient times. Moreover, it was rumored to be the place where the twelve Sword Immortals of antiquity attained enlightenment and ascended. Hence, in the Great Li bureaucracy, there was a playful saying: “Great Yuzhang, Small Hongzhou.”

Seeing that the two men showed no signs of leaving, Lin Zhengcheng smiled and asked, “How about I host a banquet here at the courier station to entertain you two?”

The old secretary felt helpless. Besides Dong Shuijing, who was slightly more palatable, none of you locals who came from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven knew how to speak properly!

The reason he remained was to assist His Majesty in obtaining a clear and unambiguous answer from the man before him.

It seemed comical that the Emperor, as the sovereign of a nation, had to resort to indirect methods to seek a definite answer from a seventh-rank official.

But it was not comical at all.

What was even more egregious was that this man was deliberately feigning ignorance.

Lin Zhengcheng picked up the tongs and gently adjusted the charcoal fire, muttering to himself, “Someone once told me a Zen saying: ‘Golden Buddhas cannot be saved by furnaces, wooden Buddhas cannot be saved by fire, clay Buddhas cannot be saved by water.'”

The old secretary nodded and said, “Understood. I will report back to His Majesty.”

The two high-ranking secretaries then left the courier station.

Upon reaching Hatband Alley outside, the Secretary of the Ministry of War asked in a hushed voice, “What does that mean?”

The old man said, “You and I don’t need to understand. It’s enough that His Majesty does.”

Fu Hu, upon hearing that the two honorable secretaries had left his territory, ventured to old Lin’s office. After some hesitation, he crossed the threshold. Seeing that old Lin was standing, he gestured for them both to sit down and chat. He carefully asked, “Old Lin, what did they talk to you about? Can you tell me?”

Lin Zhengcheng said, “Pulling strings to find a position, I’ll soon be heading to the Yuzhang Prefecture Logging Bureau in Hongzhou to take up a post.”
Fu Hu inquired, “Still a minor official?”

The man shook his head, “The top dog.”

Fu Hu paused, lowering his voice, “That’s not right. If I remember correctly, the head of the Forestry Bureau is a sixth-rank official. You’re only a seventh-rank today. Old Lin, who did you pull strings with? That’s amazing, skipping half a rank!”

The man chuckled, “Let’s not talk about such things, it’s a taboo.”

Fu Hu laughed heartily, patting the man’s shoulder, “Old Lin, congratulations! Seriously, if you were just moving places without a promotion, still working under someone, I’d have to scold you, suspecting you found working for me uncomfortable. Since you’re promoted, and a leapfrog one at that, nothing to say. Tonight, Iris River, let’s have a feast, my treat!”

The man nodded, “If Lord Fu is treating, I’ll foot the bill.”

Fu Hu slapped the man’s shoulder again, “Heh, I’ve misjudged you all these years. Old Lin, you’re a good material for officialdom!”

After Fu Hu left, the man silently gazed at the charcoal fire in the brazier, sighing softly.

The selection of the burial site for the couple in Mud Bottle Lane.

The secret trip to the backyard of the Yang Family Apothecary that year, finding that old man Yang, not hesitating to break the imperial rules, making an exception, humbly begging the old man for a favor.

And that *撼山拳譜 (Hàn Shān Quán Pǔ)*, the “Shaking Mountain Fist Manual,” that finally landed in someone’s hands after much wandering.

Also, that night, secretly taking out some privately treasured serpent gallbladder stones, tossing them one by one into the Dragon Whisker River, as if waiting for some straw-sandaled youth carrying a bamboo basket to see and pick them up.

The things he could do were just these few.

He sought nothing more than that one day, when he was no longer an official, no longer some so-called gatekeeper, that solitary child, growing year by year into a young man, establishing a family and career, that during festivals, upon seeing Lin Zhengcheng, the child would call him “Uncle Lin” from the bottom of their heart, and he could accept that title with a clear conscience.

This year, as winter approached, the Sword Chamber of the Grand Crest Sword Sect’s ancestral mountain received a personally written invitation from Mountain Lord Chen of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, inviting Sect Master Liu Jinglong and his disciple Bai Shou to attend the Lower Sect celebration in Tongye Continent next Spring Equinox.

It stated that before the celebration, in late winter, the Wind Kite Ferry would cross the continent and travel north to Jidu, docking near the Chongxuan Bureau of the Great Source Dynasty. They requested Sect Master Liu to take a short detour and board the ship south, saving the unnecessary expense of crossing the continent by ship. The letter also reminded Liu Jinglong that, if he wished, he could join hands with Fairy Lu Sui of Water Scripture Mountain and travel together to Immortal Capital Mountain.

Liu Jinglong, carrying the invitation, rode his sword to Fluttering Plume Peak.

Bai Shou tentatively asked, “Liu, can we not go?”

Bai Shou had just returned from a journey to Cloud Goose Kingdom, bringing back several junior sword cultivators from other peaks, six young sword cultivators, who had trained in Cloud Goose Kingdom and the surrounding mountains and rivers.

After all, Bai Shou, whether in terms of his registered identity or his sword cultivation realm, was now a proper senior and protector of the sect.

After the group of young sword cultivators safely returned to the mountain, the Ancestral Hall of the Grand Crest Sword Sect had a high opinion of the young Golden Core Peak Lord of Fluttering Plume Peak, deeming him meticulous, thorough, and experienced in the ways of the world.

In that Cloud Goose Kingdom, Bai Shou did not directly meet Cui Gongzhuang, the ninth-realm martial artist. This chief guest elder of Locking Cloud Sect’s Nourishing Cloud Peak was now very well-behaved, reformed, almost a philanthropist, and restrained his disciples from acting recklessly, otherwise Cui Gongzhuang would personally clean house, causing the sect’s reputation in the martial world to skyrocket.

After going through all the trouble to go down the mountain, Bai Shou didn’t expect to hear such terrible and joyous news upon returning to Fluttering Plume Peak. He felt both grief and joy at the same time.

His brother Chen’s Fallen Phoenix Mountain had been promoted to a sect not long ago, and then immediately went to the southernmost Tongye Continent to obtain a Lower Sect. Of course, it was a good thing, too good to be true.

But the problem was that Bai Shou, now, couldn’t even bear to face that person, and even thinking about her made him flinch.

Last time someone came to Fluttering Plume Peak as a guest, disaster struck, and he took a punch from her, trembling on the spot.

The time before that, still on his own territory of Fluttering Plume Peak, someone just passed by, and after a punch, the dignified Peak Lord, the Sect Master’s direct disciple, was convulsing on the ground, like a martial artist practicing stances.

And the time before that was on Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

Enough is enough!

If one could truly learn from mistakes, then Bai Shou could now be considered extremely intelligent.

Bai Shou even secretly sought out an old Taoist immortal skilled in numerology to help him calculate whether his and that person’s birthdates were incompatible.

The old immortal, holding the two’s birthdates, was puzzled, saying there was nothing wrong, no one was incompatible with anyone. In the end, he didn’t forget to speak well of Sect Master Liu’s chief disciple, saying that Peak Lord Bai’s birthdate was very strong.

Liu Jinglong didn’t bother to remind Bai Shou that, according to Chen Ping’an, Pei Qian didn’t even know her own birthdate, and even her name was fake, something Pei Qian made up later.

However, Chen Ping’an could tell Liu Jinglong such things, but Liu Jinglong shouldn’t reveal secrets to Bai Shou.

Liu Jinglong smiled and asked, “What do you think?”

Unlike a sect’s Golden Core Peak Opening ceremony, any Lower Sect celebration in the vast world was a rare event, perhaps once in a thousand years.

According to the established rules on the mountain, as long as they were not hostile sects with a deadly feud, within a continent, even if people couldn’t attend in person, they should send a congratulatory gift as a matter of course.

After all, a Sect-level immortal family appearing out of thin air within a continent was something that boosted the face of all the continent’s cultivators.

The amount of martial fortune in a continent could be directly seen from the number of Limit Martial Artists. By the same logic, the depth of a continent’s foundation often depended on the number of Sect-level sects.

Therefore, just like the Hemp Robe Sect of Skeleton Beach, even if the Northern Entire Reed Continent disliked this outsider, once the Hemp Robe Sect had truly gained a foothold and officially held a celebration, the vast majority of immortal families still had to grit their teeth and send a gift, only the gift was not heavy. Some immortal mansions deliberately sent only a few snowflake coins.

That rule was still followed, a light gift with deep meaning. If the Hemp Robe Sect complained about the small amount of money, it meant they were not generous enough.

It was only when the Fire Dragon True Man of Crouching Peak made an exception and showed his face, gracing Wooden Clothes Mountain with his presence, not only attending the celebration but also sending a heavy gift of a magic treasure grade.
Some immortal abodes, known for their “forgetfulness,” promptly presented belated congratulatory gifts, knowing better. Even Old Daoist, renowned for his incorruptibility, had surprisingly loosened his purse strings. No one else had any reason not to spend lavishly and present gifts.

Otherwise, they might attract the attention of Old Daoist.

Bai Shou, still unwilling to go, said, “Just sending the gift is enough. Chen Pingan certainly won’t mind. If it really comes to it, I won’t go. Tell Chen Pingan when you see him that I need to enter secluded cultivation soon.”

Liu Jinglong laughed, “As long as you don’t provoke Pei Qian, what are you afraid of? She won’t just spar with you for no reason.”

Seeing that Bai Shou was still hesitant, Liu Jinglong didn’t want to make his disciple uncomfortable. He said considerately, “If you really don’t want to go, then don’t. Just focus on practicing your sword on Pianran Peak. I’ll help explain to Chen Pingan.”

Besides the invitation, Chen Pingan had also sent a confidential letter to Liu Jinglong. In the letter, he mentioned a female array master named Han Zhoujin in Great Li’s capital. Her hometown was the Qingtan Blessed Land of the Shegao Sect. She was now a cultivator of the Dizhi lineage in Great Li and had a hidden identity as a guest elder of the Zi Zhao Yan family of Great Li. Han Zhoujin possessed the good fortune of an immortal mansion’s ruins, indicating a significant background. Moreover, her talisman skills were quite impressive. Therefore, Chen Pingan requested Liu Jinglong to make a detour to Great Li’s capital during his southern journey to offer Han Zhoujin some guidance on formations.

Bai Shou gritted his teeth, “I’ll go! Anyway, I haven’t been to Tongye Continent yet.”

Liu Jinglong smiled and nodded, “The Ancestral Hall hinted at something, wanting to ask you, the peak master, when you plan to accept disciples to expand the lineage of Pianran Peak.”

In fact, the Ancestral Hall of Taihui Sword Sect was hinting even more strongly, inquiring whether the Sect Master had any candidates for a Daoist companion.

Bai Shou was stunned for a long time, feeling like he had heard a huge joke. He bared his teeth and said, “Accept disciples? Me?”

Although he had been following Master Liu up the mountain for some years, Bai Shou still felt like he had just started practicing his sword and might be knocked down by someone asking for a duel at any moment. Therefore, he had no awareness of a Celestial Immortal being able to accept a direct disciple.

In fact, every peak-opening Celestial Immortal on the mountain was equivalent to opening up a brand-new lineage for the Ancestral Hall.

Bai Shou waved his hand, “Don’t rush me.”

Being alone on a peak, without accepting disciples, was a joke that only Liu Jinglong would laugh at. But if he accepted disciples, what about the dignity of a master?

His current cultivation level was insufficient, and he had yet to win a single sword duel. Was he supposed to let his disciples shout every now and then, “Master has been beaten unconscious!” or “Disaster! Master is lying on the ground again!”?

Bai Shou remembered something and asked, “What’s happening with the Suoyun Sect?”

Liu Jinglong said, “Yangyun Peak will soon take the initiative to form an alliance with us.”

Currently, there were more than a dozen mountain forces allied with Taihui Sword Sect. Besides Chunlu Pu, Caique Prefecture, and Cloud Citadel in the southeastern region of Tongye Continent, there were also several established immortal abodes on the west coast, including Thunder God’s Abode on Infant Mountain. Thunder God’s Abode had suffered a senseless blow a few years ago, even having the words “God’s Abode” removed from the golden plaque at the mountain gate. In the end, they caught and released those two foreign rascals who seemed to have had their brains squashed by a door panel.

Liu Jinglong and Taihui Sword Sect, of course, had no intention of becoming the leader of the alliance and commanding the heroes. This kind of relatively loose alliance was more to facilitate trade between each other, similar to a marriage alliance among mortals.

Bai Shou laughed, “Doesn’t that mean our Taihui Sword Sect has another pawn?”

Liu Jinglong frowned slightly.

Bai Shou immediately raised his hands, admitting his mistake, “Just pretend I farted!”

Liu Jinglong reminded him gently, “You must know that our sword cultivators’ verbal mistakes are no different from a sword duel in the heart.”

Whether it was a cultivator or a mortal, everyone had heavy stones at the bottom of their heart lake. And each stone could be a casual remark from someone else on their life path.

Bai Shou hummed, “I’ll be careful in the future.”

The young sword cultivator grinned, “Don’t worry, on Pianran Peak, I don’t have many opportunities to talk besides talking to myself. As for outside the mountain, I don’t talk much anyway.”

In fact, in Liu Jinglong’s view, one of the most profound formations in the world was the Lvzhu Grotto-heaven, which had hovered above the northern part of Baoping Continent for many years.

The cultivator’s small world was generally recognized to have two types. One was when the Sages of the Three Teachings were stationed in academies, Daoist temples, and Buddhist temples, which could elevate one’s realm, even allowing Nascent Soul cultivators to directly cross the chasm and become Jade Pure cultivators. With a Sage stationed inside, the small world could simultaneously become a barren land with thin spiritual energy, occupying the favorable timing, location, and harmony. Foreign cultivators, unable to mobilize even a trace of the world’s spiritual energy, would consume their own spiritual energy with every spell and every magical treasure they used. The greater the power, the more it was like opening a hole, and this loss of spiritual energy would, in turn, feed the small world, like a “tribute offering.” The opposing sides would rise and fall, and unless the difference in realm was vast, the outcome would be certain. The other type was when grand cultivators constructed small worlds with formations, full of illusions. In the early years, the Lvzhu Grotto-heaven combined both, and foreign cultivators entering it also had to follow some more mysterious rules of the Great Dao. Therefore, on his way to attend the Lower Sect ceremony, Liu Jinglong planned to not only visit Han Zhoujin in Great Li’s capital but also to go to the old Longzhou region of Great Li to see if he could use the jade of other mountains to polish his own stone without violating the laws of Great Li. To be precise, it was to use the jade of other mountains to grind his own stone. Liu Jinglong had mentioned this matter to Chen Pingan once when he was a guest at his sect. Therefore, Chen Pingan’s confidential letter directly told Liu Jinglong to focus on studying the remaining charm of the formation because he had already informed the Great Li court.

Liu Jinglong suddenly received a flying sword transmission.

It was from Liu Zhiqing of Golden Crow Palace.

Bai Shou asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Sword Immortal Liu wants to invite someone to a sword duel.”

“Duel with whom?!”

Bai Shou swiftly pulled out a farmer’s almanac from his sleeve and flipped it open, “Three days later is an auspicious day!”

The farmer’s almanac from Northern Ju Lu Continent was probably unique in the entire Vast World.

There were a dozen days a year that were “suitable for sword duels.”