After leaving the Clear Ripple Sect in the Northern俱蘆洲, Lu Chen did not immediately return to White Jade Capital. Instead, he made a detour to Green Artemisia Country, where he visited the Chen scholar, who should have been named Li, on Celestial Cave Street. Then, he stealthily returned to Treasure Bottle Continent, seeking to meet an old friend whose status he could not underestimate, despite their vast difference in cultivation realm.

Traveling south across the sea from Northern俱蘆洲, as he approached the skies over Treasure Bottle Continent, as expected, he encountered the Sage of the Confucian Temple guarding the celestial dome, an old acquaintance. They exchanged a few words.

Lu Chen felt that this brief yet meaningful reunion could be considered a pleasant conversation, though he couldn’t know what the other party truly thought.

In Yuzhang Commandery, Hong Prefecture, a newly established office, the Timber Felling Bureau, was set up.

The first director of the Timber Felling Bureau was a man named Lin Zhengcheng, from the capital.

It was said that he had previously worked in the Ministry of War in the capital, serving as the second-in-command of the Dispatch of Victory Reports, and was not young. No one knew how he had managed to secure such a lucrative and comfortable position.

This Lord Lin neither implemented the “three fires of a new official” nor simply indulged in pleasure without doing anything. His actions were generally moderate and followed established procedures. For instance, he donned his official robe and, along with the clerks of the office, visited the local Confucian and Martial Temples, as well as the City God Temple, to offer incense. As the Timber Felling Bureau was a new establishment, there were no official duties to be handed over from a predecessor, which saved him a lot of trouble.

One night, a young Daoist wearing a lotus crown entered without knocking, walked straight in, and sat on a stool next to the brazier, warming himself by the fire. Shivering, he asked with a grin, “Has the mastermind behind the assassin who attacked Ning Yao still not been found?”

Lin Zhengcheng put down his book, glanced up, remained seated, and ignored the question from the Third Patriarch of White Jade Capital. He simply cupped his fist and said politely, “Greetings, Patriarch Lu.”

Lu Chen shook his sleeves, “Between you and me, no need for such formality.”

They had known each other well from the decade Lu Chen spent running a fortune-telling stall in the small town.

Yet, just like Cao Gengxin of the Kiln Supervision Bureau, the person he needed to keep an eye on the most, the young lord of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, had never met him for a chat.

For Lu Chen, it was the same with Lin Zhengcheng.

Lin Zhengcheng was a native of Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven, and personally chosen by Embroidered Tiger to be the second Gatekeeper.

Otherwise, the Grand Tutor of Great Li would not have bothered to help a minor official’s son with naming.

As for the previous Gatekeeper, even if he had served his term without any particular merit or fault, Cui Chan was naturally not satisfied.

Before him, there was also a foreign Sword Immortal who served as the Gatekeeper of Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven for the longest period. Moreover, he had an extremely special hidden identity: Sacrificial Official.

This was a secret that Cui Chan revealed to Lin Zhengcheng during their last meeting. This swordsman, who quietly left his hometown and came to Vast Sky World through Upside-Down Mountain, was the last Sacrificial Official in the history of Sword Qi Great Wall.

In fact, Old Yang had hinted at a celestial secret to Ning Yao during her first journey in Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven, but the old man had spoken vaguely, only saying that a foreign swordsman had died near the small town. Before his death, this swordsman had compiled his travels into a book, leaving behind a travelogue that he would occasionally browse.

At that time, Ning Yao was skeptical and didn’t dwell on it. Later, Old Yang changed the subject and asked her one last question: What is the sound of the heart?

The girl instantly understood, entering a state similar to Buddhist meditation and Daoist fasting.

Lin Zhengcheng suspected that this swordsman, one of the three officials of Sword Qi Great Wall, had come for the old sword strip under the stone arch bridge. However, for some unknown reason, he had never received a certain answer and had remained in Jade Pearl Grotto-Heaven, becoming a Gatekeeper. However, it was still early before Cui Chan became the Grand Tutor of Great Li, and the Song family of Great Li were kept in the dark, unaware of the deep connection with Sword Qi Great Wall.

However, this Sacrificial Official, in addition to being a swordsman on the surface, also had a more hidden identity: a martial arts grandmaster who had reached the peak and had no path forward.

Throughout the history of Sword Qi Great Wall, there were only a handful of martial artists who had reached the Limit.

The last one was Bai Lianshuang, who was also a woman.

This was definitely abnormal. Even if the martial arts fortune of Sword Qi Great Wall was suppressed by sword dao fortune, the number of ninth-realm and tenth-realm pure martial artists should not be so scarce.

Because someone had monopolized the martial arts fortune.

The number one martial artist in Vast Sky World, “Longbo” Zhang Tiaoxia, in his youth, before his ambition waned, was at the peak of his fist intent. At that time, Zhang Tiaoxia could be described as high-spirited, completely regarding the martial god above the Limit as something within his grasp, with an air of “who else but me.”

As a result, he had a martial arts inquiry with an unknown pure martial artist on the sea.

Zhang Tiaoxia neither won nor lost.

But after that, Zhang Tiaoxia turned to cultivation, eventually becoming the longest-lived Limit martial artist in the history of Vast Sky World.

Zhang Tiaoxia never acknowledged the many accolades and titles given to him by the outside world, such as the number one martial artist in the world. He didn’t care and didn’t respond.

Lu Chen knew about this thanks to his unacknowledged disciple, the old boatman Xiancha.

Xiancha happened to be the only observer of that martial arts inquiry.

In that peak battle of martial arts, the two figures moved as fast as lightning, their speed even surpassing the flying swords of sword cultivators, causing the sea to collapse and bottom out within a thousand miles.

Lu Chen even suspected that this Sacrificial Official had a place on a certain mountain top.

Unfortunately, as a Daoist, Lu Chen could not go to that strange mountain top.

“When the world is unmoved, Treasure Bottle moves; when the world is in chaos, Treasure Bottle is still.”

As if guessing what Lin Zhengcheng was thinking, Lu Chen lowered his head, stared at the firelight, gently rubbed his hands, and said with a smile, “This prophecy was also something I belatedly found a trace of when I walked in the river of time in the small town, and finally deduced it based on this clue. From this, it can be seen that this Sacrificial Official is very accurate at fortune-telling.”

Seeing that Lu Chen had actually taken out a few sweet potatoes from his sleeve and put them in the brazier, seemingly not planning to leave anytime soon, Lin Zhengcheng had no choice but to take the initiative to ask, “I wonder why Patriarch Lu has come to visit tonight?”

Lu Chen looked up and asked with a smile, “Do you know which of your actions were superfluous and which were in line with the natural flow of things?”

Lin Zhengcheng said indifferently, “Since they are all things of the past, knowing is worse than not knowing.”
Lu Chen raised a hand, a shimmering radiance emanating from it. Wisps of light gathered, coalescing into a starlit, rudimentary outline of the old Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven. Some of these stars shone with a dazzling brilliance, others were dim and indistinct, some glowed with a gentle warmth, while others were intensely piercing. They varied in brightness, size, and color. As Lu Chen slowly rotated his wrist, it was as if a static world had, with a single impetus, begun to turn.

Lu Chen raised his other hand, pinching his fingers as if holding a chess piece, seemingly picking up two points of light with vastly different intensities. Perhaps worried that Lin Zhengcheng couldn’t see clearly, the visages of two individuals appeared at Lu Chen’s fingertips: Li Er, the one with the fish basket at his waist, and Chen Ping’an, the thin, dark-skinned straw sandal-wearing boy.

Lu Chen then plucked out two more points of light, representing Gao Xuan, the Prince of the Great Sui Dynasty, and his aged retainer. He brought his fingers together and gently pushed them away, as if they were walking backward, moving further and further away from Li Er and Chen Ping’an. Lu Chen then softly returned the lights to their place, and with a sudden acceleration of the rotation, the world spun like a person running, sparing no effort day and night. The dim light representing Chen Ping’an gradually brightened, and in a fleeting moment, it shone brilliantly before, as if crashing into something, like a hammer blow upon a sword billet, sparks flying.

However, it was but a flash in the pan. Once the phenomenon subsided, the light returned to its former dimness, gradually dissipating in all directions, spreading amongst the people of the town.

“You see, Old Yang cursing him wasn’t Li Er’s fault alone, was it?”

“That’s what they call a good deed gone wrong.”

“You’re no different, you know? If you don’t believe me, this Daoist has to give you an example. Those snake gallstones you deliberately tossed into the Dragon Beard River that night weren’t of low grade. They were supposed to be part of your family’s inheritance for your son, Lin Shouyi, to use for his future cultivation, right?”

“As a result, it seemed like you were doing a great favor, helping that Muddy Lane boy increase his gains by seventy or eighty percent. But did you know that the snake gallstone that Ma Kuxuan later easily acquired was originally supposed to be placed in Chen Ping’an’s basket? Lin Zhengcheng, you figure out this account yourself. Did Chen Ping’an profit or lose? In this humble Daoist’s eyes, he definitely took a huge loss.”

Lin Zhengcheng remained unmoved, saying, “I don’t care about these roundabout calculations. Isn’t the current Chen Ping’an the one that gives you the biggest headache?”

Lu Chen didn’t deny it, nodding, but quickly smiled and asked, “But if this Daoist were to add a word, what if Lin Shouyi lost an opportunity because of your, his father’s, partiality? For example, the item that I gave to Xie Ling, wasn’t it originally supposed to belong to Lin Shouyi? Did Lin Shouyi even lose more blessings without even realizing it? If there is one, there is a whole series. If there is none, then a series is empty. These gains and losses should not be overlooked. Back when I was setting up my fortune-telling stall, I gave you a hint.”

Lin Zhengcheng’s state of mind remained as still as an ancient well. He scoffed, “Whether my own kid has promise or not, whether he has a lot or a little, is it up to you to care? Are you named Lin? It seems like there’s not even a ‘Lin Chen’ on our family tree.”

Lu Chen was momentarily speechless. He let the small world hang in the air, rotating on its own, and reached out to stir the sweet potatoes in the charcoal fire, sighing, “Such a nuisance.”

No wonder Cui Chan chose this person to be the gatekeeper. His cultivation wasn’t particularly high, but he was someone who couldn’t be swayed by anything.

And what exactly was up with the simple and honest customs of this town? Everyone’s words pierced right to the heart.

Lin Zhengcheng stood up, walked around the desk, and sat by the fire pit. He picked up a roasted sweet potato on his own, brushed off the ashes, and started to eat it.

Lu Chen reminded him with a smile, “Eat slowly, be careful it’s hot.”

Lin Zhengcheng glanced at the suspended small world.

Some lights were almost completely still.

For example, Feng Yi, in the tallest wine shop in town; Lu Wei, the Yin-Yang School cultivator; the old coachman from the former Heavenly Court’s Thunder Department; and other such beings.

Some points of light shone like stars, high in the sky, such as Ruan Xiu and Li Liu.

There was also Su Han, the effeminate kiln worker who was the reincarnation of the Rain God.

And Zhi Gui, the girl who escaped from the Iron Chain Well.

At the same time, threads of karma constantly connected or broke off from everyone in town.

Eventually, everyone was entangled together. There were fewer cultivators, but their threads were thick. The ordinary Confucian scholars had more threads, but they were thin.

Only the Yang Family Pharmacy was obscured by a cloud of mist.

Lu Chen munched on the sweet potato in his hand, suddenly saying in a huff, “Chen Ping’an is too vindictive! I haven’t done anything! Resentment has a source, debts have an owner. Why is he so full of resentment towards me? You, as his elder, have to manage him, manage him! Now, your words have more sway with Chen Ping’an than anyone else’s.”

Lin Zhengcheng reminded him, “It just seems like you haven’t really done anything.”

*Seems* like. *Really.*

Lu Chen said to himself, “Besides, when the great tribulation came to the town, it wasn’t just us immortals from White Jade Capital who showed up. The sages of the Three Teachings were all present.”

“At most, it was the bad-tempered one from our Purple Qi Tower who struck first. But I’m different! From beginning to end, I neither fought with Qi Jingchun nor uttered a single harsh word. I was very polite.”

“Why doesn’t Chen Ping’an go seek revenge on the vice-sect leader of the Confucian Temple, or reason with the Buddhist school? Why does he have to pick on me? Is it because I’m nice that I’m easy to bully? I’m being wronged to death!”

Lin Zhengcheng made a strange gesture, squeezing out a forced smile, and then instantly withdrawing it.

It was as if he had heard a joke and finished applauding. “Continue with the next joke, Headmaster Lu.”

Lu Chen raised his sleeve and pointed at the guy, “Scholars, we are all scholars. No wonder Lin Shouyi has never been close to you since he was a kid.”

*Sages embrace oneness for the sake of the world, knowing honor and enduring disgrace as a valley for the world.*

Cui Chan gave Lin Zhengcheng’s son the name “Shouyi” (守一, Guard One). He even thought of a “zi” (字, courtesy name) for Lin Shouyi early on.

Named Lin Shouyi, zi Rixin (日新, Daily Renewal). The sun rises and renews daily, one should be cautious and prudent.

Seeing that the Third Headmaster of White Jade Capital was still playing dumb, Lin Zhengcheng raised his hand and mimed holding a book, shaking it.

Lu Chen sighed.

Being too smart isn’t good either. It’s easy to have nothing to talk about.

What Lin Zhengcheng meant was probably that the two of them were the page-turners of the town’s stories. Almost all the clues, connections, entanglements, and trends were written clearly in the book, and they had both read them thoroughly. So there was no need to play dumb and act foolish.
Lu Chen sighed, “If His Majesty the Emperor could persuade you, then you could persuade Chen Ping’an to agree to be the new National Preceptor of Great Li.”

Lin Zhengcheng remained silent.

The way to be a person and handle affairs is actually very simple, just understanding the “I am me.”

Since I am me, I will inevitably do many things I should do, and not do many things I shouldn’t.

Just like when Lin Shouyi was young and went to that private school, once after class, he returned home with red eyes, seemingly having cried.

Lin Zhengcheng happened to see him at the time and asked what was wrong. Lin Shouyi said that a classmate had cheated, and he reported it, and then no one wanted to pay attention to him.

“Do you think you were wrong?”

“No!”

“Does doing the right thing always bring good rewards?”

“Doesn’t it? Doesn’t everyone say that good people have good rewards.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Ah?”

“Otherwise, what do you study for?”

“Father, Mr. Qi has talked to me about it, and he meant something similar, but I think Mr. Qi said it better, saying that I should believe that good people have good rewards, which is not quite the same as what you said. Father, when you went to school, were you ever blocked in an alley and beaten like me?”

“Go and study.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, who beat you?”

“Fat Ma from Erlang Alley.”

“Just him?”

“Yeah.”

“Get lost!”

It’s no wonder the son fears his father; the two weren’t close, even when Lin Shouyi was little. Whenever Lin Zhengcheng saw Lin Shouyi being a bit mischievous, like going out to play before finishing his studies, Lin Zhengcheng would come home from the Kiln Affairs Directorate and, upon catching him, would directly use his belt to discipline this little ancestor, beating Lin Shouyi so that he ran around, often hiding under the bed, refusing to come out.

Lin Zhengcheng had always disapproved of the private school later founded by the Chen family of Longwei Stream because he felt that the teachers were too polite to the students. They lectured too much on the principles of sages and too little on discipline. The rulers and feather dusters were just decorations, especially some of the older teachers, who, perhaps presuming themselves to be literary giants and masters, emphasized that a gentleman uses his mouth but not his hands. Later, Lin Zhengcheng couldn’t stand it and made an exception to write a secret memorial. Soon, a group of younger teachers was transferred to the school. Compared to the elders invited by the Chen family of Longwei Stream, the latter had lower learning and less ink, but a group of Great Li scholars hoping to pass the imperial examinations were more than capable of lecturing and teaching a group of toddlers wearing crotchless pants, and they were more enthusiastic about teaching. In this way, the Chen family of Longwei Stream was also relieved, after all, who wouldn’t want to retire to their hometowns, enjoy the company of grandchildren, or preside over local academies, hoping to cultivate a few new Great Li scholars for their hometown?

Lu Chen glanced at Lin Zhengcheng, not disturbing this rare display of paternal kindness from the last gatekeeper. After a moment of silence, waiting for Lin Zhengcheng to calm his mind, he changed the subject, “Gao Xuan will be a good emperor; your Great Li court needs to be careful. If Embroidery Tiger was still around, or even if it were replaced by Song Jixin as emperor, he would never have allowed Gao Xuan to successfully inherit the throne of Great Sui.”

Back then, the five greatest opportunities in the Jade Pearl Cave Heaven were displayed on the surface, and Prince Gao Xuan of Great Sui obtained one of them. Later, as a price for the alliance between the Gao clan of Great Sui and the Song clan of Great Li, Gao Xuan once served as a hostage, studying at the Linlu Academy in Piyun Mountain for many years. After Gao Xuan returned to Great Sui and later ascended the throne, he actually took over a disorganized mess.

Back then, Great Sui was the equivalent of surrendering without a fight, taking the initiative to cede several vassal states, including the Yellow Court Kingdom, to the Song clan of Great Li, which was a great humiliation for the proud officials and generals of the Great Sui court.

When the Song clan of Great Li completed the great achievement of making one country equivalent to one continent, it was an immeasurable blow to the Great Sui court, and even the last bit of spirit was crushed by the Great Li cavalry.

Under these circumstances, Prince Gao Xuan took the initiative to abandon the golden carp, giving up the path to immortality, and falling from the Golden Core realm all the way to the lower five realms, losing a great deal of his lifespan, truly becoming a rare seventy-year-old, so as not to violate the Confucian Temple’s etiquette and be able to inherit the throne and ascend to the imperial throne.

Lu Chen smiled and said, “Thirty years as emperor, thirty years, can do many things. Moreover, the matter of human destiny has a fixed number, but it is not dead. There has never been such a thing as fate, because this is what fate is. Anyway, I am very optimistic about this Great Sui emperor, perhaps he will be a revival master who will be remembered in history.”

Clapping his hands, he stood up, Lu Chen came to the desk, on which was placed a steelyard, an old object, presumably a gift from Old Yang to Lin Zhengcheng when he first took office as gatekeeper.

A steelyard. Sixteen taels make one jin.

Of course, it is very scholarly and particular because the sixteen stars on the steelyard represent the Big Dipper, the Six Stars of the Southern Dipper, and the Three Stars of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity.

The predecessors instructed the successors not to deceive heaven or earth, otherwise, a missing tael would mean no fortune, a missing two taels would mean less prosperity, and a missing three taels would mean shortened lifespan. Therefore, those who do business are most afraid of shortchanging. This is called man doing, heaven watching.

Lu Chen picked up the ancient steelyard, pinched it with two fingers, gently rotating it, and sighed softly, “It is clearly repeated instruction, but unfortunately, it is silent.”

Putting down the steelyard, Lu Chen turned to lean against the desk, stroking the surface of the desk made of local wood from Yuzhang County, gently exhaling, scattering the ball of light hanging above the brazier, like a bag of fireflies scattered, Lu Chen looked at the scene, smiling, “The sea is the world of dragons, the sky is the home of cranes. Great fish see even large nets burst open!”

Lin Zhengcheng sneered, “It was Mr. Qi who accomplished this, what does it have to do with you, Lu Chen?”

The reason it wasn’t a fish-dies-net-breaks ending was because someone tore open the net, not hesitating to entangle themselves, their true body shattering like porcelain, allowing the fish in the net, big and small, to escape together.

Lu Chen laughed and said, “Fortunately, you didn’t say I was a troublemaker, Lin is already showing mercy.”

Lin Zhengcheng sneered, “That’s because you mentioned Mr. Qi.”

Lu Chen didn’t care, our Lin is just this kind of temperament, you get used to it. Not flattering superiors or deceiving subordinates, being a person, doing things, and being an official are all being a kind of person.

“Zhao Yao admired Song Jixin the most, feeling that whether it was playing chess or studying, he was far inferior to his classmate, but Song Jixin looked down on Zhao Yao from the bottom of his heart. The two sides failed to truly have aligned paths, so Zhao Yao failed to ‘dot the eyes’ for him, and in the end, Song Mu only became a vassal king of Great Li, and not an emperor.”
Zhao Yao, too, was a step behind. After leaving his hometown in an ox cart, he was waylaid by the “Embroidered Tiger.” The youth surrendered the seal given to him by his teacher. He made no mistake, but in doing so, the “Yao” of distant, the “Yao” of universe, transformed into the “Yao” of shaking, the “Yao” of corvée labor.

On the wall of Mud Bottle Lane, Chen Ping’an played the “good Samaritan,” speaking out to save someone, driven by pure kindness. He indeed saved the life of Liu Xianyang from beneath the feet of the Lu family’s young master.

Yet, in the unseen currents, he brought trouble upon himself. Their fates were not complementary, but rather conflicting. Thus began the trials and tribulations that followed, such as Liu Xianyang nearly losing his life at the hands of the earth-shattering Mountain Moving Great Sage of Zhengyang Mountain. Liu Xianyang, Zhengyang Mountain, and Chen Ping’an, born on the fifth day of the fifth month… Only Zhengyang Mountain remained rooted in place while the two friends wandered far from home, eventually leading to their joint sword-wielding challenge upon Zhengyang Mountain. As for the gains and losses within, it was a matter of “fortune and misfortune have no gate, but are summoned by oneself.”

If not for the kind heart of the effeminate kiln worker, who experienced a moment of divine inspiration that night in the ancestral home of Mud Bottle Lane, ultimately burying the box of rouge in the alleyway outside the door, rather than placing it where Chen Ping’an could easily see it, or even hiding it in the courtyard underground, it would not have been an act of gratitude in the long run, but rather a case of good intentions leading to harm.

Old Chai, who ran the happiness goods shop, repeatedly warned his grandson, Hu Feng, before his death to stay away from Chen Ping’an. This was a wise choice.

Lu Chen sighed, “Phoenixes misplaced, orchids growing wild. Weeds in the fields.”

Phoenixes that have strayed from their position, orchids that have been born in the wrong place, are uprooted for the turbid energies they easily breed, let alone the unremarkable and inherently unwelcome weeds?

Zhao Yao, now serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice in Dali, his name “Yao” is anciently equivalent to the “Yao” of corvée labor, the “Yao” of ballads, the “Yao” of distance, and also “Cosmos,” as well as the lush growth of grass and trees.

Song Jixin, gathering dragon energy; Zhao Yao, responsible for “painting the dragon’s eyes”; Chen Ping’an, born on the fifth day of the fifth month; Liu Xianyang, from an ancient dragon-raising lineage; and Hu Feng, from the happiness goods shop.

Picturesque scenery, lush vegetation, felling trees to gather firewood, offering sacrifices to the gods with the most ancient and supreme rites, forging a sun-catching mirror on the day of greatest Yang energy in the human world, greatly repaying Heaven and ruling the Sun, accompanied by the Moon. Taking fire from Heaven, a great fire ablaze, smoke rising like a dragon, the firelight reaching straight into the sky, forming a river of light and time, creating a brand new path to ascension without the need for an ascension platform.

This is fate.

Almost a predetermined fate.

Lu Chen said, “Therefore, the person who persuaded Chen Ping’an’s father back then not only revealed the matter of the natal porcelain, but also foresaw this day.”

“Breaking the natal porcelain is equivalent to diverting from the old path. It may not necessarily prevent it, but at least it creates a sliver of hope. Looking back, the facts prove that this is indeed the case.”

“Good intentions can lead to bad deeds, and bad intentions can lead to good deeds. In this world, there are many strange people and many strange things.”

Lin Zhengcheng’s expression darkened. “It’s you?!”

While Lin Zhengcheng was leaving Lizhu Grotto-Heaven to take up a position in the Ministry of War in the capital, National Preceptor Cui Chan was waiting at a post station.

During a review, Cui Chan once assessed this Third Master Teacher of White Jade Capital.

Even across a world, even with the Dao of the Vast Sky pressing down, it couldn’t stop Lu Chen from recovering his fourteenth-realm peak cultivation.

Nor could it stop an entire White Jade Capital from descending from the sky, falling above Lizhu Grotto-Heaven in Treasure Bottle Continent.

Lin Zhengcheng had once asked a question, “Is it worth it, just to target Mr. Qi alone?”

Cui Chan replied with a smile, “Lu Chen has no conflict of the Great Dao with Qi Jingchun, but as long as it’s for that Eldest Brother, it is worth it to Lu Chen.”

“On the one hand, that Eldest Master Teacher of White Jade Capital is the person Lu Chen respects the most. Furthermore, Lu Chen has an even greater aspiration, born out of personal motives, because Lu Chen believed that a certain mystery could be answered by his Senior Brother, provided that this first disciple of the Dao Ancestor could truly accomplish something.”

When Lu Chen is indifferent, no one can defeat him.

When Lu Chen seeks something, no one can defeat him.

With Lu Chen present, it’s not that Qi Jingchun has no other options.

But it is precisely because of Lu Chen’s appearance that Qi Jingchun ultimately has only two choices.

Like a game of chess, reaching the endgame, one side has the advantage.

Winning is still winning, but the winning path for the side with the upper hand is limited to one or two routes.

You win your internal game of chess, I win my external game of chess.

For example, suppose Liu Xianyang is carrying several valuable porcelain pieces and wants to find Chen Ping’an in Mud Bottle Lane.

No matter how he wanders through the streets and alleys of the town, changing routes, in the end, there are only two paths he can take: pass by Gu Can’s doorstep or not.

Lu Chen’s existence is like a rogue who is at odds with Liu Xianyang, blocking the street corner in front of Gu Can’s house, fighting to the death with anyone who comes, and it’s not just a bluff.

Even if Liu Xianyang could defeat that rogue, he would weigh the pros and cons and decide it’s not worth it, not necessary, because he’s carrying porcelain to give to Chen Ping’an, so of course, he’ll take a detour.

Lu Chen chuckled, slamming his hand on the table, feigning anger, “What is this all about? Don’t make wild accusations! When did I arrive in the town? Only a few years, what could I have done? You, Lin Zhengcheng, wouldn’t know? Are you putting this big pile of shit on my head?! Even if you’re unconscionable, you still have to have some evidence for framing me, right?!”

Lin Zhengcheng frowned. “Is it Zou Zi?”

Lu Chen wiped his face, acting is so tiring, shook his head and said: “Since it is most likely, then it must not be. Zou Zi always likes to stop after giving a hint, it is not Zou Zi’s style to enter the game in person. One wrong step, and the Dao heart will be shattered directly, and it would be lucky to just fall in realm.”

Lu Chen reached out and patted the Daoist crown on his head, then stretched out his arm, raised his palm high, and shook it, “There are gods three feet above one’s head, whether outsiders believe it or not, I am very particular about it.”
Lu Chen was silent for a moment, calculating and recalculating with his fingers, then suddenly laughed, “Poor Tian Wan, she merely hid the Cicada Slough Grotto-Heaven within the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, thinking she could deceive me, thus deceiving the heavens. Alas, her cultivation is too shallow. Can such self-deception be learned and done by just anyone? Old Chai kept his promise and did not covet the golden cicada slough. I reckon even Old Chai did not expect that, after so many twists and turns, it would still be his precious grandson who would obtain this blessing of ‘clearly close at hand, yet seemingly far away.’ Truly wondrous! As the old saying goes, ‘If your fate decrees eight feet, don’t seek ten. Not seeking might just bring it to you.'”

“However, when it comes to spoiling one’s juniors, no one can compare to how old Yang treats Li Huai. So, one must believe that fools are often blessed! Next time I take in a closed-door disciple, I must choose one who is not so clever.”

Lu Chen looked at Lin Zhengcheng, “Regarding the whereabouts of the Cicada Slough Grotto-Heaven, you can tell Chen Ping An about it. It’s not a big deal. I guarantee I absolutely will not add unnecessary details.”

Lin Zhengcheng twitched his lips, clearly not intending to do so.

Back in the town, there were many funeral shops, but only one wedding shop, run by Hu Feng’s grandfather, whose real name, Chai Daohuang, was inscribed on his tombstone after his death.

That’s why Lu Chen kept calling him Old Chai.

The old man was once the top matchmaker in the ancient world, the so-called Moon Elder of later generations. His former Daoist site was called “Matchmaking Mountain”.

He was in charge of a marriage registry and the red threads, as well as all matchmaking speeches.

And his grandson, Hu Feng. Hu of the Ancient Moon.

Hu Feng, like the maiden from the banks of the Crimson Scale River in Tongye Continent, was also a descendant of the ancient celestial artisans of the Moon Palace. However, Hu Feng’s bloodline was purer, like the difference between嫡 (dí) and 庶 (shù) within later generations’ clans. (dí: legitimate, born of the principal wife; shù: illegitimate, born of concubines).

Lu Chen quickly walked back to the fire pit and sat down. If he didn’t go back, Lin Zhengcheng would have finished all the sweet potatoes. He picked up the last piece, gently brushed off the ashes, blew on it hard, and asked with a mischievous smile, “Brother Lin, I am, after all, a Third Master of the White Jade Capital. In the Azure Vault Heaven, I walk sideways, and nobody dares to breathe loudly in my presence. Now that you have no backer, how dare you speak to me so harshly? What gives you the right?”

Lin Zhengcheng said calmly, “A clear conscience fears no midnight knock.”

Lu Chen lamented, “Meeting a fellow townsman in a foreign land should bring tears to one’s eyes. Why are you scolding me again, Brother Lin?”

Lin Zhengcheng asked directly, “When will Headmaster Lu return home?”

Lu Chen complained, “Those words wound my feelings. Don’t forget, we are townsmen.”

Lin Zhengcheng was utterly insincere, “Oh, if Headmaster Lu hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten.”

Lu Chen laughed in anger, “Even if others don’t know, how can you, a palace eunuch, not know? I practically risked my life, accompanying Chen Ping An on a journey to the Barbaric World, establishing merit and fame, catching the attention of the world.”

Lin Zhengcheng nodded, “Precisely because I know this, I’m willing to waste so much time talking nonsense with Headmaster Lu tonight. Otherwise, I would have already issued an eviction order.”

Lu Chen raised his hands, struck a posture of gathering Qi at his dantian, and muttered to himself, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Not worth it, not worth it.”

Lin Zhengcheng hesitated for a moment, cupped his fist, and said in a deep voice, “Just this one matter, done very un-Lu Chen. I admire you. You’re a real man.”

Isn’t that still scolding me?

But Lu Chen immediately smiled brightly, “You should have said such heartwarming words earlier, Brother Lin! Perhaps I would have even been willing to protect my nephew, Lin Shouyi, during his breakthrough! Ascending from the Nascent Soul realm to the Jade Purity realm is nothing big.”

“If Headmaster Lu is willing to change his surname, I can add a name to the family tree next time we update it, placing it on the first page, no problem. Anyway, when offering incense at the ancestral hall, it’s always nine sticks.”

“Brother Lin, it’s no fun if you chat like this. I have a temper too, and when I get fierce, I don’t recognize my own family.”

“Then, shall I change my surname?”

“Brother Lin, please have some self-respect!”

Seeing that Brother Lin was starting to play dumb again, Lu Chen had to take the initiative, “It’s just a matter of these few days. The Confucian Temple issued an eviction order even earlier than you, Brother Lin. I must leave the Vast Bright World by the end of this year. Once spring arrives, the gates will be closed to me. In the end, they’re just reluctant to see me go. I really can’t think of a second reason.”

Lin Zhengcheng said, “I heard the Second Master just took in a disciple.”

Lu Chen was surprised, “How did I not know about this?”

Alas, this Senior Brother Yu, what’s going on? He didn’t even say hello to me, his junior brother.

Allow me to calculate with my fingers. Oh, coincidentally, his surname is Yang, with the nickname Little Celestial Sovereign, and he’s also a fellow townsman from our Vast Bright World. He was already a member of the Daoist sect. Senior Brother is not bad, learning from our master, taking in a foreigner as a disciple?

But the problem is, how can this Yang Ningxing from the Northern Ju Lu Continent compare to me? The young man is, at best, a second “Elegant Minister” Yao Qing.

Fortunately, he’s not Senior Brother Yu’s closed-door disciple, or else I would definitely stop it.

Lu Chen stood up, shook his sleeves, “Once everything is revealed, it seems to have little meaning.”

Just like when Chen Ping An temporarily borrowed his Daoist magic, he couldn’t help but feel moved. Once one’s realm is high, the world becomes small.

In fact, this is a common feeling shared by all Ascended Realm and Fourteenth Realm grand cultivators.

The ways of the world and the hearts of people, mountains upon mountains, seem to be all the same, as if carved from the same mold.

Lu Chen didn’t dare to go to the Western Buddha Country anymore. He couldn’t go to the Barbaric World for now. Besides Bai Ze, who returned to the Barbaric World, there was also one existence that was as old as the Barbaric World.

Named “Qu Jun”. Born in the lands of the barbarians, in the great wilderness.

Similar to that little girl in the Colorful World, as many years as Jia Chun has reigned, that is how old she is.

Of course, she has the same Daoist foundation as the old fisherman who was unwilling to pole the boat for the Sage and his companions across the river back in the Vast Bright World.

As for the Azure Vault Heaven and the Western Buddha Country, they naturally have similar existences. Back then, Lu Chen had that famous saying “Heaven and earth were born with me, and all things are one with me” precisely because he knew the inside story of this matter.

Before the three Daoist Patriarchs scattered their Dao, they would definitely meet with their “Dao Friends” each.

Dare to ask where is the Mind Fasting? Only Dao gathers emptiness. Bathe the spirit and wash away impurities, empty the heart, and the ultimate Dao will gather in one’s embrace.

Do not seek outwards, but seek blessings from within. Thinking again is wisdom.

As Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous, so must a gentleman strive for self-improvement. As Earth’s condition is receptive devotion, so must a gentleman carry the outer world with breadth of the soul. Therefore, the gentleman is circumspect when alone, reveres ghosts and spirits, and keeps them at a distance.
Lin Zhengcheng stood up, “I won’t see you out.”

Lu Chen smiled and said, “Compared to the broken porcelain shards of old Porcelain Mountain, even more inconspicuous, it seems, are those saggars.”

Those saggars.

They were like the disseminators of those exquisite porcelains, and also like the guardians who silently departed after escorting the mountain and water for a journey.

In Lu Chen’s view, the true saggars in the world were probably the parents of all children.

Lin Zhengcheng suddenly asked, “That locust wood sword Chen Ping’an took from the small town, the first time he traveled to the Sword Qi Great Wall, seemed to have been given to the Old Sword Immortal, but it was never returned. Is it related to the sacrificial official of the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

Lu Chen curled his lip, “This poor Daoist was no longer in the small town then. Besides, this matter is obviously Qi Jingchun’s doing, how can I guess?”

Lu Chen also asked a question, “At the doorway of the Imperial Kiln Supervising Office’s warehouse now, do they still change the Spring Festival couplets every year as a rule?”

Lin Zhengcheng shook his head and said, “They haven’t been changed for many years. It’s the National Preceptor’s intention.”

In the past, the Imperial Kiln Supervising Office had a heavily guarded warehouse, responsible for storing all kinds of imperial porcelain that were fired, and after inspection and confirmation, they would be secretly sent to the capital on a regular basis.

During the years when Lu Chen set up a street stall, he secretly went there a few times.

The inside was filled with porcelain, a dazzling array, a feast for the eyes.

But Lu Chen didn’t go there for the scenery. Every time he arrived there, he would take out a small stool and sit down, close his eyes, and listen attentively.

Listening to the subtle sounds of the crackle glaze porcelain opening, like a string of wind chimes, therefore, it was called a “startling wind” by the master craftsmen, tinkling and ringing, like celestial music.

And on the door of the warehouse hung a pair of楹聯 (楹聯, Yinglian, couplets), as a rule, written by the reigning Sage, used to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. If a Taoist Sage was stationed within a Jiazi (sixty-year cycle), they would also use peach wood taken from Peach Leaf Lane as the base for the Spring Festival couplets, taking advantage of the local materials.

Lu Chen remembered that the last time he went to the warehouse, a Spring Festival couplet written last year was hanging outside.

In the sound of reading, the weather is favorable, everything is more than blessed.

On the road to peace, the country is prosperous and the people are safe, welcoming the new spring every year.

Lu Chen’s figure flashed and disappeared, leaving the Hongzhou Logging Yard, and in an instant came to the stone arch bridge of the old small town. Walking along the water in the night, the young Daoist came to the azure cliff, alone, raising his head to look at the sky.

Watching the Milky Way in the countryside, contending for the Great Dao on the snail’s horn.

Old friends should laugh at me, dreaming within a dream, seeing a body outside the body.