A Wind Kite ferry sailed south towards Tongye Continent.

Midway, it docked at Peach Leaf Wharf outside Mirage City.

Song Yushao, still in his familiar attire of a blue gown, long coat, and cloth shoes, boarded the ferry alone. As per the agreement with the Great Spring Dynasty, the ferry would help transport a batch of supplies to Bicheng Wharf, belonging to the Jade Decree Sect, and the Qu Mountain Wharf at the southernmost tip of the continent, for sale.

Han Guanghu and Jian Ming were nowhere to be seen. Mi Yu wore a playful expression, while Zhou Mili hung over the railing, gently swinging her legs. She was quite disappointed, still unable to catch a glimpse of that Great Spring Emperor, whom Pei Qian had described in her childhood as being as beautiful as a flower. Pei Qian had even insisted back then that the fair-skinned sister named Yao Jinzhi looked at their teacher with eyes full of, hehe, drama!

Once the goods were all loaded onto the ferry, the Wind Kite continued south. Chen Pingan shared a few drinks with Senior Song. Song Yushao mentioned that the Prefect was currently swamped, barely able to free himself, because the Han Grandmaster’s willingness to serve as the Great Spring’s National Preceptor had caused a nationwide sensation.

As he drank, Song Yushao discussed some matters of the Great Spring court in Mirage City, saying, “The Grand Canal project is far too grand, requiring legitimacy. There’s one thing that’s unavoidable; have you thought about how to discuss it with those academies?”

It meant obtaining permission from the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the opinions of the three academies on Tongye Continent. He needed to connect with the academies beforehand, to sound them out, in order to avoid unnecessary complications.

Chen Pingan nodded. “The Imperial Ancestral Temple issue will be settled by my teacher. As for the three academies on Tongye Continent, including Heavenly Eye, Great Hidden, and Five Streams, I’ll disembark from the ferry one by one on my way back north from Qu Mountain Wharf. I have the greatest confidence with the Great Hidden Academy in the central region. I’m acquainted with the Headmaster, Cheng Longzhou. As for Headmaster Zhou of Five Streams Academy, I don’t foresee any major issues. I’m friends with the Deputy Headmaster, Wang Zai, who can certainly help mediate. The biggest problem is still Heavenly Eye Academy. Headmaster Fan, who hails from the lineage of the Quasi-Sage, is rigorous in his scholarship and acts cautiously, which means he’s relatively conservative in his actions. The key is the current Deputy Headmaster, the gentleman Wen Yu. This man is extremely talented and possesses even greater courage. He hasn’t been at the academy for long, but he’s already adopted a stance of managing everything, from the academy affairs on the mountain to the imperial court matters outside. If anyone disagrees, they can seek him, Wen Yu, since he’s in charge of everything.”

Song Yushao chuckled. “Even I’ve heard of this upright gentleman, which shows just how famous Wen Yu is.”

Wen Yu wasn’t a native of Tongye Continent. He once presided over a local war on the Southern Suo Continent battlefield, where he effectively schemed to death a celestial realm demon race who was in charge of a certain military tent.

Chen Pingan said with a straight face, “No matter how famous Headmaster Wen is, he’s still slightly less renowned than me.”

If he hadn’t made this return trip with Xiao Mo, Chen Pingan had intended to entrust these academy liaison matters to Cultivator Zhong.

Scholars are easier to talk to with other scholars.

Song Yushao couldn’t help but laugh. “What’s the point of bragging to me? If you have the guts, go tell that Headmaster Wen to his face when you meet him.”

Chen Pingan raised his wine bowl and smiled. “I’m not an idiot. It’s too foolish and not at all like an experienced veteran of the pugilistic world to slap someone’s face upon meeting them.”

Three academies on the continent: Great Hidden, Heavenly Eye, and Five Streams. The north and south of Tongye Continent: the two largest existing sects, the now thriving Jade Decree Sect and the struggling Tongye Sect. If you add the Azure Willow Sword Sect, it would be a one-to-one match for the three academies.

Since it’s said that everything is difficult at the beginning, with Headmasters Zhou Mi and Wang Zai, one primary and one secondary, at the southern Five Streams Academy, hopefully, it will be a good start.

Song Yushao hesitated, then chuckled and drank his wine.

In Mirage City, there were many rumors. According to some well-circulated gossip, even the matter of Grandmaster Han serving as National Preceptor had become a means of trying to conceal something.

In the city streets of the capital and at Peach Leaf Wharf, most people were convinced that it was the result of someone’s strong recommendation. Otherwise, how could Grandmaster Han have come to Mirage City? From this, it seemed that the young Hidden Officer was so concerned about their Great Spring Dynasty that he was willing to go to such lengths to help the Yao family.

Chen Pingan asked in confusion, “Senior Song, did you hear any interesting stories or see any strange events in Mirage City that made you so happy?”

Song Yushao smiled. “It’s nothing extraordinary, just some love affairs that I overheard. I don’t know if they’re true or not. Anyway, I, a martial artist who’s not even in the Golden Body Realm, am treated with great respect in the Yao residence.”

Chen Pingan forced a smile. “Let’s drink, let’s drink.”

In the Great Spring Dynasty, the Water God Temple by the Buried River was thriving with incense offerings.

In front of the rain-prayer stele stood a woman in a simple linen dress and a bramble hairpin, with a palm-leaf fan hanging from her waist.

At the woman’s feet crouched a young girl who looked like a river spirit, not finding anything interesting about the inscription on the stele.

This pair of newly-minted master and disciple tourists, were none other than Yang Zhi and Gan Zhou, who had crossed the sea from the Central Earth Divine Continent to travel to Tongye Continent. Now, Gan Zhou, the River Grandmother, was officially Yang Zhi’s disciple.

Yang Zhi’s current identity on the Landscape Register was Jing Xing, with the Daoist name “High Mountain”, a honorary guest of the Xiangfei Mountain God Temple in a small country within the Central Earth Divine Continent.

As for that high-grade dharma robe, Yang Zhi had used an illusion technique to make it appear to be worn by her disciple Gan Zhou. It was being used to temper the latter’s River Grandmother’s Golden Body. This in itself was a rare opportunity for cultivation, and breaking through realms was bound to be like splitting bamboo.

After all, this was one of the top ten dharma robes in several worlds.

Yang Zhi asked softly, “Do you still feel unsteady when wearing it?”

The girl looked up and smiled. “Much better, Master.”

Yang Zhi nodded. “When you no longer feel like you’re dragging your feet when you walk, you’ll have achieved great success.”

Gan Zhou said playfully, “Master, I’ll return it to you then. Don’t refuse to accept it.”

Yang Zhi chuckled. “I never intended to give it to you. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Gan Zhou laughed heartily. “I thought Master would give it to me, and I would politely decline two or three times, and then finally return it to Master, so that our relationship as master and disciple would become even stronger.”

Yang Zhi smiled. Picking up a treasure as a disciple made the long journey less dull.

Gan Zhou crouched on the ground, tugged at the collar of the dharma robe, and asked, “Master, this robe must be worth a lot, right?”
The cultivator’s robes, worn on the spirits of mountains and rivers, actually equate to tempering a golden body! Truly unheard of. However, Gan Zhou felt she lacked experience. This long journey with her master, crossing continents, was a first for her.

Yang Zhi nodded and said, “A dharma robe of equivalent rank is indeed rare.”

In the ancient times of ten thousand years ago, that great demon who always appeared as a youth possessed two such robes. After he and Bai Jing, along with other great demons, disappeared, these two treasures of the mountain scattered within two sects of the desolate lands. Yang Zhi wasn’t without envy, but dared not act rashly. Besides, the feather garment granted by the Dao Ancestor to Yu Dou, the elegant minister Yao Qing of the Green Mountain Dynasty in Bing Province, also possessed one of similar rank. Gao Gu, of the Huayang Palace of Difu Mountain in You Province, known by the Daoist title “Giant Mountain,” also had one. On the side of the Radiant World, there was Yu Xuan’s “Purple Qi” of talismans, plus the “Dao Vein” on the current Celestial Master Zhao Tianlai of Dragon Tiger Mountain… Hence the saying, “Of the best dharma robes in the world, the Daoist sects hold half.”

Yang Zhi planned to first travel to the Buried River of Great Spring, then to the Phosphorus River, and the Pei River near Pu Mountain.

The Buried River and Pei River beside her, winding into the sea, were like a cultivator’s innate aptitude, limited by nature. Without human intervention, they would never possess the “qualities” of a great river. A cultivator with only mid-five realms potential would only be able to reach the upper-five realms through sheer luck and fortuitous encounters.

Yang Zhi suddenly turned her head, looking towards the northern sky, towards a sea of clouds, from around the Peach Leaf Ferry of Mirage City, a ferry was slowly descending.

Yang Zhi immediately retracted her gaze, not daring to casually look too much, because she feared that upon the ferry was a swordsman with whom she’d been at odds for ten thousand years. The meeting of enemies was a particularly unpleasant occasion.

With a soft sigh, Yang Zhi twitched her lips. In truth, her greatest concern was still Bai Jing. Her feud with the previous swordsman was merely a contest of wills, not a battle over the great Dao involving life and death. But Bai Jing had coveted a certain inheritance of hers for many years. In fact, the reason Yang Zhi had been “flirting” with the Mountain-Moving Ancestor, whose true name was Zhu Yan, was a desperate alliance for self-preservation, hoping to avoid being challenged to a sword fight by Bai Jing and having him wantonly disrupt the Yiluo River.

Bai Jing was definitely not dead. If anyone wouldn’t die, it was that extremely troublesome, hauntingly persistent fellow.

Could it be said that being in the Radiant World, far from the wilderness, was actually a blessing in disguise?

Inside the Biyou Palace near the Buried River Shrine.

The Buried River Water Goddess was personally hosting a guest, one of her own kind commonly referred to as the “Eastern Sea Matron.” Anyway, they were both water goddesses. Even though their shrines were far apart, one east and one west, Liu Rou was very welcoming, as the other party had taken the initiative to visit. This Kou Xuanqu, the water goddess of the source of the Pei River, had come with a request. Easy to discuss, she simply wished to “walk the water” at the Buried River – a small matter.

As the water goddess of the Pei River, and of aquatic descent from a Jiao dragon lineage, Kou Xuanqu naturally couldn’t “walk the water” in her own Pei River. So, Huang Yi Yun of Pu Mountain, a neighbor and friend, had helped Kou Xuanqu connect with the Great Spring Empress. Yao Xianzhi had then inquired with the Biyou Palace of the Buried River, and Liu Rou had already given her answer: simply two words, welcome.

Thus, the matter of Kou Xuanqu coming to the Buried River to “walk the water” was settled.

The only minor drawback was that Kou Xuanqu seemed to have heard of Biyou Palace’s way of entertaining guests. Upon meeting, she immediately said she wasn’t hungry, nor did she enjoy drinking; tea would suffice.

Today, Kou Xuanqu personally brewed tea, cloud and mist tea produced from the Pei River.

Liu Rou drank the tea, politely saying, “This tea is delicious, delicious indeed.”

Only it tasted a bit bland, almost like drinking water. No matter, drinking one’s fill of water was also a form of satiety.

Liu Rou was pondering how to craft a suitable opening to inquire about something she had long been curious about. Rumors and hearsay were never as reliable as the answer given by the person involved.

The source and end of that Pei River each worshipped the Eastern Sea Matron and Green Flood Sovereign, both being unorthodox shrines not officially recognized by the local court. Adding to that Kou Xuanqu’s Da Dao origins, she could enhance her cultivation realm through “walking the water.” And the most interesting thing was that the water goddess shrines in both places simultaneously housed two divine statues, just like a Land God temple worshiping both the Land God and Land Goddess.

But these were secrets involving privacy, and no matter how curious Liu Rou was, she couldn’t just bluntly ask.

So, after holding back for a long time, Liu Rou finally managed to squeeze out a question that she considered appropriate, “Did that Green Flood Sovereign, whose shrine is located at the mouth of the Pei River, not come along?”

Kou Xuanqu shook her head and smiled, “He didn’t. It is not easy for water gods to leave their territory, especially since that Green Flood Sovereign doesn’t have the status of a true water god.”

Liu Rou said “Oh.” According to the records and embellishments of those strange and ethereal novels, this “Eastern Sea Matron” who had no home to return to was actually born as a dragon princess from the Eastern Sea. As a water goddess, Liu Rou saw through this claim at first glance upon meeting Kou Xuanqu. This was more like it. Did they really think the Dragon Slaying Battle was nothing? Liu Rou secretly took out a book, coughed, and put it on the table in a pretense, having carefully considered it, she resorted to the clumsiest excuse, saying, “Xuanqu, books always like to make up stories, spread rumors, right?”

Kou Xuanqu glanced at the book title, understanding what was happening, and smiled, “Half true and half false. I have also read this book. It says that I am a dragon princess from a dragon palace in the Eastern Sea waters, fond of writing and inking, transforming into the daughter of a wealthy family, often taking a boat through the Pei River with a personal maid to travel inland, asking scholars to help transcribe scriptures and poems. It is not completely fabricated, because there were indeed such things, only that the young lady deliberately had me dress up as her, and then she would pretend to be the maid.”
Willow Rou’s eyes sparkled with excitement, “So, you’re saying a mountain deity of the Five Peaks was captivated by your beauty, and ordered his beloved general, Green Flood Lord, to capsize the pleasure boat, blocking your path? As a result, you were mistakenly abducted and taken back to his lair, hidden away in a golden cage at the source of the Pei River, where he built you a waterside mansion? And whenever you miss home, your tears cause the Pei River to flood? If that’s the case, this mountain deity is truly despicable! Don’t worry, I’ll ask a certain ‘Little Master’ to help you get justice. This Little Master is no ordinary man; with his intervention, you’ll surely be set free… Ah? It’s not that dramatic? Is it like the other version told by the mountain immortals of Tongye Continent? The one where your mistress eloped with the Green Flood Lord, whom she’d had her eye on for a while, and the mountain deity, a benevolent matchmaker, helped them along? So, you were just a decoy, a smokescreen for your mistress’s secret escape? That sounds romantic and touching indeed!”

Kou Xuanqu looked helpless, hesitant to deceive the River God of Buried River. She carefully chose the parts she could reveal, “In this story, there are no romantic entanglements with either the Green Flood Lord or the kind-hearted mountain deity.”

Willow Rou was greatly disappointed, reluctantly putting down the book on the table, murmuring, “These scholars are dishonest, especially the writers; they’re masters of deception.”

Kou Xuanqu smiled softly.

Willow Rou laughed heartily, “Enough of this fruitless talk. Let’s raise a glass to friendship; I’ll drain mine, you take your time… Ha, it’s tea, but it’s the same spirit!”

A place where the Buried River meets the sea.

A group of figures emerged from the water and stepped onto the shore. Leading them was none other than Zhu, the Water Lord of the Eastern Sea, a True Dragon King.

He was accompanied by a retinue of four guards from the Water Palace: Li Ba, Huang Man, Gong Yan, and Xi Man.

They had just completed another escort mission for the Water Lord Zhu, and took a break from their busy schedule to visit a newly established dynasty with the reign name “Divine Dragon”.

Each of them held a noteworthy position; it was a rare occurrence for them to be colleagues.

Huang Man, the Jade Taoist, was a ghost cultivator in the Immortal Realm, skilled in literal wind-calling and rain-summoning, but held a grudge against Zhang Tiaoxia, once the top martial artist of Haoran.

Li Ba, bearing the Daoist name Quenching Palm, was an old cultivator from Golden Armor Continent and a close friend of the late Wan Yan Lao Jing, a state preceptor of a fallen dynasty, once in charge of the Green Chapter Daoist Academy, a position similar to Yang Qingkong, the state preceptor of the Chongxuan Bureau in the Great Source Dynasty of Northern Ju Continent.

Xi Man was a ninth-realm martial artist, a native of Flowing Dusk Continent, a land dragon who showed promise of reaching the End Realm.

The beautiful woman, known as Gong Yan, or affectionately as A’wu, was a local cultivator from Floating Cloud Continent. Her sect suffered heavy losses in the war, with the ancestral hall and mountain peaks destroyed. Gong Yan lacked the ambition or ability to revive the sect. She was good at making money, but not at leading a sect. So, in recent years, she had secretly supported the ambitious younger generation of her sect, and at most, she would ask Water Lord Zhu for help if they encountered trouble, hoping to use the Eastern Sea Palace’s reputation to overcome difficulties.

Gong Yan had maintained contact with the female sword cultivator surnamed Nalan over the years. The latter had once claimed to be from the Water Crystal Palace of Upside-down Mountain, and was now reportedly the new sect master of the Rain Dragon Sect, having ousted Yun Qian, a gentle Jade Purity Realm cultivator who had been relegated to the position of Law-Enforcement Ancestor.

This new sect master of the Rain Dragon Sect, a sword cultivator, had earned a fortune with Gong Yan in the Grotto-heavens, so out of gratitude, she had recently invited Gong Yan to serve as the chief offering or an honorary guest elder. Gong Yan had not directly rejected the offer, opting for a delaying tactic.

Zhu opened his mouth and said, “Besides visiting the Yu Clan Dynasty, which has changed its reign name, we are also going to meet someone. No need to wait or search; they will come to us.”

Gong Yan chuckled coquettishly, “As long as it’s not that infamous young Hidden Official, anyone else is fine.”

Apart from Chen Pingan, this group feared no one. What was a mere Ascendant Realm cultivator? Wasn’t their Eastern Sea Water Lord an Ascendant Realm himself? Who would dare to speak harshly?

Speaking of this, Gong Yan cautiously glanced at Zhu’s face. He didn’t show any reaction to the title of Hidden Official, ignoring it completely.

Gong Yan turned her gaze to a pitiful-looking little fellow.

At the back of the group was a youth, given the name Wang Qiongju by her, responsible for carrying the luggage.

The youth’s forehead was slightly prominent. He had only recently succeeded in shaping his body, mostly due to starvation, never having had enough to eat.

After being with Zhu for so many years, and achieving minor success in cultivation, he had barely become presentable. He was then given the surname Wang, the name Qiongju, the courtesy name Yusha, and the Daoist name Hansu.

He was none other than the four-legged snake from Mud Bottle Lane, the one that Song Jixin often threw next door, and then Zhi Gui would trample on when it returned home.

At this moment, Wang Qiongju had a well-worn purple gourd slung across his back, an ancient artifact salvaged from the sea by its master, with the ancient seal characters “Capture and Release” inscribed on it.

Sensing Gong Yan’s gaze, the youth smiled shyly.

Gong Yan was even more curious about that palm-sized town. She truly wanted to visit it personally someday.

According to the agreement with Zhu, once the mission of the Haoran water gods was completely over, they could dissolve their contracts with the Water Palace. Zhu would leave it up to them whether they wanted to stay or leave.

Li Ba and Xi Man planned to go to the Dali secondary capital in Treasure Bottle Continent together, to join the service of the Prince Song Mu. One was a former state preceptor, and the other was a land dragon; both wanted to try their luck and become ministers of the new dynasty.

As for the Jade Taoist Huang Man and Gong Yan, one had a special identity as a ghost immortal and shouldn’t show his face, while Gong Yan was lazy and didn’t care about anything except making money.

So, Huang Man planned to stay with Zhu and slowly accumulate merit through hard work, then find a stable territory to establish a sect. Whether it was truly a sect or not was of no importance to Huang Man.

Gong Yan couldn’t help but ask, “Zhu, is that small county town really that unfathomable?”

Here, Zhu had requested that they not use any honorifics and just call him by his name.

Zhu nodded, saying calmly, “The higher your cultivation level, the less you should wander around there.”
Gong Yan chuckled, “We’re all relatively worldly people here…”

Wang Zhu sneered, “Worldly? How worldly? How many Ascensions and Fourteenth Realms have you seen standing right before you?”

Beside the road, a flash of white appeared from nowhere.

It was a person holding something in hand, striking a crane stance, raising a demon-revealing mirror high, and aiming it at the beautiful woman, shaking it around. “Halt! Where do you think you’re going, demon spirit? Show your true form!”

Again!

The same witless youth in white robes. The worst part was that today, even his stance and words were exactly the same.

On the Wind Kite Ferry, Chen Ping An was once again accompanying Song Yushao for drinks and casual conversation. Mi Yu knocked on the door and said with a smile, “Wang Zai is on his way, accompanied by a Confucian scholar wearing the same jade pendant, likely a gentleman as well.”

Song Yushao waved his hand, “You go ahead, I won’t join the fun.”

Chen Ping An stood up and followed Mi Yu to the bow of the boat to welcome the two distinguished guests from the academy who had taken the initiative to seek out the Wind Kite Ferry.

Chen Ping An took the lead in bowing, “Brother Mingqi, it’s been many years.”

Wang Zai, courtesy name Mingqi, who was initially planning on offering a casual fist-and-palm salute, had no choice but to switch to a proper bow in return. “Greetings, Hidden Official Chen.”

The two were indeed old acquaintances, having met at the Sword Qi Great Wall, where Wang Zai became the only Confucian scholar from the academy to possess a liquor shop’s “no interference” plaque.

His friend Wen Yu, likewise, took the initiative to bow. “Wen Yu of Heavenly Eye Academy greets Mister Chen.”

Zhou Mi, the Headmaster of Five Streams Academy, who shared the same name as Wen Hai’s Zhou Mi and was often ridiculed by cultivators for it, previously served as the Headmaster of Fish Hawk Academy in the Northern Continent. Had it not been for his terrible temper—openly declaring that he would kill any hidden demon cultivator of the Barbarian Tribes he encountered, and even leaving the academy to participate in searches, personally slaying several demon tribesmen, which resulted in him being sent to the Hall of Merit for confinement—he might have been promoted to a Scribe of some academy.

Of the Confucian seventy-two academies, each had a principal and two deputies. The deputy headmasters each had their own division of labor, one focused on theory, the other on practical affairs. Wen Yu was the one responsible for all “general affairs.” Considering that, according to the decisions made by the Confucian Temple Council, the Ministers of Rites of the various dynasties beneath the mountains would all have to be graduates of Confucian academies in twenty years, this meant that deputy headmasters like Wen Yu were practically the uncrowned emperors of the kingdoms.

Chen Ping An smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, “I have long heard of Headmaster Wen’s esteemed name. A pleasure to meet you.”

Wang Zai said helplessly, “Chen Ping An, aren’t we friends?”

Chen Ping An said, “Back then, we parted ways with much regret, wishing each other well. In the end, Brother Mingqi, upon returning to the Great Zenith, was unable to strategize and take down a single immortal demon cultivator.”

Wang Zai was momentarily speechless. Chen Ping An seized his arm and said with a smile, “Whether you’re here to question me on behalf of the academy, or merely to catch up as old friends and exchange pleasantries, let’s drink first.”

The group arrived at Mi Yu’s room, and Mi Yu was about to close the door and leave.

Unexpectedly, Wen Yu clasped his hands and said with a smile, “I implore Sword Immortal Mi to stay and drink with us.”

Mi Yu was bewildered. You’re not one of those women who went to the Sword Qi Great Wall, so what reason could you have to keep me here?

Chen Ping An chuckled, “Then let’s all drink together.”

Mi Yu immediately felt uneasy. He was about to be exposed. What if Wen Yu had some related immortal from the mountains, wouldn’t that ruin Hidden Official’s plans? This wasn’t a place to linger. Mi Yu forced a smile and said, “I still need to seclude myself to practice swordsmanship. I won’t keep you company.”

Wen Yu said, “On the battlefield, I personally interrogated several demon cultivators, and some of them mentioned Sword Immortal Mi, grinding their teeth with extreme hatred.”

Mi Yu breathed a sigh of relief. So that’s what it was. Being missed by a Great Zenith woman and being hated by a Barbarian Tribes beast were both great joys in life.

With that, Mi Yu straightened his back and waved his hand. “You guys chat. Headmaster Wen and I will have plenty of opportunities to drink in the future.”

Wen Yu nodded with a smile. “Then it’s settled. Next time the Wind Kite Ferry passes by Heavenly Eye Academy, I will prepare the wine early and await Sword Immortal Mi’s arrival.”

Wang Zai was really favoring outsiders. He communicated with Chen Ping An in a whisper, “See? This guy and Mi Yu hit it off without even meeting. It’s the real deal, because they’re both ruthless people.”

Chen Ping An replied with a smile, “Wen Yu brought you along this time, first because of the Little Dragon Pool affair in the north, and then because of your unauthorized suggestion to dig the Grand Canal, intending to punish you for both offenses? But the Heavenly Eye Academy is afraid that I’ll flip the table, causing Green Willow Sword Sect and Heavenly Eye Academy to fall out, so Headmaster Fan sent you to mediate and be a peacemaker?”

Wang Zai smiled, “That would be underestimating Wen Yu. Actually, before coming to Tóngyè Continent, Wen Yu already had the idea of digging a Grand Canal to relieve refugees and gather the hearts of the people of Tóngyè Continent. Wouldn’t you say that great minds think alike?”

Chen Ping An was slightly surprised.

Since that was the case, there was no need to hide anything. Since they were all on the same side, Chen Ping An simply had the two deputy headmasters pick up wine bowls from the table. From his sleeve, he produced a scroll and unfurled the long landscape painting on the table. Because the painting was extremely long, its ends nearly touched the windows and doors of the room. Chen Ping An then cast a small spell, like a pillar supporting a house, holding up the suspended painting. He placed the wine bowl in the air beside his hand, like a white fish floating in water. Without saying a word, Chen Ping An began to meticulously explain his proposed route for the Grand Canal, extending his finger and slowly tracing a turquoise canal path on the painting, passing through certain countries and regions, where diversions were needed, where a riverbed needed to be carved out, where mountains needed to be moved, which cities and towns might become submerged underwater, how to subsidize the people, how to calculate the approximate amount of money distributed to each person, how the local governments and national Ministries of Revenue should report and file records with Green Willow Sword Sect and Jade Tablet Sect, and how the latter would verify the matter, and how to deal with officials who dared to embezzle funds…
When Chen Ping’an discussed the proposed handling of those officials, Wen Yu finally spoke, “The punishment is too lenient. They should be directly demoted to the status of the lowly, and their descendants should be barred from the imperial examinations for three generations. In their hometowns, the imperial court should decree that local governments erect stone steles as a warning to future generations. Let them know that anyone who dares to embezzle silver in such matters, even a single tael, will face this consequence. No discussion. Any Ministry of Revenue official who dares to shield them will be stripped of their official rank, reduced to the lowly, and have a stele erected in their hometown. I want to see how they can return home in glory then! If any emperor feels compassionate and unwilling to lose these supposed pillars of the state, I, Wen Yu, will personally reason with him. If he refuses to listen, we’ll just install a more amenable sovereign on the throne.”

Chen Ping’an raised his head to look at the Vice-Principal of Tianmu Academy.

Wen Yu nodded and said, “Rest assured, although I am only a Vice-Principal, my words are equivalent to the will of Tianmu Academy. With our academy taking the lead, Ming Qi’s Five Streams Academy and Cheng Longzhou’s Great Fu Academy will have no face not to follow suit.”

Wang Zai nodded in agreement.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Then let’s do it this way.”

Wen Yu smiled slightly and said, “Mr. Chen, perhaps you haven’t interacted much with academies, but academies are neither the officialdom nor immortal sects. I hope you’ll have the opportunity to visit more often in the future. Our Tianmu Academy, for example, believes me when I say I’m not just making empty promises today.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “It seems I will need to interact more with the academies in the future.”

Wen Yu asked directly, “Mr. Chen, after discussing all this, have you considered how your Azure Ripple Sword Sect will make money?”

Wang Zai stared at the paintings on the table. Besides the earliest “Great Ditch” map, there were nearly a hundred overlaid maps of various countries. Chen Ping’an would produce a map whenever he mentioned a place. Wang Zai shook his head and said, “How to make money? It’s not easy at all; not losing money would already be difficult enough. Just the task of moving mountains and filling rivers alone requires immense manpower and resources. Without the help of two or three Ascension Realm grand cultivators, it would all have to be paid for with mountains of gold to form the riverbed.”

The great rivers of each continent were mostly naturally formed waterways. Only a few times in thousands of years had entirely new rivers been dug by human labor, and these were extremely rare.

The most recent instance was Qi Du in Treasure Bottle Continent, which was also the Great Li Dynasty, a nation that was also a continent. They completed this feat with the strength of the entire country, and at any cost.

But the great river in Tongye Continent was a matter of allied forces working together, which meant that all the allies, including the Azure Ripple Sword Sect, had no past experiences of success or failure to learn from. Each faction needed to feel their way forward. In the future, encountering thorny problems or someone feeling unfairly treated, causing former allies to turn against each other, was not impossible.

So Chen Ping’an mentioned the Tender Daoist and Yang Zhi.

Wang Zai’s heart trembled, but his face showed no outward signs.

Wen Yu asked directly, “Yang Zhi? How did it leave the forbidden ground?”

Chen Ping’an said, “It was tricked out.”

Wen Yu looked at this young Hidden Official with bright eyes.

Chen Ping’an shook his head.

Wen Yu nodded, “No rush.”

It was as if two people who had never met before understood each other perfectly without needing to explain in detail.

Wang Zai rubbed his brow with his fingers, feeling a headache.

Whenever these two got together, he felt that he, the Vice-Principal of Five Streams Academy, had to act cautiously, lest one day he would have to accompany Wen Yu to the Hall of Merit to study.

Chen Ping’an continued, “Firstly, the Azure Ripple Sword Sect, Mount Taiping, and Mount Pu can each select three to five subordinate territories as exclaves to manage for the long term. Of course, these would be the kind of chicken-rib lands that the various national governments are temporarily unable to repair or develop into immortal abodes – not places with scarce spiritual energy, but also not prime locations that everyone is fighting over. Secondly, building immortal docks, inns, and shops along the way is also a long-term business that yields a steady stream of profit. Thirdly, all the natural treasures, including gold, silver, copper, iron, and other mines, discovered during the digging of the great river, as long as they have not been discovered historically by the various countries, can be negotiated with the local dynasties and territories for profit-sharing. In addition, things like river redirection, during which various immortal abode ruins are exposed, as well as traces of broken secret realms accidentally discovered, and even the discovery of old land dragon palace sites, are all possible if we are lucky. These later discoveries will not be traded with the various countries. Finally, once the great river is completed, all the immortal docks along the way will need to give priority to our ferry boats docking, without charging any tolls or rent. The ‘Tung Tree Shade Ferry’ from Green Shirt Ferry in Immortal Capital Mountain is an example of this. However, our Wind Kite ferry, like all trans-continental ferries, will still need to pay the holders of each dock a sum of immortal money according to the previous rules on the mountain.”

With the creation of the great river, a complete trade route would be opened horizontally in Tongye Continent, and the “Tung Tree Shade Ferry” of Green Shirt Ferry would immediately have a use.

“These are inherently mutually beneficial things and belong to long-term businesses, so the countries in the central region must be eager to get in on them.”

Wen Yu pulled out the lowest long scroll, placed it on top, took a sip of wine, and leaned on the table, asking, “But with a great river, how will you divide the additional seats for mountain and water spirits? Presumably, the Eastern Sea Matron and Green Flood Lord near Mount Pu, who have never been officially recognized, will naturally be able to join the ranks of water gods officially recognized by the academies. So, have you few leading figures already internally divided the three to four high-ranking water gods of dukes, marquises, and earls that a great river is equipped with? Of course, on the surface, you only have the power to recommend, but surely the Confucian Temple and the three academies wouldn’t be too difficult. As long as the candidates are suitable, they might just tacitly approve them.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Regarding this matter, there has indeed been some discussion, but the Azure Ripple Sword Sect has already voluntarily given up this right of recommendation. It’s possible that the Great Spring Dynasty and Jade Decree Sect will each have their own candidates, but everyone agrees that no one should recommend or nominate anyone for the positions of Great River Duke and Marquis; otherwise, it would be too unsightly. So, we are just trying to ensure that two of our favored candidates obtain the title of Great River Earl.”

Wang Zai felt relieved.

Wen Yu raised his head and asked curiously, “Why did Mr. Chen voluntarily give up this right? It’s not as if you’re acting in self-interest. Appointing the worthy without avoiding relatives is actually nothing to be avoided.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “There are no suitable candidates.”

The Lady Water Goddess of Buried River, Liu Rou of the Azure Azure Palace, the Yao Clan of Great Spring would definitely spare no effort to recommend her to serve as Great River Earl.
Moreover, Liu Rou was indeed unsuitable to leapfrog through the officialdom of mountains and rivers, directly ascending to the rank of Duke or Marquis. Furthermore, Chen Pingan even suspected that this Water God Matron would refuse the position of Water Governor of a Great River.

Wen Yu raised his wine bowl, his eyes sincere, and said, “This trip has been worthwhile. I will leave after finishing this bowl of wine. I dare not promise more, but regarding the Jade Tablet Sect, if they cause any trouble in the future, the Azure Verdant Sword Sect only needs to send a flying sword letter directly to the Heavenly Canopy Academy. I will discipline them. If the Sect Master was still Jiang Shangzhen, I would still be polite to them. But now, forget it. Wei Ying only went to the desolate wilderness, and hasn’t done anything yet. I don’t need to give them face.”

After they each finished their bowl of wine, Wang Zai couldn’t help but tease, “What an arrogant and domineering self-description of a scholar.”

Chen Pingan smiled and said, “Brother Mingqi is still a scholar, how can you speak like that? Mind your words, this is called ‘showing one’s sharpness.'”

Wen Yu shook his head and said, “In terms of accomplishments, vision, and magnanimity, I am far inferior to Mountain Master Chen. This is not mere polite words at the wine table, but the honest truth. Wang Zai knows this best. I have never been one to say superficial pleasantries.”

Afterward, Chen Pingan accompanied the two Vice Presidents towards the bow of the boat. Wang Zai said, “Chen Pingan, recently our President Wen is planning to promote the establishment of charitable cemeteries down the mountain…”

Chen Pingan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately interjected, “Is it based on the ‘Fan Clan Charitable Cemetery,’ which has been running for over eight hundred years, as a model?”

Wang Zai smiled and said, “Yes, but it will be more comprehensive, with over seven hundred detailed rules, meticulously and precisely calculated, not an exaggeration in the slightest. Wen Yu intends to hold some people’s heads down and do some good deeds.”

Wen Yu asked curiously, “Does Master Chen also know about this?”

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment, then took out several thick volumes from his sleeve and smiled, “This is a true coincidence. I happen to have a rough framework regarding this matter as well, but the details are not as many as yours, only over five hundred rules. President Wen, take it, no need to return it, and see if it can help to check for omissions and fill in gaps.”

Wen Yu accepted the volumes with both hands, and after stopping at the bow of the boat, he cupped his hands in farewell and said, “I bid farewell to Master Chen here.”

Chen Pingan had no choice but to return the salute, and after straightening up, he said, “President Wen, allow me to say something off-topic. Whether it is a school teacher or an academy instructor, teaching and nurturing students should not be separated, otherwise, no matter how peaceful the world is, it is not true peace.”

Wen Yu laughed loudly and said, “That is how it should be! You and I have coincided once again!”

Wang Zai clasped his fists and said with a smile, “Chen Pingan, next time we drink, it must be the kind where we don’t stop until we are drunk!”

Chen Pingan jokingly said, “I know your drinking capacity inside and out, I advise you to say fewer big words, lest you have to pay the debt at the next wine table, and have no way to escape.”

The two young Vice Presidents of the academy then rode the wind and departed.

Below the ferry, the earth and mountains stretched out, with green grass along the riverbanks, and continuous thoughts of those far away.

On the mountain, layers upon layers of peach and plum blossoms, under the clouds, the smoke of cooking fires comes from homes, house after house, connected to one another.

Old mountains and rivers with a new appearance, year after year, another new year, sharing joy and happiness, celebrating renewal with the times.