In the虞氏 (Yu) Dynasty, under the reign of the “Divine Dragon,” after parting ways with Cui Dongshan, Wang Zhu was accompanied only by Gong Yan and Wang Qiongju. The other three retainers from the Water Mansion – the ghost immortal Yu Daoren Huang Man, the Daoist with the title Cui Zhang, Li Ba, and the earth dragon from the creeks, Xi Man – had all been conscripted by the Azure Ripple Sword Sect to survey the future Grand Ditch, ensuring they wouldn’t be exploited for their labor. Wang Zhu and his companions, on the other hand, resembled a leisurely tour, their pace dictated solely by the Eastern Sea Lord’s whim. They had parted ways, agreeing to meet again at the Jade Accumulation Pavilion (积翠观, Ji Cui Guan) in Luo capital.

Located between the imperial palace and the royal city in Luo capital was White Rice Lane (白米巷, Bai Mi Xiang). The Jade Accumulation Pavilion, presided over by the Guardian Real Person Lu Bilong, was situated there. The pavilion’s architecture was distinct, featuring emerald glazed tiles fired in the royal kilns. Towering pines and cypresses within the grounds created a lush, verdant environment, hence the name “Jade Accumulation.”

However, Huang Man and the others had arrived in Luo capital earlier than the carefree trio. They waited outside an inn near the capital, confident in their timing. As expected, around noon, under the high sun, a simple carriage appeared on the official road. The driver was the young Wang Qiongju, with his signature red gourd slung across his back. His attire immediately identified him as a cultivator to any onlookers; no ordinary scholar would travel with such a conspicuous gourd.

Wang Zhu, clad in a snow-white robe, stepped down from the carriage, followed closely by Gong Yan in her elegant attire. They paused to water the horses and sat down at a table, filling it completely. Only the young boy was deemed unworthy of joining them at the table, relegated to squatting by the roadside, sipping tea from his bowl.

Gong Yan couldn’t help but voice her concern: “Your Lordship, do we truly want to involve ourselves with this Yu Dynasty?” She held a dim view of the Yu Dynasty, having observed its officials’ penchant for empty rhetoric, grandiose schemes, and superficial policies. Many local initiatives originating from the Six Ministries in Luo capital were mere window dressing, offering minimal benefit to the common people while officials spun tales of exaggerated success.

The latest ranking of the Ten Great Dynasties of Tongye Continent placed the Great Spring (大泉, Da Quan) Dynasty at the top, the Great Chong (大崇, Da Chong) Dynasty third, and the Yu Dynasty fifth. Despite its less-than-stellar reputation, the officials of the Yu Dynasty seemed to be in a frenzy, proclaiming their ambition to “maintain fifth and strive for third.”

Li Ba commented, “The depths of Great Spring are unfathomable and difficult to control. If Great Spring’s Yao clan possesses a national strength of ten, while the Yu Dynasty has five, then Great Spring can be utilized by our Water Mansion to a maximum of two or three. However, the Yu Dynasty is willing to offer all five. Comparatively, it’s naturally more beneficial for the Water Mansion to support the Yu Dynasty. The only concern is that the Yu Dynasty might be incorrigible and unsupportable, dragging our Water Mansion into trouble.”

Huang Man added with a smile, “In short, Yao Jinzhi is insubordinate. That woman’s backbone is too strong, but it’s understandable; without such a temperament, how could she safeguard the Great Spring’s sovereignty? I recall the conditions offered by the Desolate Demon Clan to Mirage City were quite favorable and unique. In contrast, the Yu emperor, confined to his sickbed, is utterly compliant, thinking only of how to ingratiate himself with us. The question is, what is the attitude of the crown prince, Yu Linyou? Li Ba, you’ve served as a national preceptor before; you must assist in assessing the situation during this trip to Luo capital.”

Gong Yan glared at him. “Speak more politely to me, and stop referring to her as ‘that woman’.”

Huang Man chuckled, amused. So quickly, A’Wu was siding with Yao Jinzhi?

Wang Zhu scoffed, “Support? The Yu Dynasty merely provides annual tribute to my Water Mansion.”

Gong Yan glanced at the outer walls of Luo capital. The Yu Dynasty’s capital city’s defensive array was practically non-existent, barely capable of withstanding the assault of a Golden Core cultivator. Was this due to the Ministry of Revenue’s cost-cutting measures or excessive reliance on the protective powers of the Guardian Real Person within the city?

Wang Qiongju promptly produced a pouch filled with loose silver and copper coins and went to settle the bill.

Subsequently, the group utilized earth-shrinking techniques, directly arriving at a street outside a Daoist temple. Unlike its usual bustling activity, the wide White Rice Lane was now under strict guard. Imperial guards stood watch at both ends of the lane, purportedly due to the National Preceptor’s recent retreat. The whole of Luo capital was abuzz with speculation, especially among the well-informed nobility, who eagerly anticipated the possibility of a Jade Purity Immortal emerging from the Yu Dynasty!

A beautiful Daoist priestess, appearing to be in her thirties, adorned with a jade Taizhen coronet and green lotus shoes, held a snow-white whisk. She withdrew her gaze from the inn outside the capital and descended slowly from the Moon-Watching Platform, the highest structure within the temple. The platform was paved with two types of jade, forming a Taiji diagram, the black and white yin-yang fish merging into a full moon.

This was none other than Lu Bilong, the current abbot of Jade Accumulation Pavilion, and the Yu Dynasty’s Guardian Real Person, known by the Daoist title “Full Moon.”

Lu Bilong vanished in a flash, instantly appearing at the temple’s entrance. She ordered the gatekeeper to immediately open the temple’s central doors.

“Lu Bilong of Jade Accumulation Pavilion greets the Eastern Sea Lord.”

Lu Bilong descended the steps, garbed in a “Phoenix Marsh” robe. Even when facing the Eastern Sea Lord, a figure with the highest divine title and rank in the Vast Expanse, the female Daoist, whose cultivation was merely at the Nascent Soul realm, remained composed. With a flick of her whisk, she conveyed her words via mental communication: “I have already received my master’s secret message, informing me of your imminent arrival at my humble pavilion. We have been waiting for some time. I have requested His Majesty to dispatch the Palace Guard to secure the vicinity of White Rice Lane to prevent any disturbances near the temple.”

Huang Man, the most highly cultivated among the retinue, sensed something peculiar about the female National Preceptor, though he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was as if she lacked a certain human warmth.

Wang Zhu narrowed his eyes. She was, in fact, a porcelain figure.

Wang Zhu stepped onto the staircase and stated, “Summon Yu Linyou and Huang Shanshou to meet me here immediately.”

Lu Bilong stepped aside, waiting for Wang Zhu to ascend the first three steps before following. She nodded and smiled, “Please wait a moment, Your Lordship. I will summon them immediately.”

The female Daoist retrieved a paper bluebird from her sleeve. She pinched the paper bird between her fingers, brought it to her lips, and whispered a message: “The Eastern Sea Lord has arrived at Jade Accumulation Pavilion. Please summon Crown Prince and General Huang Shanshou to convene here.”

Lu Bilong then gently tossed the blue paper bird into the air. It shimmered with iridescent light and flew with incredible speed, like a bird soaring through the sky, leaving a trail of beautiful light.
The female Daoist led the group of distinguished guests from afar into an elegant chamber, retrieving a set of Imperial tea wares. Lü Bilong knelt gracefully, preparing tea.

Wang Zhu sat cross-legged, propping his chin on his hand, too lazy to care about the “usurping” female Daoist. He simply turned his gaze toward the courtyard outside.

Gong Yan chuckled in her heart, “I heard that Huang Shanshou is a Distant Travel Realm martial artist, barely forty years old, without any renowned master to guide him. All his martial skills were honed through life-and-death battles on the battlefield. If the rumors are true, he has broken through three realms in just a decade.”

Li Ba said, “A rare talent of the court, the Yu Clan Dynasty relies on him to hold it together. He lacks none of the Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. His bearing is as vast as a grand palace hall.”

Huang Shanshou was born into poverty and had little schooling. He joined the frontier army in his youth. When a continent was lost, Huang Shanshou did not follow the Yu Clan’s old emperor in fleeing to the Azure Seal Sect’s secret realm. Instead, he rallied an elite light cavalry force amidst the encirclement of the demon army, sustaining the war through plunder. He largely contained the energy of a wilderness army camp. A Jade Prime Realm demon was once dispatched specifically to intercept him, setting traps with bait numerous times. However, Huang Shanshou seemed to possess a battlefield intuition bordering on precognition, never taking the bait. Until the great war between the two worlds drew to a close, Huang Shanshou’s elite cavalry never ceased harassing the demon armies stationed throughout the Yu Clan Dynasty.

Therefore, Wen Yu, the new vice-mountain lord of Heavenly Eye Academy, this meritorious Confucian gentleman, once publicly commented that the military general Huang Shanshou was a piece of jade in the Yu Clan Dynasty’s cesspool.

Wen Yu made no secret of his praise for Huang Shanshou, nor his disdain for the Yu Clan Dynasty.

Huang Man extended two fingers, lightly twisting a strand of hair at her temple, smilingly saying, “To reach a point where his achievements cannot be rewarded any further before reaching the age of confusion, isn’t this a case of merit overshadowing the lord?”

Gong Yan coldly laughed, “If not for Wen Yu’s remark, with the Yu Clan’s old emperor’s suspicious nature, he probably wouldn’t have been a general for a few years before being sent to retire.”

In the end, Huang Shanshou didn’t come.

Only the crown prince of the Yu Clan Dynasty arrived.

Sitting beside Lü Bilong, Yu Linyou was full of apologies, explaining that General Huang not only presided over the affairs of the Ministry of War but also concurrently held the title of Minister of Justice. There happened to be an emergency meeting involving all important officials of the two departments, so General Huang was truly unable to free himself.

Lü Bilong smiled ambiguously, turning to hand the crown prince a cup of hot tea.

It was hard on Yu Linyou to come up with such a plausible excuse for Huang Shanshou.

Wang Zhu still didn’t shift his gaze, staring at a small tree in the courtyard, casually saying, “Since Huang Shanshou has such a grand air, then please, your Yu Clan Dynasty, bestow upon him a few more honorary titles, such as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and let Huang Shanshou retire to his hometown. Anyway, the war is over, what need is there for a great general? It’s better to retire to his hometown, rest well, and focus on studying martial arts. Perhaps after twenty years, he can help your Yu Clan Dynasty produce another Boundary Realm master to suppress the martial fortune.”

Yu Linyou’s face turned pale, his fingers clenched around the teacup, speechless.

Wang Zhu straightened up, turning to look at the crown prince, “Don’t you understand human speech?”

Yu Linyou trembled, “General Huang is the cornerstone of my Yu Clan Dynasty…”

Wang Zhu waved his hand, “Then I’ll make it clearer. Choose between the throne and Huang Shanshou. Anyway, once the old emperor dies, only one of you can show your face in the court, either you, Yu Linyou, sitting on that dragon throne, or Huang Shanshou continuing to stand at the head of the civil and military officials. The reason I called you here this time was just for this small matter. If you hadn’t come and Huang Shanshou had, I would have asked him if he had any interest in changing the dynasty’s surname, or else he should resign and go into seclusion.”

Yu Linyou’s expression changed rapidly, clearly caught in a battle between heaven and man.

Wang Zhu sneered, “Don’t they say that dragon sons and grandsons born into the imperial family, as long as they have the opportunity to sit on the dragon throne, even women, possess some imperial ambition? This simple choice, and you still hesitate?”

Huang Man chuckled in her heart, “I thought Yu Linyou would fly into a rage, righteously refusing this matter, preferring to give up the throne rather than protect Huang Shanshou’s official position.”

Li Ba calmly said, “Wait and see, Yu Linyou will immediately send a secret letter to the Great Hidden Academy after leaving Emerald View, appealing to the Confucian Temple about this matter.”

Gong Yan charmingly smiled, “Aren’t you afraid of completely breaking off relations with our Water Mansion? If the crown prince truly acts so dangerously, would it be considered seeking wealth and honor in danger?”

Lü Bilong stood up to see him off. Yu Linyou left Emerald View in a daze, his mood heavy, sitting in the carriage, saying nothing.

Gong Yan asked with a smile, “What’s this?”

Wang Zhu casually said, “Bored, just playing around.”

It didn’t sound like a joke.

Huang Man leaned back, using her hands as a pillow, crossing her legs and swaying them, “My Lord Water Sovereign, why bother creating trouble for yourself? The Confucian academies are meddling in too much these days, especially that Vice-Mountain Lord Wen Yu of Heavenly Eye Academy, he’s a notorious troublemaker. Don’t provoke anyone, especially don’t provoke Wen Yu.”

Wang Zhu’s expression was indifferent, “I’m just a passing guest of the Yu Clan Dynasty, fortunate enough to meet the crown prince at Emerald View, having a pleasant conversation, drinking a cup of tea, and offering a personal suggestion. Yu Linyou doesn’t have to accept it, and I can’t do anything to the Yu Clan Dynasty. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways.”

Huang Man didn’t want to argue with Wang Zhu about this issue. If only it were so simple.

It’s just that the highly placed and powerful Water Sovereign has always acted and spoken like this, following whims. They, these ministers assisting the dragon, are used to it.

Teach her “how to be human”?

Don’t forget, Wang Zhu is a genuine Ascension Realm Grand Cultivator, and the only true dragon in the world!

Let’s just talk about that Daoist title “Azure Bell,” the owner of Verdant Water Pit, who manages the land and water transport of a world, Lady Dandan.
This great demon of the Ascension Realm, who had suddenly risen to prominence, was personally conferred a title by the Confucian Temple’s Sub-Sage. His Daoist name, “Azure Bell,” was elevated to a divine title on the Golden Jade Register. In the presence of Li Yehou, the Lord of the South Sea with the divine title “Bright Moon,” and Liu Rouxi, the Lord of the West Sea with the divine title “Azure Water,” Lady Dan Dan was quite proud, despite the fact that they all held the same divine rank within the Confucian Temple. However, Lady Dan Dan was essentially establishing her own territory, which gave her a slight advantage over her colleagues. However, when she saw Wang Zhu, she acted like a servant girl who had suddenly become rich seeing a real noble lady. When she was with Wang Zhu, she was gentle and soft-spoken, not out of respect, but out of flattery.

Privately, the Yellow Curtain and several other aquatic retainers of the water mansion speculated whether Lady Dan Dan, who had a very long Daoist age, had been caught in a compromising situation by Wang Zhu’s ancestors before the Dragon Slaying Campaign. After all, three thousand years ago, the unruly dragon-jiao were allowed to occupy the entire water circulation of the vast world because they were meritorious servants in the ancient campaign to ascend to the heavens. In later generations, any cultivator who practiced water spells, regardless of their origin, whether they were mountain spirits, water monsters, or human Qi refiners, had to pay their respects and give way to these masters of the rain and cloud.

However, no one dared to ask Wang Zhu about this matter.

Dragons have reverse scales.

This was absolutely true.

Wang Zhu looked at the porcelain figure, which was completely indistinguishable from a real person. “Where is the real Lü Bilong hiding now?”

“Lü Bilong” smiled and said, “Reporting to the Water Lord, the Wan Yao Sect registered cultivator whose real name is Long Gong is currently drinking tea at the Tianmu Academy.”

Yellow Curtain’s eyes lit up. Never one to shy away from a good show, he sat up and asked curiously, “Is that the Wan Yao Sect that possesses the Three Mountains Blessed Land? I remember that the Sect Master is called Han Jiangshu, and it is rumored that he is a very capable immortal, especially proficient in the art of talismans, and has many trump cards.”

Wang Zhu did not care about an Immortal Realm cultivator. No matter how high or numerous his techniques were, he was still just an immortal, a local tyrant in the Tongye Continent.

Even cultivators at the peak of the Ascension Realm in this vast world were not worth her attention. It was not only arrogance, but also confidence.

Besides, even if they were at the Fourteenth Realm, so what?

She could be too. And it wouldn’t be long. This was the only reason why Wang Zhu was willing to serve as the Lord of the East Sea. In the future, when she went into seclusion, having a title would be more stable.

Her mortal enemy was only one person.

The sword cultivator Chen Qingliu.

During the Dragon Slaying Campaign, Chen Qingliu had once rested temporarily at Lushui Pit and had even performed a mysterious sword refinement that devoured the East Sea’s water circulation.

Of course, Lady Dan Dan was forced to open the Lushui Pit’s restriction back then, “actively inviting” the Sword Immortal to enter.

But now that Wang Zhu had restored her true dragon form, why should she care about these so-called hardships?

Furthermore, Lady Dan Dan was different from Li Yehou and Liu Rouxi. She was of妖族 origin and also practiced water spells, so she was naturally suppressed and restrained by the true dragon.

But it didn’t matter. Besides Wang Zhu, and the few enlightened people she encountered “chatting” during the Confucian Temple conference, the True Man of Fire Dragon, Talisman Yu Xuan, and Grand Celestial Master Zhao Tianlai of Dragon Tiger Mountain, who made Lady Dan Dan tremble with fear, she was still very majestic and impressive every time she went out to inspect her territory in the Central Earth Divine Continent.

Besides this, there was also an unexpected calamity that made Lady Dan Dan suffer in silence, making it even more impossible for her to say half a hard word to Wang Zhu.

In the past, the Dao Ancestor hand-planted gourd vines, which produced seven “sword-nurturing gourds.”

The fire-lighting boy of the Azure Firmament Cave Master of the East Sea Guandao Temple possessed a “measuring” gourd, a large golden gourd that the young Daoist boy carried slung over his back.

Before going to the Azure Firmament World, this stinky-nosed old Daoist did something that had a far-reaching impact on the water circulation of this vast world. This was also the most frustrating thing for Wang Zhu, because this old temple master issued a decree, ordering the Daoist boy to carry the “measuring” gourd, either inviting or capturing, almost all of the East Sea Jiao dragons into the gourd. This was also the reason why there had been no Jiao dragons resting on the Dragon Resting Stone under the name of Lushui Pit in recent years.

In addition, the old Daoist used his heaven-piercing magical powers to tilt the sea surface, high in the northwest and low in the southeast, pouring it into the “measuring” gourd.

According to Wang Zhu’s estimates, this stinky old Daoist had taken away at least one-tenth of the entire world’s water circulation.

But the Confucian Temple did not stop it from beginning to end.

The water circulation of the Azure Firmament World was originally thin, far inferior to this vast world. If the stinky old Daoist poured out the seawater from the gourd over there, the Azure Firmament World could increase its water circulation by 30%.

Lady Dan Dan felt, what does the actions of that old Daoist from the East Sea Guandao Temple have to do with me?

But previously, on that ferry that passed through the Ruins and went to the Savage Desolate World, Wang Zhu insisted on asking her why she didn’t stop it.

Lady Dan Dan almost collapsed on the spot, feeling that she had a stomach full of bitterness but dared not shake it out. My little ancestor, how could you ask me, an Ascension Realm cultivator, to stop a Fourteenth Realm cultivator who likes to challenge the Dao Ancestor when he’s full and bored?

Wang Zhu stood up, walked out of the house, and looked up at the sky.

The new round of the Three Teachings Debate was about to begin.

In this vast world, the God-Monarchs of the Five Sacred Mountains of the Central Earth and the Lords of the Four Seas were all qualified to attend the hearings.

The Three Teachings debated, sitting and discussing Dao.

The Confucian Temple, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, and the White Jade Capital of the Azure Firmament World would each send their virtuous gentlemen, Dao seeds, and Buddha sons to participate in the debate.

On the Confucian side, the young Mountain Master of the Hengqu Academy, the closed-door disciple of the Sub-Sage, Yuan Pang, would definitely participate without any surprise.

On the Azure Firmament World’s side, the closed-door disciple of the Dao Ancestor, the young Daoist with the Daoist name Shan Qing, would most likely participate as well.

The number of people who could participate in the Daoist debate was generally between three and nine, with no set rule.

This “argument” was not a group fight. The number of people was not important. In fact, the long history of the Three Teachings Debate had already proven that having a large number of people was useless.

However, sending only one person was also extremely rare, only happening three times in nearly ten thousand years.

The most recent two times.

One time, the Azure Firmament World sent Lu Chen, who left his hometown and later became the Third Head Teacher of the White Jade Capital.

In that debate, Lu Chen spoke first, and then no one spoke again. The “scholars” and monks of the other two religions directly conceded defeat.

The other time was when the Confucian Temple allowed a nameless scholar with only the title of “Scholar” to participate in the debate. This person was the later Confucian Sage.
In the aftermath of that debate, the final speech by the scholar surnamed Xun had directly led several Dao Seedlings and Buddhist Sons to defect to the Confucian school.

Consequently, both the high-ranking mountain and river deities acknowledged by the Literary Temple gazette and the leading sects shared a common conjecture:

Might the Literary Temple allow the old scholar’s closed-door disciple to participate in the upcoming debate?

A lanky Mountain Lord of considerable status was now locked in a staring contest with a wizened old scholar.

The height disparity was significant, with a head’s difference between them. To compensate, the old scholar stood on tiptoe, two pots of vibrant calamus tucked under his arm.

“Bah, stealing? This is outright robbery!”

The Nine Doubts Mountain God, known as Ning Yuan, with the Daoist title of Jade Flute and the divine appellation of Azure Vault, blocked the path of the Literary Sage. With a stern expression, he questioned, “Do you really think this is appropriate?”

“I think it’s perfectly appropriate.”

The old scholar nodded, “Any more, and I wouldn’t have enough hands, now *that* would be inappropriate. Brother Azure Vault, don’t be so formal. Between the two of us, why stand on ceremony? Don’t bother with such superficialities. These two pots of calamus are more than enough.”

Ning Yuan’s face darkened. “Xun, rein it in. My temper isn’t much better than Zhou You of Mount Sui.”

They had been drinking and conversing amiably earlier, after which the old scholar had taken his leave. Soon after, the director of the Literary Fortune Bureau had rushed over, reporting that the Literary Sage had taken two pots of Literary Fortune Calamus and sauntered out of the garden, declaring to everyone he met that the Mountain Lord had gifted them.

The old scholar pondered for a moment, then began to reason with him, “Azure Vault, one mustn’t grow tall without also cultivating a conscience. Tell me, how did Nine Doubts Mountain acquire its most celebrated calligraphy plaques? Eh?”

Nine Doubts Mountain was renowned for its steles and historical sites, second only to Mount Sui in the myriad of famous mountains across the lands.

However, Bai Ye never left any poems or carvings on Mount Sui, yet he penned several pieces within Nine Doubts Mountain, all because he had ascended the mountain with Liu Sixteen. It was said that Liu Sixteen suggested it, and Bai Ye generously lent his brush and talent. Liu Sixteen’s motivation stemmed from Nine Doubts Mountain’s Azure Vault God’s immense respect for the Master’s scholarship. Crucially, the Master had confided that Ning Yuan possessed exceptional insight, praising him as an individual of utter simplicity, hence his works were of the highest antiquity. This was nothing special; such accolades were commonplace now that the Master had gained some renown. However, Ning Yuan’s specific viewpoint held significant weight. He had said that the old scholar’s writings were like the sun, moon, and stars, weaving the fabric of the heavens and earth, admired by all living beings for their brilliance. His disciple, the Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan, was different; his Dao resembled the primordial energy, flowing within the chaotic void, nurturing all things without their knowledge.

The Master was always like this, never minding others praising his students, even if the praise surpassed his own.

Compliments directed at the old scholar himself were merely amusement; only a fool would take them seriously. But if someone were to praise his student, and with sincere words, the old scholar would take it to heart!

Ning Yuan reluctantly conceded, “At least leave one pot.”

The old scholar let out a drunken belch.

Ning Yuan muttered, “I can replace it with another, if not three thousand years old, it would be at least two thousand.”

The Nine Doubts Mountain God had gifted a millennium-old Literary Fortune Calamus when the Literary Sage had his position restored in the Literary Temple, not because Ning Yuan was unwilling to offer a better gift, but because he was mindful of his position within the mountain and river bureaucracy. Otherwise, given Ning Yuan’s personal friendship with the old scholar, he would have readily presented a three-thousand-year-old calamus, without hesitation. It was akin to the mortal practice of gifting money at celebrations; if guests of similar standing were all offering one or two taels of silver, someone offering ten taels would be seen as insulting the others.

However, the female Mountain God of Smoke Branch Mountain did not have such reservations, offering the most valuable gift at the time, for her own reasons.

The old scholar grumbled, “Fear the pressuring of drinks at a banquet, and the stinginess of people. The Azure Vault Brother I knew was a paragon of magnanimity and spirit. If you continue to be so hesitant today, I will think less of you!”

The Azure Vault God chuckled in exasperation, “If you were not preventing your beloved disciple from ascending the mountain, outsiders would misunderstand and think I’m putting on airs. Why are you playing dumb with me, old scholar?”

The old scholar’s ruckus stemmed from his protective nature, acting unreasonably to shield his student. When Chen Ping An was turned away from Nine Doubts Mountain, the teacher came to make trouble.