Chapter 85: The Great Exam Ends

When Chen Ping'an awoke, the oil lamp on the table had burned out, and the sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.

He only remembered the five sentences spoken to him by the tall woman.

"All the secrets and inside information I spoke of will be forgotten upon waking. Don't even try to remember them. I simply wanted to talk."

"If I were to manifest in this world now, even if the Sages from all sides didn't come to suppress us, your current physical and spiritual state simply couldn't withstand it. It would be detrimental to you. Therefore, we'll set a hundred-year deadline. Within these hundred years, if you successfully reach the tenth floor of Qi Refining, you can return to the stone arch bridge in the town and retrieve the iron sword."

"Being chosen as my master isn't a reason for arrogance or complacency, nor should you be self-deprecating. Over eight thousand years, I've seen too many exceptionally talented individuals. More recently, people like Cao Xi, Xie Shi, and Ma Ku Xuan didn't even catch my eye. Choosing you isn't a desperate measure because my time is running out."

"Although I can't currently fight alongside you, I can still offer a greeting gift. During the Great Dragon Slaughter three thousand years ago, I was watching them like children fighting. It was quite lively, and they dropped things everywhere. I picked up a piece of white jade with a decent appearance, plain and simple, with no carvings, small and exquisite. It can be used to store items. It's an item of considerable age and dimension, far superior to the currently popular 'Pocket Armory' and 'Pocket Sword Mound' artifacts. The space inside is about the size of your ancestral home in Mud Bottle Lane, and you don't need to wear it for others to see. It can be nurtured within your acupoints. I've already made it compatible with your spiritual will. When you touch an object, you can store it within the acupoint where the jade is located with a simple thought. Unless a cultivator in the Ascension Realm forcefully breaks it open, it won't be damaged in the slightest. The bad news is that you can only control and use the jade pendant after you reach the Middle Five Realms."

"Oh, and lastly, I quite liked being called 'Fairy Sister,' so I've placed three extremely tiny strands of sword Qi within you as an extra."

Chen Ping'an was stunned.

It was like a lifetime ago.

He only wanted to light a lamp in his home and stay up until dawn before leaving the town, to make up for the New Year's Eve vigil he would inevitably miss.

Chen Ping'an's head felt enormous.

Forget about reaching the Middle Five Realms or the tenth floor of Qi Refining, Chen Ping'an's current body was already leaking in every direction, like a dilapidated thatched hut in a storm. How could he possibly gather and store Qi? Not only was Chen Ping'an destined to be unable to cultivate, but he also needed to practice boxing to nourish his body just to survive.

Ning Yao had once casually said that it was easy to damage a person's bones and acupoints, like Cai Jinjian "guiding" Chen Ping'an and forcibly opening his acupoints, but restoring a complete body, especially one suitable for cultivation, was harder than ascending to heaven. The principle was simple: giving a child a kitchen knife to hack at a door required little effort, but repairing that dilapidated door to its original state was naturally very difficult.

What Chen Ping'an feared most was that he had promised Li Baoping to escort her to Cliff Academy, which was bound to be a long journey. It was uncertain whether he could even return home alive, so how did he end up with a hundred-year agreement? Chen Ping'an wasn't without candor at the time, but the woman in white dismissed him with a single sentence: "It's alright. I have no regrets now. I've chosen you, Chen Ping'an, as my master. If you die, I'll just wait to die. If that old sword falls into the stream one day and my soul dissipates completely, it's alright. You don't need to feel like you owe me anything. Blame my own bad eyesight; I can't blame anyone else."

At the time, Chen Ping'an thought, "You've already said that. How can my conscience bear it?" And what did she mean by "can't blame anyone else"? Weren't they the only two people involved?

Chen Ping'an had no idea what the tenth floor of Qi Refining was, nor did he know what "objects of a short distance" and "objects of a pocket dimension" were.

Aside from inexplicably acquiring a huge burden, the boy actually felt a little joy deep down.

It turned out that from today onwards, there was one more person in this world who needed to rely on him.

Chen Ping'an remembered that, at the end of their dream-like conversation, he and the woman in white were sitting side by side on a golden stone arch bridge, extremely long and without end, as if it were a flood dragon traversing the sea of clouds.

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath, leaned on the table, and thought that Yao the Old Man's words were the easiest to understand: "What's yours, take it and don't lose it. What's not yours, don't even think about it."

Chen Ping'an put all the items he needed to pack away in a small backpack: a slingshot, fish hooks and lines, a fire starter, etc., all sorts of miscellaneous things. There were quite a few things in total, but they weren't heavy. When traveling far from home, like Chen Ping'an's frequent trips into the mountains for a hundred or two hundred li, carrying too much weight was definitely a bad thing, like a soft knife slowly cutting away flesh. He needed to know how to live off the mountains and the rivers.

Chen Ping'an, carrying the small backpack, locked the door and stood in the courtyard. After seeing the locust branch leaning against the wall, he thought for a moment and reopened the door to place it inside, so that it wouldn't rot too soon from the wind and sun.

Chen Ping'an, carrying the two taels of silver he had earned from collecting herbs in the mountains last time, went to Apricot Blossom Lane and Riding Dragon Lane. It was still early, so the straw-sandaled boy squatted outside the closed shops, waiting patiently. When the shopkeepers opened their doors, yawning, the boy bought incense, paper money, and a jar of "Peach Blossom Spring Brew" from the tavern. Finally, he wanted to buy a packet of Bitter Plum Cakes from the New Year's Shop. He remembered that his mother had eaten them once when he was little and said they were delicious, and that she would buy them again when Chen Ping'an turned five. So, Chen Ping'an remembered it especially clearly. However, when he arrived at the New Year's Shop, the clerk said that the shop had stopped making that kind of cake long ago. There were old masters who could make it, but the shop was about to close down, and the old masters had already gone to the capital with the shopkeeper to enjoy a comfortable life. Chen Ping'an had no choice but to buy a packet of Peach Blossom Cakes that Ruan Xiu had given to Li Baoping yesterday.The boy left the small town, passed the small temple where he and Ning Yao had once sheltered from the Mountain-Moving Ape, and continued south until he reached a small mountain ridge. Only then did he begin to climb, reaching a patch of barren land halfway up the slope. It was a field that had not been cultivated for many years, marked by two small mounds of earth. The field and the mounds were free of weeds. Chen Ping An stopped before the two mounds, slowly lowered himself to a squat, and removed the basket from his back, carefully placing the ancestral offerings one by one.

For a thousand years, perhaps from the very beginning, or perhaps a change in customs over time, the people of the small town, rich or poor, did not kneel and kowtow when visiting ancestral graves. They only needed to light three incense sticks and bow three times. Chen Ping An, having been immersed in the "four-year family tradition," was no exception. However, before lighting the incense, he, as always, symbolically grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and added it to the graves, gently pressing it down.

Because he had left in haste this time, he could only take dirt from nearby. Otherwise, whenever the boy went into the mountains, he would secretly collect handfuls of dirt from various peaks and bring them here. It had no special significance, it was just for peace of mind. The boy felt that he had never shown any filial piety to his parents, and he needed to do something to feel better. In addition, Old Yao had said that old-time porcelain makers had this inherited custom, so Chen Ping An had persisted for so many years.

The two small graves stood close together, as if leaning on each other.

There were no tombstones.

Chen Ping An lit three incense sticks, bowed three times facing the graves, and then inserted them in front of the mounds. Only then did he open the pot of wine and gently pour some out in front of him.

Finally, Chen Ping An stood up, closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together, speaking his heart to his parents.

He mentioned that this time he was taking a little girl in a red cotton-padded jacket named Li Bao Ping on a long journey, not knowing how many thousands or tens of thousands of miles he would be away from home.

A handsome young man stood in the small temple by the roadside, looking up at the names written on the wall in charcoal, densely packed, crooked, and of varying sizes.

Perhaps in the eyes of the people of the small town, these children's games were insignificant, but in the eyes of the boy at this moment, they were like a brilliant galaxy in the river of time.

The Luli Pearl Paradise, located above the Dali territory in the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, was the smallest of the thirty-six lesser paradises, only a thousand miles of mountains and rivers. Without magical restrictions, the scenery would not be worth seeing for cultivators who could ride the wind. But the Luli Pearl Paradise, besides the magical artifacts left behind by the various sages and masters of the Hundred Schools, coveted by all, also nurtured extraordinary people, truly possessing spiritual charm and greatly differing from other places.

Imagine two great cultivators forming a perfect match and their descendants, who would not only inevitably enter the Middle Five Realms, but whose chances of reaching the Upper Five Realms were not much lower than those children from Luli Pearl Paradise who could be taken out of the small town. Keep in mind, how many people were there in a small town?

This was equivalent to a dragon emerging from a pond, and one or two appearing in each generation. Therefore, now that the Luli Pearl Paradise had shattered and fallen, the monarchs of the various dynasties in the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, as long as they had any sense of concern, must have felt relieved. The Dali Song family had finally lost this great golden vein, which would inevitably affect the Dali iron cavalry's southern expansion.

Cui Chan lingered with his gaze, filled with mixed emotions. In the imperial examinations of the dynasty, there had always been the bonds of classmates, contemporaries, and fellow villagers.

It was the same on the path of cultivation.

Now that the Luli Pearl Paradise had settled, it had achieved a good ending at the cost of someone's death and dissipation.

Therefore, all the great cultivators who had come out of the Luli Pearl Paradise would remember this kindness, with varying degrees of gratitude. The four surnames and ten clans and their backing forces were even more so.

It was a pity that the Dali Song family had not gained any points in this turmoil, although they had not lost any either. But Dali could have acted with more "humanity." For example, Ruan Qiong's request to enter the Luli Pearl Paradise early should not have been agreed to so quickly. Also, knowing that Qi Jingchun would rather not use his own heaven-reaching cultivation and only used two words to resist those great figures, then when the four parties demanded the return of the sage's suppressing objects, the Dali Ministry of Rites, even if they did not dare to refuse, should have righteously delayed, saying that it was not in accordance with the rules. Furthermore, the Dali court should not have privately notified the four surnames and ten clans in the name of family letters, almost blatantly, that the great calamity had arrived, urging them to withdraw their ancestral seeds as soon as possible, so as not to be implicated by Qi Jingchun's rebellious actions. There were too many things they could have done better.

Once the Dali Emperor came to his senses or became greedy, then this national teacher, who was in charge of half the court's affairs and strategizing thousands of miles away, was afraid that he would really be held accountable after the autumn harvest.

But at this moment, standing in the small temple, National Teacher Cui Chan looked content and relaxed, as if he did not care about the Dali Emperor's wrath at all.

Cui Chan muttered to himself, "Wait a moment, wait a moment."

Cui Chan looked around the walls, memorized all the names, and was about to wave his sleeves to erase all traces, so as not to be used against him by other interested parties in the future. But just as he was about to act, Ruan Qiong appeared at the entrance of the small temple, grinning and saying, "Good lad, you've got guts. How many times has this been?"

Cui Chan smiled and said, "I haven't done it yet, have I?"

A voice leisurely appeared near the small temple, "You just go ahead and fight with all your might. I'll be responsible for cleaning up the mess, ensuring that there won't be anything like an overturned giant turtle or a severed mountain range. After you two determine the winner, this thousand miles of mountains and rivers will be damaged by at most one or two tenths. Ruan Qiong, instead of being sticky and constantly entangled by this guy, I think you might as well have a clean break with him. It's not the thief you fear, but the one who's always eyeing you."

Cui Chan's expression remained unchanged, and he laughed, "Old Yang, killing without bloodshed, and reaping the benefits, truly a good hand."

Ruan Qiong nodded, "I think it's a good idea."

Cui Chan quickly cupped his hands in apology, smiling and begging for mercy, "Alright, alright, I'll just wander around the small town from now on, okay? Saint Ruan? And Senior Old Yang?"

Ruan Qiong was obviously weighing the pros and cons.

Cui Chan said casually, "Even if Senior Old Yang has the ability to protect eight or nine tenths of the mountains and rivers, what if I focus on smashing Spirit Show Mountain and Mount Hengshuo?"

Before Ruan Qiong could speak, Old Yang's voice sounded again, "If it were me, I really couldn't stand it."

Ruan Qiong said unhappily, "Hurry up and get back to Erlang Alley."Cui Chan sauntered out of the dilapidated temple, a carefree smile on his face. As he passed Ruan Qiong, he even made a playful, youthful grimace.

Once Cui Chan had crossed the stream, Ruan Qiong turned to see the old man sitting on the dry, wooden bench inside the temple, puffing on his pipe.

The old man, uncharacteristically, offered no sarcasm. Instead, he chuckled, "You really do care about your daughter."

Ruan Qiong sighed. It was clear that he was frustrated at having held back from retaliating against Cui Chan's provocations. He sat down opposite the old man, leaning against the wall, and forced a smile. "I owe nothing to heaven or earth, and now I've even settled my debts with the Grandmaster. The only debt I have is to that girl's mother. But she's gone. How can I repay her? I can only place what I owe her onto our daughter."

The old man chuckled, "With your status and abilities, coupled with your connections to the Chen clan of Yingyin, it's not impossible to find your wife's current incarnation."

Ruan Qiong shook his head. "Her talent wasn't great in her past life. She didn't even reach the middle five realms before she died. So, even if she's reincarnated as a person, there's no chance she'll remember her previous existence. As far as I'm concerned, without those memories, all that's left is an empty shell. What's the point of finding her? It's enough for her to live on in my heart."

The old man nodded. "You have a clear head about it. The ten floors of the Military Strategists' School are the most difficult to break through. There's a reason why you were able to surpass your peers."

Ruan Qiong didn't want to dwell on the subject. He asked, "Do you think that man is bluffing?"

The old man chuckled and shook his head. "Then you underestimate him. A desperate hero dares to pull an emperor from his throne. This one, I reckon, would dare to pull down the Dao Ancestor and the Buddha. Of course, I'm just talking about his resolve, not his abilities."

Ruan Qiong was skeptical.

The old man used his pipe to point to a well-trodden path near the temple entrance. Slowly, he said, "This fellow is different from us. He thinks he's walking a tightrope, so if he meets someone coming the other way, he feels like he's doing himself a disservice if he doesn't kill them. Or, if someone tries to pass him from behind, they're as good as dead. You can't simply label this kind of person as good or bad."

Ruan Qiong suddenly jumped to another question, "Chen Ping'an's parents and grandparents were just ordinary townspeople. How did his father know about the mysteries of the 'destiny porcelain'? And why was he so determined to break it, even at the cost of his life? Clearly, someone deliberately revealed the secret to him, urging him to do it."

The old man was silent for a long time, exhaling smoke. Finally, he said, "At first, I thought it was just a common family feud. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late. But I can't be bothered to get involved in these murky schemes. I only use them to exercise my mind when I'm bored. I suppose it was a seemingly small, idle move in the grand scheme against Qi Jingchun, but in the end, it turned out to be the real killing blow. In the words of a Go master, it was a 'divine move'. To be precise, it wasn't just to deal with the overly fortunate Qi Jingchun, but to target the literary luck of the Wen Sheng lineage. It's just that now, Qi Jingchun's final battle was too dazzling. Everyone has become accustomed to equating Qi Jingchun's life and death with the survival of that literary lineage. In reality, it's not far off."

The old man glanced at the solemn-faced Military Strategist and said, "When you entered the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven early, I suspected you were also one of the masterminds. Either the Wind and Snow Temple and the Chen clan of Yingyin had struck a deal, forcing you to help your sect, or you had secretly obtained immense benefits from the 'Pure Confucian' Chen clan of Yingyin, hence the establishment of your sect here."

Ruan Qiong smiled frankly, "Senior Yang is overthinking things."

The old man scoffed, "Overthinking doesn't necessarily mean misunderstanding. The reason you can still be at peace with yourself is simply because you Military Strategists are good at simplifying things. Perhaps one day, the truth will be revealed, and you'll belatedly realize that you were just a pawn."

Ruan Qiong's mind remained steadfast, as firm as a rock. He laughed and said, "It doesn't matter. If the Chen clan of Yingyin, or any other force, dares to use me as a pawn on their chessboard, then after I've secured a path for my daughter, one day, I'll fight my way through!"

Ruan Qiong sneered inwardly, "If that's the case, then all the better. A hundred years, at most a hundred years, and I'll be able to forge that sword. Where can't I go? Who can't I kill?"

Ruan Qiong returned to the present, curiously asking, "Could that Mud Bottle Alley boy really be Qi Jingchun's heir?"

The old man tapped the wooden chair with his pipe, and from a cloth bag at his waist he changed the tobacco in his pipe. Annoyed, he said, "Who knows?"

Ruan Qiong knew that this unassuming old man held countless secrets accumulated over a long life.

Ruan Qiong smiled and asked, "To enter the town, everyone has to pay a bag of gold essence coins to the town gatekeeper. This generation it's that man named Zheng Dafeng. I know these priceless coins aren't ending up in the Dali Emperor's pocket, so are you the one pocketing them, Senior? What do you use the money for?"

The old man countered, "I ask you, Ruan Qiong, would you tell me how to forge the sword you envision?"

Ruan Qiong burst into laughter.

The old man said calmly, "I'm going to move this temple."

Ruan Qiong was taken aback, but quickly replied, "As long as it's not moved outside, I have no objections."

The old man nodded and smiled, "Since you're so forthcoming, I can tell you a little secret."

Ruan Qiong nodded, indicating that he was willing to listen.

The old man exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. After it dissipated, wisps of smoke wrapped around the entire temple. Actually, the temple had long been shrouded in a thin white mist, but the old man had obviously taken extra precautions to conceal the temple. The old man sighed and slowly said, "Do you know what Qi Jingchun's greatest strength was?"

Ruan Qiong chuckled, "Naturally, it was his talent, his comprehension, and his terrifying cultivation. Otherwise, would those great figures in the sky be willing to lose face and join forces to deal with Qi Jingchun?"The old man shook his head, "Assuming Chen Ping'an is truly the one chosen by Qi Jingchun, then outside, someone is using Chen Ping'an as a brilliant move, seemingly idling him for ten years, but actually carefully managing him in secret. Even I was used during this period. The beauty lies in the fact that the person is playing chess outside the board, making a move and letting go. After the chess piece takes root, the person is not a rigid piece after all, and will gradually generate their own spirit, so they will become less and less like a chess piece, and the killing move will become more and more hidden. What's more, next to this chess piece, there is another key piece that seems to have great power, which is Song Jixin, the Great Li emperor's hope for the entire Song family, helping to attract attention from all sides, and ultimately creating a great situation of 'darkness under the lamp'."

Ruan Qiong's face was grave, and he asked, "Qi Jingchun is known as someone who is expected to establish a sect and become an ancestor. Although some people deliberately used this to praise him to death, it can't all be nonsense. How could he not see any clues?"

"I only figured out these twists and turns now. Interesting, really interesting! Outsiders are like this, what about the person involved?" The old man laughed loudly, even coughing, slapping his thigh, and tut-tutted, "But the person involved saw it very early on. Qi Jingchun, this scholar, is really not honest at all. Do you know what he did before he died? He deliberately ran to my place. Besides giving Chen Ping'an two landscape seals with great knowledge, Qi Jingchun accompanied Chen Ping'an for a while and said a word, which he left for Chen Ping'an. Ruan Qiong, can you guess what it was?"

Ruan Qiong was completely intrigued, but he said, "I can't guess Qi Jingchun's thoughts."

Old Man Yang sighed, "Qi Jingchun said, 'A gentleman can be deceived with principles.'"

Ruan Qiong thought for a while, initially indifferent, but after a moment, his face changed slightly. In the end, he clenched his fists, his face flushed, and he shook his head helplessly, "I am ashamed of myself, I have to admire him."

The old man nodded, his eyes wandering, "The first meaning is to let Chen Ping'an tell me, or everyone, that it doesn't matter how you deal with Qi Jingchun within the rules. Whether it's victory or defeat, life or death, Qi Jingchun has already seen through it."

The old man stood up and said in a deep voice, "The second meaning is for Chen Ping'an ten years, or even a hundred years later, to tell him that even if he knows the truth in the future, knows that he is the chess piece that really killed Qi Jingchun, he doesn't need to blame himself, because Qi Jingchun already knew everything."

Ruan Qiong suddenly stood up and strode away, "Damn it, Qi Jingchun died so uselessly. If it were me, with his cultivation and ability, I would have crushed the Dongbao Ping Continent with one foot and shattered the Vast Sky with one punch! Frustrating, frustrating, let's go drink!"

The old man smiled, put one hand behind his back and walked out of the small temple. The hand behind him shook gently, and the small temple disappeared out of thin air, taken into the old man's hand, and gently grasped.

"Great Li's State Preceptor, Cui Chan, the former chief disciple of the Confucian Sage, I think your cultivation is more than that, right? Then I'll wait and see."

Old Man Yang, who rarely left the small town, became more and more hunched and stooped after walking on the stone arch bridge, his expression solemn, and he didn't say a word.

He walked back and forth across the stone bridge twice, both times calm and breezy. After the old man walked down the stone bridge, he walked towards the small town, his face sad and bitter, and he muttered in his heart, "Could it really be that opportunity knocks but once? Even Ma Kuxuan, who was born to carry the destiny, is not qualified to see you? Even if he only becomes your companion, not the master, it's not allowed?"

"What kind of person do you have to find to be willing to nod your head? Not to mention the previous five thousand years of accumulation, the existence of the Lvzhu Grotto-heaven alone has been three thousand years. Three thousand years! How many heroes and heroines have emerged during this long period who will shine in the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent in the future? If you help them, wouldn't it be possible for them to go up several more floors? Above the eleventh and twelfth floors, even if you only add two floors, what kind of realm would that be?"

The stone bridge was silent.

The iron sword hanging under the bridge remained motionless.

The old man breathed out a sigh of relief and mocked himself, "What a 'heroes are not free when their luck runs out'. Forget it, forget it, since that's the case, then you can fend for yourself, so I don't have to worry about blessings and misfortunes being interdependent, and ruining the little incense we have left because of you. In this way, it's also a good thing. A little gambling is fun, and you don't have to worry about losing everything."

Chen Ping'an carried a back basket that was neither big nor small and returned from the small mountain. On the way, he found that the temple was gone. The teenager looked around blankly, confirming that he had not remembered the location incorrectly. The small temple for people to rest was indeed moved away like someone moving a stone. However, Chen Ping'an was already used to it now, and he would get used to it.

Chen Ping'an came to the blacksmith shop, first went to the yellow mud house where he had previously stored his belongings, took what he should take, and left what he should leave, before going out to find the red-padded jacket little girl, Li Baoping.

Li Baoping stood in front of him, raised her small head high, her face full of joy.

The little girl was already full of embroidered pouches and sachets, no less than seven or eight, and she was also carrying a small basket, covered with a bamboo hat that could shield her from the wind and rain, just enough to cover the things in the basket. It was estimated that these were all suggested by the little girl, and then Ruan Xiu helped to pack them.

The green-clothed girl, Ruan Xiu, stood beside the red-padded jacket little girl, exceptionally festive.

Chen Ping'an looked at the little girl and asked with a smile, "Did you bring any food?"

Li Baoping nodded, wanting praise, "Most of the things in the basket are things that Sister Ruan gave me to eat! The rest are books, not heavy... not that heavy!"

Chen Ping'an said, "If you get tired of carrying it, just tell me."

The little girl puffed out her chest and said heroically, "How could I possibly get tired!"

Ruan Xiu said softly, "The map of the northern situation of the Dongbao Bottle Continent, as well as the maps of the prefectures and counties of the Great Li and Great Sui, and a few smaller maps, are all placed in Li Baoping's basket. However, after you leave the border of the Great Li, you need to ask for directions often. Fortunately, Li Baoping understands your Great Li official language and the elegant language that is common throughout the Eastern Treasure Bottle Continent, so it shouldn't be a big problem. Also, I put some silver and copper coins inside. Compared to the gold essence copper coins you gave my father, they are nothing, so Chen Ping'an, you must not refuse."

Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly, "Am I stupid enough to refuse money?"

Ruan Xiu said a little annoyed, "You're not stupid?! For those who have no relationship with you..."Barely had the hurtful words escaped her lips than the girl was consumed by regret, quickly cutting herself short.

For standing not far away were four former students of the academy, no longer traveling alongside them.

Chen Ping An, who had been secretly winking, breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "The things we discussed yesterday, I'll have to trouble Miss Ruan with."

Ruan Xiu nodded, "Don't worry, I'll keep the keys safe. I'll tidy up the house every few days."

Chen Ping An took a deep breath and said to Li Bao Ping, "Let's go."

Li Bao Ping happily exclaimed, "Let's go!"

The pair, one large and one small, even their bamboo baskets were of differing sizes.

In everyone's sight, the two figures grew more and more distant.

Heading south, towards the Great Sui.

Along the way, the little girl chattered incessantly, recounting the interesting events of the small town, finally broaching the subject of scholarly travels. She lectured Chen Ping An with an old-fashioned air, "Scholars embarking on travels need to carry swords for self-defense, showcasing their mastery of both martial and literary arts."

Chen Ping An chuckled, "Indeed, that's for you scholars, not for me."

The little girl was taken aback, falling silent.

The truth seemed to have disheartened her greatly.

Cui Chan purchased a flask of fine liquor from the town's tavern and strolled leisurely towards Second Son Lane.

Upon reaching the Yuan family's ancestral home, Cui Chan paused as he unlocked the door, but ultimately pushed it open with a smile.

He strode inside, closing the door behind him, and walked to the water pond. Gazing at the man standing beneath the plaque in the main hall, ethereal and shimmering, Cui Chan sat on a chair by the pond, uncorked the flask, took a sniff, and then turned his head to laugh, "Even with only a wisp of your remaining soul, to arrive uninvited and trespass on private property is hardly the act of a gentleman, is it, Qi Jingchun, Junior Brother Qi, wouldn't you agree?"

The man turned around, his face vaguely discernible, revealing the elegant and refined scholar, Qi Jingchun, the headmaster of Cliff Academy who had single-handedly contended against the heavens.

Qi Jingchun smiled faintly, "That day, you and Cui Ming Huang were ostensibly putting on a show for Wu Yuan, but in truth, it was for my benefit. Was it tiring?"

Cui Chan dragged a chair over and sat down, his eyes crinkling in a smile, "Oh? What did you discern?"

Qi Jingchun stood on the north side of the water pond, facing Cui Chan who was seated on the south side, and asked, "Why did your cultivation base plummet from the twelfth floor of Qi Refining to the tenth floor?"

Cui Chan leaned back in his chair, twirling the flask of liquor held between two fingers, "Isn't it all thanks to our erudite master? Who would have thought that you had already blazed your own path? So, as the master's statue continued to crumble, not only were you unaffected, but your realm steadily ascended. As for me, after abandoning the sect for so long, I still haven't managed to escape the influence of his lineage and school of thought. The most despairing thing is that I've realized I have no hope of surpassing or defeating the master with my own knowledge in this lifetime. What to do? I can't just stand by and be buried with the master, can I? The problem is that the collapse of the master's statue had an impact akin not to a pebble dropped in a lake, but to a mountain collapsing into the water. The scale of the waves was such that, apart from those who were already ashore like you, almost