Heavenly Dao's Movement Is Strong

In the darkness of night, Chen Ping'an, who had fled into the deep mountains, ran with all his might. Not long after, he entered a bamboo forest with unusually soft soil. The straw-sandaled youth began to deliberately make heavy footsteps.

About half an incense stick later, as he was about to reach the edge of the bamboo forest, the youth suddenly climbed a bamboo stalk on his left, swung towards another bamboo stalk not far away, acting more like an ape than the Mountain-Moving Ape of Zhengyang Mountain. After repeating this several times, he landed lightly, crouched down, and wiped away his footprints with his hands. He looked back; the distance from the first bamboo stalk was about five or six zhang. Only then did the youth continue running.

In less than an incense stick's time, the sound of the stream could be faintly heard. The youth, running with great strides, not only didn't stop but leaped high into the air, plunging into the stream. Soon, the youth stood up, having landed on a large rock. Familiar with this land and its waters, the youth strained his eyes, and with his extraordinary eyesight and excellent memory, he leaped from stone to stone in the stream, fleeing downstream. If he continued like this, he would reach the Green Ox Back by the stream south of the small town, then the Covered Bridge, and finally Master Ruan's blacksmith shop.

However, the youth did not get too close to Green Ox Back. Instead, after the stream flowed out of the mountains, at a place that suddenly narrowed like a woman's waist, he came ashore on the upper right.

Soon, a woman's gentle voice called out, "Chen Ping'an, over here."

Chen Ping'an quickly crouched down, panting, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The black-clothed girl asked in a low voice, "Can you really trick the old ape into going up the mountain?"

The youth said bitterly, "I did my best."

It was Ning Yao, who had also taken a detour from Fulu Street in the small town to meet him. She asked, "Are you injured?"

The straw-sandaled youth shook his head. "Minor injuries."

The girl's mood was complicated, and she said indignantly, "To play such a trick, it's your sheer luck the old ape didn't beat you to death!"

Chen Ping'an grinned. "That old beast broke the rules once before. But if you had shown up any later, I think I would have been in real trouble."

The girl was stunned for a moment, then said cheerfully, "It actually worked? Not bad, Chen Ping'an!"

Chen Ping'an chuckled.

Ning Yao rolled her eyes and asked, "What next?"

The straw-sandaled youth thought for a moment. "The general direction we agreed on before remains the same, but some details will need to be changed. The old ape is too powerful."

Ning Yao slapped the straw-sandaled youth on the head and said, laughing angrily, "You only just realized that?"

Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Miss Ning, turn around. I need to apply some medicinal paste to my back. And help me keep an eye on the stream."

The girl turned around readily, facing upstream.

Chen Ping'an took off the outer garment that originally belonged to Liu Xianyang, removed the wooden-porcelain armor, and took out a porcelain bottle from a cloth pouch at his waist. It was from Yang Family Shop. He poured some thick ointment into his right palm, lifted his left hand to hold his shirt, and used his right hand to apply the ointment to his back.

Even though the youth could endure pain well, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Although the girl didn't turn around, she still asked, "Does it hurt a lot?"

The youth laughed, "What's this?"

The girl pouted. Why is he acting tough?

In the westernmost house of the small town, a woman sat on the ground, weeping loudly, beating her chest. She was swaying, her thin clothes threatening to tear apart at any moment. Her two young children, covered in dirt, stood beside their mother, looking lost. A simple, honest man squatted outside, sighing with a face full of helplessness. A hole had inexplicably appeared in their roof. The spring chill had not yet completely faded. He could endure it, but how would his wife and children manage?

Neighbors gathered nearby, pointing and discussing. Some said they had also heard noises on their roofs earlier, thinking it was a wild cat causing trouble, so they didn't pay it any mind. Others said that it had been restless on the west side of the town today. It seemed some children had seen an old immortal dressed in white, floating around, covering the distance of dozens of steps for ordinary people in a single stride, and able to walk on walls and leap over eaves. They wondered if it was the Earth God who had left his shrine or the Mountain God who had come down from the mountain.

A young sword cultivator from Wind Thunder Garden squatted alone, his expression grave.

Liu Baqiao had been chatting with Mr. Cui at the Supervising Official's yamen. After hearing about the commotion at the Li family mansion, he had smelled trouble. However, this proud talent of Wind Thunder Garden, no matter how self-confident, did not dare to provoke a Mountain-Moving Ape. He was just thinking if he could watch the fire from across the river, and if there was an opportunity to take a jab at the old ape, it would be immensely satisfying. So Liu Baqiao climbed onto the upturned eaves of a study in a mansion, overlooking the small town, searching for the old ape's movements. As a result, he quickly discovered the unusual activity in Mud Bottle Alley on the west side of the town. Being naturally bold, Liu Baqiao quietly followed.

When the mountain guardian ape of Zhengyang Mountain couldn't help but circulate its vital energy, Liu Baqiao, after being injured, felt his natal flying sword, which had to be moved to warm and nurture in the Ming Tang acupoint, stirring restlessly, almost "unsheathing" itself. This was because in this strange world, the level of cultivation was directly proportional to the Heavenly Dao's suppressive force. According to Liu Baqiao's estimation, the mountain guardian ape was not having an easy time. Even if it could forcibly circulate its energy and breathe, and afterward use its formidable physique or supreme divine abilities to suppress the boiling sea of qi caused by the Heavenly Dao, the number of times it could "cheat" like this would be limited. Otherwise, it would bear the immense risk of a flood breaking its banks, and it was not impossible for its cultivation of thousands of years to be destroyed. To put it another way, each time it acted as an "immortal" from outside this world, it was a form of depletion, essentially equivalent to shortening one's lifespan for mortals in the world.

However, when Liu Baqiao saw the two large pits where the old ape had landed after collapsing the roof, the sword dao genius from Wind Thunder Garden began to feel fortunate that he had not acted rashly, otherwise he would have drawn trouble upon himself. Given the thickness of the old ape's fresh vital energy at that time, if it hadn't been for the commotion at the Li family mansion on Fulu Street, which forced it to go and confirm the safety of the little girl on Zhengyang Mountain, it might not have had absolute certainty in pursuing the cunning fox-like straw-sandaled youth, but in pursuing Liu Baqiao, it would have been a sure kill.

Of course, the old ape was not blind or stupid. By the time his natal flying sword was about to be drawn, the mountain guardian ape had certainly sensed his presence.

However, Liu Baqiao had brushed past the gates of hell. Despite the lingering fear, he did not feel any particular dread towards the old ape's existence itself. Wind Thunder Garden and Zhengyang Mountain, regardless of the disparity in strength between them, were fine as long as they didn't act. Once one side chose to act, it would be a fight to the death. Moreover, those with lower cultivation would never beg for mercy from their opponents. This was a fact proven by countless lives over the past five hundred years by the two sword dao holy lands of East Treasure Bottle Continent.

Besides, Liu Baqiao was not without his own backup in the small town.

Liu Baqiao slowly stood up. Instead of returning directly to the yamen, he walked towards the dilapidated small house on the west side. Standing outside the low yellow mud wall, he called out loudly. When the man and his wife turned to look at him, he casually tossed out a Golden Essence copper coin, throwing it to the tearful woman. He said with a smile, "Big sister, please stop crying. I could feel chills even from so far away!"

The woman took the golden copper coin and looked down at its style. It was similar to a copper coin, only the color was different. She was a little dazed and whispered, "Gold?"

Liu Baqiao laughed heartily. "No. But it's worth much more than gold..."

The woman was stunned for a moment, then became furious. She threw the golden copper coin fiercely at the young stranger, stood up, put her hands on her hips, and cursed, "Get lost! If it were gold, I might believe you. Worth more than gold? Do you think I'm ignorant?! I've handled silver myself. You little brat who hasn't even grown pubic hair, don't even bother with your little tadpole, and you dare to act like a lord here! My man isn't dead yet!"

As she said this, the woman became even angrier. She strode over. Her thick waist, not much thinner than a bucket, could still be twisted with a certain charm. She kicked the man who was squatting silently on the ground, sending him sprawling. The man didn't dare to fight back, or even retort. He crawled away, hunched over, and continued to squat, his eyes full of resentment.

The woman pointed at her husband and scolded him, "Useless coward, you're no different from being dead! When something happens, you just pretend to be dead. You wander around all day, catching fish and snakes, no different from a child in open-crotch pants, worse than your son! At least Little Huai knows to steal... pick up things to bring home. You're a father, why don't the workers at Yang Family Shop want you? Are you rolling in wealth or something? Why are you always arguing with money? You never do anything proper all year round..."

As she spoke, the woman, whose chest could be described as "spectacular," suddenly smiled. "If you weren't still capable of 'tossing' me around at night, would I be willing to live with you?!"

The surrounding neighbors who were watching the show burst into laughter. Some young men whistled and made lewd remarks.

The woman finally turned her attention back to the culprit, roaring, "Why aren't you leaving? Haven't you been weaned yet?!"

Liu Baqiao had never encountered such rustic ferocity. Instead of finding it crude, he found it quite amusing. He watched the lively scene with great interest. Even though he was being cursed at quite harshly by the woman, he laughed instead of getting angry. After every argument in Wind Thunder Garden, he would feel a sense of loneliness, as if he had great martial skills but no worthy opponents. He never expected to find an outlet for his skills today, so he became energetic, and said with a playful grin, "So what if I haven't been weaned? Big sister, can you help me?"

The woman raised an eyebrow and sneered, "I'm afraid I might accidentally suffocate you. You, you can go find Granny Ma in Apricot Blossom Alley! She'll feed you until you're full!"

A roar of laughter erupted.

Liu Baqiao didn't know who Granny Ma was, but from the reactions of the surrounding audience, he knew he had suffered a crushing defeat.

The young sword cultivator gave a thumbs-up, his smile brilliant. "Big sister, you win."

Then he pinched the Golden Essence copper coin between his fingers and shook it. "You really don't want it?"

The woman clearly hesitated, her eyes filled with suspicion.

At this very moment, someone called out helplessly from afar, "Baqiao, Mr. Cui wants you to hurry back."

Liu Baqiao turned his head at the sound. It was Chen Songfeng, a disciple of the Chen Clan from Longwei County. Standing beside him was a tall, stern-looking woman. She carried no weapons in her hands. While her appearance wasn't striking, her figure was impeccable, with a pair of long legs that greatly appealed to Liu Baqiao. She was Chen Songfeng's distant relative, though the exact nature of their relation had never been brought up by Chen Songfeng. The woman always addressed Chen Songfeng by his name. Throughout their journey together, Liu Baqiao hadn't found the woman arrogant in any way; she was simply naturally cold.

Since Cui Minghuang had spoken, Liu Baqiao dared not linger. He followed the two of them towards Fulu Street, but as he left, he couldn't help but glance back at the troubled-looking middle-aged man.

A disheveled man, blending in with the crowd, hesitated for a moment. After the neighbors had dispersed, he walked towards the courtyard alone.

The woman was about to take her children to her parents' home, though she was extremely reluctant. Her family were all snobs, and they had looked down on the man she chose. Thus, over the years, their interactions had been minimal, except for festivals. However, faced with this sudden misfortune, the woman had no choice. She wished she could be more assertive and take her son and daughter to an inn or restaurant for a few days, to live like a wealthy woman. But alas, her purse was empty, so empty that not even a single coin jingled. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and return to her parents' home to endure their disdain. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Before leaving, she fiercely pinched her husband's waist until his entire face contorted. The two children were accustomed to such scenes; far from worrying about their parents arguing, they secretly reveled in it.

The woman, with her sharp eyes, spotted the disheveled man lurking near the doorway. She immediately cursed, "Zheng, are you here to steal my clothes again? Are you a dog? Even a rabbit doesn't foul its own nest. No matter how unwilling I am to admit it, I've had the worst luck for eight lifetimes, and you're my brother-in-law. How could you bring yourself to steal?"

The disheveled man felt like crying without tears and wished he could die. "Sister-in-law, I swear to heaven and earth, I only forgot to buy sugar for your little Huai, and he deliberately said that! Why would you believe him?"

The little boy looked innocent.

The woman, of course, trusted her own child more. She raised her hand to slap the man.

The latter quickly ducked and moved aside, shouting at the man squatting on the ground, "Senior brother, aren't you going to persuade sister-in-law!"

The man grumbled in a low voice, "I don't dare."

The disheveled man sighed endlessly, "There's no place for honest people in this world."

The woman, holding one child by each hand, walked towards the courtyard gate. Suddenly, she turned her head, gave him a flirtatious wink, and said with a smile, "Zheng, bring more money next time. Sister-in-law will sell them to you. Fifty copper coins each, how about it?"

The disheveled man's eyes lit up. He timidly said, "Isn't that a little too expensive? The new clothes at the Apricot Blossom Alley shop, with the best fabric, are only this price..."

The woman's expression changed faster than flipping a book. She cursed, "You actually dare to have such wicked thoughts?! Go to hell! You deserve to be a bachelor for life! A worthless life, you'll die outside the East Gate one day and no one will collect your body..."

After the woman and children left, the disheveled man lightly leaped backward and sat on the courtyard wall, indignantly saying, "Senior brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you must have been blinded by greed to choose such a shrew for a wife."

It turned out this disheveled fellow was the gatekeeper of the small town's east gate, surnamed Zheng, and a bachelor.

The honest-looking man still squatting on the ground in the courtyard blurted out, "I'm happy with it."

The town gatekeeper, who was responsible for collecting money from outsiders, was silent for a moment before saying, "Master told me to be patient recently and not to get into fights."

The gatekeeper glanced up at the dilapidated roof and suddenly laughed, "Master also said that if you really can't stand it, find your wife to vent your anger. Anyway, sister-in-law isn't afraid of you bothering her; she likes that kind of thing."

The man, who wouldn't say a word even if beaten with ten rods, looked up at the disheveled man on the low wall. The latter quickly corrected himself, "Alright, alright, it was I, Zheng Dafeng, who said it. Master didn't say such things."

The honest-looking man stood up. He was short, with bronze-colored skin and bulging muscles in his arms that strained his sleeves.

He was also slightly hunched. He said to the town gatekeeper impatiently, "If Master is willing to say more than ten words to you, I'll change my surname."

The gatekeeper silently recited his master's instructions, then counted on his fingers. It really wasn't ten words! The disheveled man cursed his mother, then looked dejected and somewhat sad, showing a rare moment of genuine emotion, which made him appear particularly pitiable.

The hunched man asked, "Is there anything else?"

The gatekeeper nodded, "Master said for you to deal with that person."

The hunched man frowned, then habitually squatted down, facing the damaged house, and mumbled, "Why?"

The gatekeeper, Zheng Dafeng, rolled his eyes. "It's Master's order anyway. Do it if you want, or don't."

The man thought for a moment, "You can go. If I see you stealing sister-in-law's things next time, I'll break three of your legs."

The disheveled man, Zheng Dafeng, was furious. "Li Er! You explain yourself! Who stole your wife's clothes?! Do you believe such nonsense? Is your brain waterlogged?"

The man turned his head and looked at his agitated and furious fellow disciple, his face dark and silent.

Zheng Dafeng acted like a wronged, resentful young woman, filled with grief and indignation. "I'll never dare to do it again. Alright?!"

The gatekeeper stood up, his toes touched the ground, and he floated like a Sophora leaf into the street. Only when he was far away did he dare to curse loudly, "Li Er, I'm going to buy your sister-in-law's intimate clothing right now!"

While shouting threats, the disheveled man ran faster than a dog.

However, the honest-looking man had no intention of getting up. He spat out a single word, "Coward."

The three returned to the yamen. The Confucian gentleman from Guanhu Academy, Cui Minghuang, was waiting in the main hall. Upon seeing the unfamiliar woman, Cui Minghuang stood up and nodded in greeting. The woman also nodded, her expression still icy. In Liu Baqiao's private words, she had the look of "the whole world owes her a lot of money."

After the three were seated, Cui Minghuang said to Liu Baqiao with a smile, "It's a good thing you held back from intervening, otherwise you would have caused a huge mess. You didn't see it, but just now, our Supervising Official Lord Song and that mountain guardian ape from Zhengyang Mountain exchanged three punches head-on in Fulu Street. The commotion was considerable. Honestly, no matter what once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you encounter next, I advise you not to act. Don't think there's an opening."

Liu Baqiao asked curiously, "Did that old beast defeat Song Changjing in three punches? Is Song Changjing just a paper tiger, useless? Didn't they say he was on the verge of the tenth realm, just half a step away from entering that stage?"

Cui Minghuang said helplessly, "We are staying as guests at Lord Song's place. Can you speak more respectfully?"

Chen Songfeng sighed, "Lord Song had a slight advantage."

Even though he had no connection to that Great Li vassal king, any cultivator, upon hearing of such a feat, would be filled with admiration!

A pure martial artist, relying solely on his physical body, went head-to-head with a Mountain-Moving Ape!

And what's more, he managed to gain the upper hand!

The woman sat to the side, resting with her eyes closed, her hands resting naturally on her knees.

Upon hearing this, her fingers twitched slightly.

She had also been found by Chen Songfeng in a hurry. Originally, she had planned to wander around the small town.

The reason she didn't insist on her original plan but instead followed Chen Songfeng to find Liu Baqiao and then return to the yamen was simply to go with the flow.

As for whether Chen Songfeng could gain any advantage from that old locust tree and obtain a few ancestral shade locust leaves, the woman, also surnamed Chen, was not concerned.

However, when Chen Songfeng found her, she could still clearly sense the young man's deliberately suppressed excitement. It was likely that he had gained a substantial amount, and the number of locust leaves obtained had exceeded the expectations of the old ancestor of the Chen Clan of Longwei County.

Liu Baqiao suddenly burst into hearty laughter. "That old beast took a huge fall this time! Wonderful, absolutely wonderful! To be played like a dog and a monkey by an ordinary youth, led around by the nose for half the small town! Haha, this colossal joke is enough for me to talk about for ten years at Wind Thunder Garden! And with the hotheads from Zhengyang Mountain, they'll surely be eager to jump out and say, 'These are all slanderous accusations from our Wind Thunder Garden! Show us proof if you have it!' Proof of your grandfather! If this small town didn't strictly forbid sorcery, and if the price for breaking the rules wasn't so high, I would have 'imprinted' this scene onto a sound-and-image mirror, even if it cost me my life."

Cui Minghuang's expression shifted slightly. He called out to Liu Baqiao in a deep voice, "Baqiao!"

The woman opened her eyes almost simultaneously.

Liu Baqiao was about to ask what was wrong when he abruptly shut his mouth.

Soon, a man in white robes slowly arrived. After crossing the threshold, he smiled at Liu Baqiao and asked, "What's so funny that you're laughing alone? It's better to share joy with others. Why don't I have a good laugh too?"

Cui Minghuang had already stood up, intending to offer the main seat to this Great Li prince.

Song Changjing smiled and shook his head at the scholar from Guanhu Academy, signaling that such formalities were unnecessary. He casually pulled over a chair and sat down beside Liu Baqiao, facing the woman with Chen Songfeng flanking them on either side.

Although Liu Baqiao gave the impression of being a roguish and lazy character, facing a martial artist who could very likely reach the tenth realm at such close proximity, especially one with such a notorious reputation – the matter of building the 'Jingguan' was one thing, but his hobby of killing geniuses was truly chilling. So, even though Liu Baqiao had called Song Changjing by name when the Great Li prince wasn't around, he was now quite nervous.

Fortunately, the young sword cultivator had never cared much about losing face. He chuckled and said, "Grandmaster Song, I was just talking about your epic battle with that old beast from Zhengyang Mountain. It was truly earth-shattering and soul-stirring! Your punches were like dragons, Your Highness. If you hadn't held back, that mountain guardian ape would have died on Fulu Street without even a whole corpse! Your martial arts are so profound, and your martial virtue so high, that a junior like me can hardly hope to match it!"

Song Changjing smiled and said nothing.

Cold sweat beaded on Liu Baqiao's forehead, and his back was soaked with sweat. He finally couldn't utter another word and sullenly fell silent.

Song Changjing suddenly turned his gaze to the woman opposite him, his eyes playful and full of interest. He asked, "Are you also a disciple of the Chen Clan from Longwei County?"

The woman shook her head and slowly replied, "No."

Song Changjing let out a soft "Oh" and appeared to be in thought.

The atmosphere became awkward.

It wasn't until Song Jixin appeared at the doorway. The young man saw that there were no chairs inside and casually sat down on the threshold, looking at everyone in the room.

Song Changjing paid no mind to this and said with a smile to Liu Baqiao, "Actually, you are one of the benefactors for the youth surviving."

If the Mountain-Moving Ape hadn't initially believed the youth's provocation was instigated by someone, and if in this small town, anyone daring to set a trap for Zhengyang Mountain was no fool but someone skilled in planning and acting, then the old ape would have thought the oriole behind the mantis stalking the cicada must have a high status and be a formidable fighter. This made the old ape, who was unwilling to reveal any flaws, appear quite flustered in the Mud Bottle Alley area.

So, it wasn't until they reached the house at the westernmost end of the small town that the old ape, after confirming there were no assassins lurking around, finally let loose a bit and landed a punch on the straw-sandaled youth's back.

Liu Baqiao chuckled dryly, "Although that's the case, I don't want to be that kind of benefactor."

Song Changjing merely smiled.

The woman turned and glanced at the handsome young man sitting on the threshold.

The young man gave her a slight smile.

The woman turned her head back, her expressionless.

The young man pouted and began to openly admire her long legs. She looked to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, reasonably attractive, but the young man found her quite charming.

The woman turned her head back, her eyes cold, and said hoarsely, "Are you looking for death?"

Song Jixin pointed to himself, wearing an extremely shallow and innocent, yet infuriatingly smug expression. "Me?"

Then the young man pointed to the Great Li prince, Song Changjing, "Then you'll have to ask him first."

The woman was about to stand up.

Song Changjing's eyes narrowed instantly.

Inside the hall, a powerful pressure like a torrential rain slammed down on everyone's heads. There was nowhere to hide, and everyone's skin felt a tangible stinging pain.

Only Song Jixin, by the doorway, seemed completely unaffected.

Chen Songfeng spoke with difficulty, but his tone was not weak, "Your Highness, this young lady is not from our East Treasure Bottle Continent, so I hope Your Highness will act with caution!"

The woman smiled and stood up. "You dare to kill me? Aren't you afraid your Great Li will be destroyed?"

Cui Minghuang was about to intervene.

Suddenly, the woman was sent flying backward. The chair behind her turned to dust in mid-air, and the woman's tall figure was completely embedded in the wall, almost as if she were an object fused with it.

Song Changjing appeared as if out of nowhere beneath the wall, hands behind his back, looking up slightly at the woman bleeding from all seven orifices. He smiled and said, "Little girl, do you think your father or your ancestor is very powerful, so you have the right to speak such… what's the word?"

The prince turned and smiled at his nephew. The young man smiled and said, "Arrogant, 'speak such arrogant words'."

Song Changjing smiled and turned back to look at the woman. Although she was in great pain, her eyes were resolute, showing no sign of begging for mercy. Song Changjing said, "When you're reborn in your next life, don't run into me again."

Chen Songfeng's liver and gall were about to split, his eyes bloodshot, and he was in a state of extreme emotional turmoil, filled with both great anger and great fear. He was about to speak.

Cui Minghuang had already stepped forward, bowed, and apologized sincerely. "Your Highness, could you do me a favor and not take it out on her?"

Song Changjing's lips twitched, full of mockery.

The woman, meeting the gaze of the Great Li prince, suddenly closed her eyes as if accepting her fate.

Just then, the young man by the threshold burst into laughter. "Uncle! Forget it. Bullying a woman will tarnish your reputation."

Song Changjing's body paused slightly, so subtly that even Cui Minghuang and Liu Baqiao felt as though the god of death had remained utterly still.

Song Changjing tilted his head and flicked his fingers casually, as if dusting off his shoulder.

Liu Baqiao, the foremost young talent of Wind Thunder Garden, was stunned into silence.

Cui Minghuang breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Songfeng felt as if he were lost in a fog.

Song Changjing smiled at Liu Baqiao and said, "Kid, not bad. I have high hopes for you."

The woman opened her eyes, "pulled" herself out of the wall, and landed. Her form flickered, and she said to the figure with his back to her, "Today's lesson is remembered in my heart, Chen Dui."

Song Changjing ignored her and said to Liu Baqiao, "After leaving the small town, find me in the Great Li capital. I have something to give you. It depends on whether you can carry it or not."

Liu Baqiao blurted out, "A Talisman Sword!"

Cultivators all knew that Talisman Swords were one of the main magical artifacts of Daoism. However, if a sword could directly bear the name "Talisman Sword" and be known to the world, one could imagine how astonishing it would be.

Song Changjing and Song Jixin walked out of the courtyard. The man chuckled, "Are you done with that anger in your chest?"

Song Jixin nodded, "Pretty much."

Regarding the matter of Chen Ping'an earlier, this guy had even set up his own nephew, so Song Jixin was naturally full of resentment and anger.

Song Jixin suddenly frowned and asked, "That woman looked like she had a powerful background. Uncle, aren't you afraid that if you beat the child, you'll provoke the parent, and if you beat the parent, you'll provoke the elders? If the local county gazetteer isn't lying, then I know how formidable those old brutes are. Will our Great Li really be okay then?"

The man's words immediately pacified the young man.

"You underestimate the name Song Changjing."

Inside the hall, Cui Minghuang returned to his seat, his expression unreadable.

Liu Baqiao slumped back against the chair, his heart still pounding. "Good heavens, is the gap between the seventh and eighth realms and this ninth realm really that vast?"

The Wind Thunder Garden had one seventh-realm and one eighth-realm martial artist, and they were both on good terms with Liu Baqiao.

Cui Minghuang shook his head, "In Go, even among ninth-dan masters, there are strong and weak ones, and the difference is huge. Moreover, Song Changjing is already the strongest among the ninth realm."

Then Cui Minghuang looked at the woman named Chen Dui and asked with concern, "Miss Chen, are you alright?"

The woman was also tough. Although her face was pale, she still smiled calmly, "I'm fine."

Chen Songfeng seemed more anxious than this distant relative of the person involved.

Cui Minghuang sighed inwardly. The Chen Clan of Longwei County would likely find it difficult to stand out in the upcoming chaotic era of great contention.

Liu Baqiao clicked his tongue. "With a flick of his finger, he could send my flying sword back into my acupoint without harming my soul in the slightest. It's truly inconceivable."

Cui Minghuang teased, "Now you know there are mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people, right?"

Liu Baqiao, unable to hold back, said mischievously, "People beyond people? Mr. Cui, you're really not much of a gentleman!"

Cui Minghuang was amused and exasperated, and he ignored the scoundrel.

Liu Baqiao thought for a moment and then spoke to comfort the woman with the strange name, lest she become disheartened and stubbornly try to fight Song Changjing, which would bring trouble to everyone in the room. "Sister Chen, although it's demoralizing to say this, bowing your head and taking a step back when facing Song Changjing is not shameful."

Chen Songfeng wanted to speak but stopped.

However, the woman hummed and said calmly, "Song Changjing does have that qualification. I don't have any complaints, just a sense of unwillingness."

Liu Baqiao said carelessly, "Actually, you don't even need to feel unwilling. Look at me, I'm so happy right now. When I get back to the Wind Thunder Garden, I'll have ten years' worth of bragging rights. I actually crossed hands with Great Li's Song Changjing, even if it was just one move, and I, Liu Baqiao, came out unscathed! Of course, if I can really get that Talisman Sword in the Great Li capital, I can brag for a hundred years!"

The woman's thoughts drifted elsewhere.

For some reason, she remembered the young man sitting on the doorstep, the one who could stop Song Changjing from killing someone with just a few words.

After the old shopkeeper of the Yang Family Shop returned to the small town, he went straight to the courtyard behind his shop. It was just the right size for the three long-term workers and apprentices in the shop to live in.

The shopkeeper pushed open the main house in the backyard and saw an old man sitting in a chair, fiddling with his old pipe. After closing the door, the shopkeeper called out, "Old Man Yang." The old man quickly put down his old bamboo pipe, poured a bowl of tea, and asked with a smile, "Shopkeeper, is someone in urgent need of medicine? Do you need me to go up the mountain in the dark?"

The elderly shopkeeper looked at the old man, who was about the same age, and shook his head. He picked up his teacup and sighed, "Today I saw a patient for Master Ruan, a young man named Liu. He was beaten half to death by an outsider with one punch. I've been feeling uneasy, so I thought I'd come here to sit with you and relax."

Old Man Yang, whose face was as wrinkled as the bark of an old locust tree, smiled and said, "Shopkeeper, just sit. We're not outsiders."

The shopkeeper suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Old Man Yang, the child you helped many years ago, the one from Mud Bottle Alley, the poor child who had to get medicine for his mother at such a young age, wasn't his name Chen Ping'an?"

Old Man Yang looked a little surprised and nodded, "Yes, his mother eventually passed away. If I remember correctly, she didn't make it through that winter. After that, I saw the child a few more times, but not many. I couldn't bear to see it back then, so I even gave the child a worthless folk remedy. What's wrong? Was this child injured?"

The shopkeeper took a sip of tea and said with a wry smile, "Didn't I just say? That young man's surname is Liu. Old Man Yang, you're really something, what a memory!"

Old Man Yang laughed heartily, unconcerned.

The old shopkeeper cautiously probed, "Old Man Yang, should our shop do something?"

Old Man Yang picked up his old pipe made of small nanmu wood and shook his head. "Shopkeeper, you don't need to do anything."

The shopkeeper seemed to have been reassured and nodded. "That's good, that's good. Old Man Yang, you carry on with your business. I'll be going now."

As Old Man Yang was about to stand up to see him off, the old shopkeeper quickly stopped him. "No need to see me off."

After the old shopkeeper walked down the steps, he looked back. Old Man Yang was about to close the door. Their eyes met, and he grinned. The old shopkeeper quickly turned and left.

When the old shopkeeper took over the shop in his middle age, his dying father's last words were strange: "'If the shop encounters a major event, find Old Man Yang and do as he says.' This saying has been passed down since your great-grandfather's time. When you pass the shop on to the next generation, be sure to remember to say this. Never forget!"

The old shopkeeper nodded vigorously and promised. Only then did his father breathe his last and pass away peacefully.

The night grew deeper.

Old Man Yang lit an oil lamp.

Chewing on his dry tobacco, the old man recalled some old memories, all trivial matters that no one would ever care about.

An ancestral home passed down through generations, tidily kept, not at all like a household in Mud Bottle Alley.

A kind and honest man squatted by the courtyard entrance, watching a delicate and clean-looking child. He asked with a smile, "Son, after the new year, will you be a grown-up?"

The child raised a hand, full of lively childishness, "Dad, I'm five years old by the traditional count, I'm already a grown-up!"

The man smiled, a hint of sadness in his heart, "Then when Dad isn't here anymore, Mom will be yours to take care of, can you do it?"

The child immediately straightened his back, "Yes!"

The man smiled and extended a large, calloused hand, "Pinky promise."

The child quickly extended his fair, small hand, happily saying, "Pinky promise, sealed with a hundred years, no backing out!"

The father and son linked their pinky fingers, then pressed their thumbs together tightly.

After letting go, the man slowly stood up. He glanced at the graceful figure busy in the main house, then suddenly strode away.

Behind him, the child shouted, "Dad, candied hawthorn is delicious."

The man's lips trembled. He turned his head, forcing a smile, "I know!"

The child, being sensible, blinked his eyes, "The smaller ones are even more delicious."

The man quickly turned his head, not daring to look at his son again, and continued forward, murmuring, "Son, Dad's leaving!"

At the Yang Family Shop, a child who came to buy medicine every few days was shoved out of the shop by an impatient shop assistant. The young assistant cursed, "How many times have I told you, a few slivers of silver like this can't even buy medicine dregs! Why are you so annoying? You've been blocking the doorway half the day. This is a pharmacy, we have business to do, not a temple where you can worship Bodhisattvas! If it weren't for your age, I'd have already laid hands on you. Get out, get out!"

The child tightly clutched the shriveled money pouch, wanting to cry but holding back the tears. He repeated his endless plea, "My mother is still waiting for me to make her medicine. It's been a long time. We really don't have any money, but my mother is really very sick..."

The young assistant casually picked up a broom and made a move to strike.

The child, crouching outside the threshold, was scared and hugged his head with both hands. His left hand still held onto the money pouch tightly.

After a long while, the child looked up and saw a stern-faced old man standing there, looking at him.

The young shop assistant had already sheepishly put down the broom and was busy with his own tasks.

The old man extended a hand, "You pay for what you buy. It's only natural for businessmen to make money. As for how much they earn, that depends on their conscience, but there's no reason to lose money. So, give me your money pouch. I'll take these few slivers of silver, and I'll let you have the medicinal herbs your mother needs today on credit. But you have to pay me back later, not a single cent short. Little fellow, do you understand?"

The child blinked, dazed, but still handed over the money pouch.

Finally, the old man, leaning with some effort over the counter, could look at the child whose head was barely visible. He asked, "Do you know how to make medicine?"

The child nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

The old man frowned, "You really know?"

This time, the child only dared to nod gently.

The young assistant laughed from a distance, "Our Master Liu went to Mud Bottle Alley once and treated his mother. After that, he taught the child how to make medicine. Later, he wasn't at ease and personally watched the child prepare it. It's strange, a kid so young, but he actually made no mistakes. Master Liu told me himself, so it should be correct."

The old man waved to the child, "Go ahead."

The child, overjoyed, carried a large bag of medicinal herbs wrapped in yellow oiled paper and ran back to Mud Bottle Alley.

His mother lay on a wooden plank bed. After the child tiptoed into the room, he found his mother still asleep. He touched her forehead; it wasn't hot, and he breathed a sigh of relief. The child then quietly moved one of his mother's hands back under the covers.

The child went to the outdoor kitchen and began to make medicine in a clay pot. In his spare time, he started to cook.

The child had to stand on a small stool to reach.

The child stirred the pot with great effort, coughing from the hot steam, but still muttered, "It has to be delicious, it really does! Otherwise, Mom won't have an appetite again..."

A child, only five years old by the traditional count, carried a basket almost larger than himself, walking towards the mountain outside the small town.

This was the child's second time entering the mountain. The first time, Old Man Yang from the Yang Family Shop had accompanied him. Considering the child's weak legs, they walked very slowly. Moreover, the old man only taught the child which herbs to pick, and the old man carried the basket himself. So, that trip into and out of the mountain was actually quite easy. Today was different. The child, under the scorching sun, carried the basket, feeling a burning pain on his back.

The child walked, crying, gritting his teeth as he moved forward.

That time, the child didn't return to the Yang Family Shop until dark. The basket contained only a thin layer of medicinal herbs.

Old Man Yang was furious.

The child said with a choked voice that he only had his mother at home and was afraid she would starve. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought back so few medicinal herbs. He could go into the mountain early tomorrow.

The old man remained silent, turned, and left, saying only that he would give him one more chance.

In less than two months after that, the child's hands and feet were covered in calluses.

One day, a sudden downpour trapped the child on the other side of the stream, as he had gone up the mountain to gather herbs and lost track of time.

Looking at the surging floodwaters, the child cried loudly in the heavy rain.

Finally, when the child couldn't bear it any longer and was about to jump into the stream.

At that moment, Old Man Yang suddenly appeared on the opposite bank. He crossed the stream in one step, and then in another, he picked up the child and carried him back.

Raindrops the size of soybeans hit their bodies. On the way down the mountain, the child couldn't stop smiling.

After leaving the mountain, the old man said, "Little Ping'an, help me make a pipe, and I'll teach you a little trick to climb mountains without getting tired."

The child wiped the rain away haphazardly with his hand and grinned, "Okay!"

The child skipped and hopped back to Mud Bottle Alley. Today, he had found a rare and valuable herb, so Yang Family Shop had given him extra medicinal ingredients his mother needed.

The child, who hadn't eaten all day, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach as he walked.

In that moment, the child knew he had eaten something wrong on the mountain.

The pain started in his stomach, spread to his limbs, and finally reached his head.

First, the child carefully squatted down, took off his basket, and took a deep breath, trying to suppress the pain.

But then came a burning heat, followed by a chilling shiver. In the end, the child could only writhe in pain in the alley.

From beginning to end, the child didn't dare to cry out.

No matter how his head bumped against the alley walls in his delirium, the child still didn't cry out.

He was too close to home.

The child was afraid his mother, lying in bed, would worry.

During that ordeal, the child's consciousness blurred, and he could only feel the beating of his own heart, like a drumbeat close to his ears, thundering loudly.

In Apricot Blossom Alley, a child again squatted not far from the sugar-coated hawthorn stand. He would squat there for a while each time, not for long, but long enough for the stall owner to remember his dark, small face.

Finally, one time, the man selling sugar-coated hawthorns took off a skewer, smiled, and said, "Here you go, no charge."

The child quickly stood up, shook his head, gave a shy smile, and ran off.

After that, his figure was never seen again.

That winter.

The woman on her sickbed was emaciated, her face withered and ugly.

The child, who had just returned from praying at the dilapidated shrine, went to the Iron Lock Well in Apricot Blossom Alley to fetch water. He came to the bedside, sat on a small stool, and found his mother had woken up. He asked softly, "Mom, are you feeling any better?"

The woman smiled with difficulty. "Much better. It doesn't hurt at all anymore."

The child was overjoyed. "Mom, praying to the Bodhisattvas is useful!"

The woman nodded and tremblingly reached out a hand. The child quickly took his mother's hand.

The woman turned over with extreme difficulty and pain, gazing at her child's face. Tormented by illness, she suddenly radiated a look of happiness and murmured, "How can there be such a good child in the world, and how is he coincidentally my son?"

That winter, the woman ultimately couldn't make it through the year. She didn't live to see her son put up the couplets and Door Gods. She died.

As she closed her eyes, snow began to fall in the small town. She asked her son to go out and watch the snow.

Listening to her son's footsteps as he ran out of the house, the woman closed her eyes and devoutly chanted, "Shattered pieces, shattered pieces, shattered pieces of peace, shattered pieces of peace, my little Ping'an, peace year after year, year after year, year after year, safe and sound..."

From that day on, Chen Ping'an became an orphan.

He had simply changed from a child to a youth.