Shoulder and Heart

The moon shone equally on rich and poor; when moonlight came calling, it never knocked. It went to Jade Tablet Street, and it went to Yanxi Alley.

The great sun drove off evil spirits; especially in winter, its warmth was like a cotton-padded coat. Yanxi Alley wore it, and Jade Tablet Street wore it too.

Chen Ping'an sat alone in the pavilion on Dragon Slaying Cliff for the whole night. In the end, he had not had the nerve to knock on Ning Yao's courtyard gate. To hell with wine giving courage to cowards—it was useless as shit.

When the sun stood three poles high, Chen Ping'an once again rode his sword out of the city for the Summer Palace. Chou Miao, Dong Budé, and the other local sword cultivators had all left except Pang Yuanji. Among the outsider sword cultivators such as Deng Liang, all but Lin Junbi had gone to pay visits to Sword Immortal seniors from their respective hometowns, or to reminisce with old friends. Thus, only Lin Junbi and Pang Yuanji remained, playing Go Game. Chen Ping'an watched without speaking. Lin Junbi's skill at Go Game was a notch above Pang Yuanji's, so the outcome held no suspense. After watching for a while, Chen Ping'an went to rummage through the archives. Then Lin Junbi came running over to say that Great Sword Immortal Mi Hu had specifically requested to see Lord Yin Guan. Still, this Great Sword Immortal knew the rules and had no intention of entering uninvited.

Chen Ping'an told Lin Junbi to continue his game, then went to the main gate to meet Mi Hu, elder brother of Mi Yu, the leader of his Yin Guan lineage. Mi Hu was the newest—and youngest—Immortal Realm cultivator of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Ping'an clasped