Chen Ping’an put an end at last to the seemingly endless Lotus Flower Blessed Land. After the old Daoist priest vanished, Chen Ping’an’s first action was to inquire about the current year in the Northern Jin Nation. He was truly afraid that, as the books said, sixty years in the mountains would be equivalent to a thousand years in the mortal world.

If the old Daoist priest had tricked him, trapping him in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land for ten or even a few dozen years, then it would be highly improbable that he could find his enemies to exact revenge. Not only that, but he had also lost his Lasting Qi.

Fortunately, after questioning a merchant on the official road outside Northern Jin Nation, he breathed a sigh of relief. It had only gone from the sixth year of the Guangxi reign to the seventh.[1] Autumn had arrived in the Parasol Leaf Continent, and the solar terms were similar to those of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. It was nearing the middle of autumn.

Chen Ping’an now harbored some mental reservations about Northern Jin Nation, so he did not dare linger. He continued his journey north.

He had initially wished to see Peace and Tranquility Mountain from afar, especially given its long-standing reputation. However, this desire had vanished.

Furthermore, he did not exactly have a good relationship with Zhou Fei of Spring Tide Palace, Lu Fang of Bird’s Eye View Peak, the wandering swordsman Feng Qingbai, and the other immortals. Therefore, all Chen Ping’an desired was to find an immortal ferry station and return to the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent immediately.

Although Old Man Yang had warned him not to return to the small town for five years after leaving, that warning specifically referred to his hometown. There were still many other places he could visit.

For example, he could go to Old Dragon City, where Fan Er resided; Azure Phoenix Nation, where Zhang Shanfeng and Xu Yuanxia had traveled; Water Combing Nation, where Sword Saint Song Yushao was; Bamboo Scroll Lake, where Gu Can’s master had taken him; the academy in Great Sui Nation, where Li Baoping and others were studying; and so on.

There were many places he could go. In any case, it was best to leave the Parasol Leaf Continent as quickly as possible.

Chen Ping’an put away the oil-paper umbrella that had remained in his hand even after leaving the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. As they walked along the official road, the skinny little girl continued to look around with curiosity, asking, “Where is this? Is it not Southern Garden Nation?”

She hadn’t understood a single word when Chen Ping’an had just asked the merchant about the year.

Chen Ping’an nodded in response. This little deadweight following him was another reason he wanted to leave the Parasol Leaf Continent as quickly as possible. Traveling with her was completely different from traveling with Lu Tai. Indeed, things would become very troublesome if they encountered wandering cultivators acting as bandits. However, the gloom in Chen Ping’an’s mind deepened when he thought of Lu Tai and the man who sold tanghulus in the small town.

Qi refiners from the mountains could often perceive the world through their palms, especially after becoming earth immortals. Although they would not be as omniscient and omnipresent as the old Daoist priest in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, they could still see and know enough to make one feel uneasy. He definitely needed to ask Cui Chan’s grandfather or Wei Bo about this mystical ability when he returned home. He needed to understand the process, the details, and the taboos and restrictions.

“Is this your hometown? Is this where immortals live?” Pei Qian asked.

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but chuckle, speechless. He then shook his head and replied, “This is not my hometown, nor is it an abode of immortals.”

Seeing that Chen Ping’an wouldn’t say more, Pei Qian didn’t press the matter.

She raised her hands and rubbed her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Pei Qian looked up with a dazzling smile and replied, “I feel very strange, but I can’t remember anything at all. I was sweeping the courtyard at Cao Qinglang’s house just then, but the wind blew, and I suddenly found myself here.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at her.

“Actually, I finished sweeping the courtyard and was sitting on my stool eating roasted sunflower seeds,” Pei Qian immediately corrected.

The two of them walked for only ten kilometers or so, and Pei Qian was already exhausted, panting like an old ox. Her face was contorted in a pitiful expression, and she said that her feet were blistered.

Chen Ping’an hired a horse-drawn carriage from a relay station. After negotiating the price and receiving a satisfactory offer, he paid and began his journey north by carriage. He agreed to stop at a prefectural city on the border of Northern Jin Nation, two days away.

The Northern Jin Nation of the Parasol Leaf Continent was completely different from the Northern Jin Nation of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. It had enjoyed many years of peace, and everyone was relaxed and lenient, whether officials at the relay stations or those checking passports. In fact, anyone with enough silver could stay at the relay stations, even if they weren’t officials.

This was Pei Qian’s first time in a horse-drawn carriage, and the skinny little girl found it an extremely novel and exciting experience. She felt very relaxed and content as the carriage rocked, occasionally pulling back the curtains to gaze at the scenery.

With the arrival of autumn, one could often see vast expanses of dazzling golden persimmon orchards not far from the official road. Pei Qian couldn’t help but drool, feeling a strong urge to have Chen Ping’an stop the carriage so she could grab a bucketful of persimmons.

While Pei Qian was looking out the window, Chen Ping’an took the opportunity to take out the four picture scrolls and examine them. The scroll spindles were different: one of insect-proof red sandalwood, one of white jade, and two of unknown materials. The four figures in the picture scrolls appeared vivid and lifelike.

Wei Xian, the founding emperor of Southern Garden Nation, sat in the manner of emperors in portraits. He wore a golden dragon robe, but he didn’t appear particularly tall or imposing. Instead, he seemed somewhat short and thin. Coupled with the loose fit of his dragon robe, he appeared slightly awkward.

Sui Youbian, the female sword immortal who failed to ascend physically, had a sword on her back and looked dashing and gallant. She was looking directly at the viewer of the scroll.

Lu Baixiang, the founder of the demonic force, was dressed in bright red armor. His hands rested on the hilt of his saber, its tip buried in the ground, and he appeared more like a mortal emperor than Wei Xian.

Zhu Lian, the martial arts maniac who died at Ding Ying’s hands, was hunched over, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were squinted, and he looked much like an old man from the marketplace.

These four picture scrolls only required grain rain coins? The problem was, how many grain rain coins would it take to bring each person to life? Moreover, the claim of unquestioning loyalty remained to be seen. Even if one were to take a step back, Chen Ping’an was a pure martial artist, and even Golden Sweet Wine, Deep Infatuation, and Halting Snow were external matters.

Fortunately, the old Daoist priest’s journey through time and space in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land had allowed him to better understand the world and many mortal matters. The change was subtle and intangible, but Chen Ping’an was now beginning to view the great trend of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent and the situation of the Jewel Small World in relation to the Great Li Empire with a different perspective. His views were no longer so extreme. Otherwise, with his past temperament, Chen Ping’an might have sold these four picture scrolls for an astronomical price.

Pei Qian leaned over and craned her neck to look at Sui Youbian’s picture scroll. “This big sister is so pretty,” she commented softly.

Chen Ping’an ignored her and carefully rolled up the four picture scrolls. He didn’t put them in his pocket treasure in front of Pei Qian, but instead placed them beside his feet. He couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. These four ancestors were far too difficult to raise.

How could they compare to First and Fifteenth, especially since the two flying swords were able to stay inside his Sword Nurturing Gourd? To say nothing of grain rain coins, First and Fifteenth hadn’t required a single snowflake coin after experiencing so many battles and living together for so long. Chen Ping’an didn’t need to worry about refining or nurturing them.

In reality, Chen Ping’an possessed a Dragon Slaying Platform, the best whetstone for refining and nurturing flying swords. However, Chen Ping’an naturally wouldn’t damage the Dragon Slaying Platform inscribed with the characters “Innocent” and “Ning Yao.”

Fortunately, First and Fifteenth had never thrown a tantrum about this. Even so, Chen Ping’an still planned to buy a small Dragon Slaying Platform from Sage Ruan Qiong when he returned to Dragon Spring Prefecture. He couldn’t treat his two flying swords too shabbily.

Chen Ping’an wouldn’t skimp on this purchase, even if it meant potentially using gold essence copper coins instead of grain rain coins.

He looked at the little girl.

Pei Qian also looked at him, worry tightening her heart. She was afraid he would kick her off the carriage. Unfamiliar with this world and its people, wouldn’t she be bullied to death?

Back in the Southern Garden Nation capital, she at least knew the streets and whom to steal from, which children to mug, who to avoid, and whom to ingratiate herself with. There was a small notebook in her mind, guiding her through the world.

However, winter was approaching. She would freeze to death before starving if heavy snow buried the ground. She had seen many old and young beggars freeze to death after failing to endure the snowstorms. Their corpses looked very ugly.

Pei Qian knew Chen Ping’an didn’t like her.

…Just as she knew Chen Ping’an liked Cao Qinglang very much.

She didn’t try to make Chen Ping’an like her. She would be happy as long as she had enough to eat and drink. In fact, it would be best if he could give her a large pile of silver. As for whether he liked her or not… how much silver was that worth?

The carriage driver, familiar with the road, Chen Ping’an and Pei Qian stayed at a relay station for the night, while the old carriage driver chose to stay inside his carriage. Chen Ping’an asked for two of the cheapest rooms, adjacent to each other.

Chen Ping’an bought some food from the relay station and placed it in his luggage, along with some ordinary books. This would give him something to carry. Otherwise, traveling empty-handed would make him too conspicuous.

After giving Pei Qian some food, Chen Ping’an returned to his room, placed his saber and sword on the table, lit the oil lamp, and retrieved his carving knife and a small emerald-green bamboo slip, beginning to inscribe tiny characters to record his experiences in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land.

Someone knocked on his door. Chen Ping’an opened it to see Pei Qian standing there, saying in a timid voice, “It’s completely dark… I’m a little scared…”

Chen Ping’an found this slightly humorous. She was brave enough to climb onto the stone lions of a wealthy family and sleep there for a night, yet surprisingly afraid of a dark room?

However, Chen Ping’an still allowed her to enter. Pei Qian obediently closed the door behind her, and Chen Ping’an gestured for her to sit opposite him, saying slowly, “This place is called the Parasol Leaf Continent, and it’s a very large continent. Our destination is the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and my hometown is in the north of this continent. Starting tomorrow, you will need to learn the official dialect of the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent and the dialect of my home nation, the Great Li Empire.”

A beaming smile spread across Pei Qian’s face as she earnestly nodded, replying, “Okey-dokey!”

It wasn’t that she wanted to learn some official dialect or whatnot. Rather, this person was implying he was taking her to his hometown. What did that signify? Free food, free drink, and free lodging, right?

However, what Chen Ping’an said next was like a bucket of cold water. A cloudy expression appeared on the skinny little girl’s face as she grumbled and complained in her mind.

As Chen Ping’an deftly moved his carving knife, meticulously inscribing characters on the bamboo slips from Azure Divine Mountain that Wei Bo had given him, he said to Pei Qian, “Besides teaching you the two official dialects, I will also teach you how to read starting tomorrow. If you study hard and do well, you will be able to fill your stomach every meal. If you don’t study hard and don’t do well, you will naturally have less to eat.”

Pei Qian grimaced, saying in a pitiful voice, “I’m very dumb.”

“Oh, then it looks like I can save some money,” Chen Ping’an remarked.

Pei Qian secretly glanced at Chen Ping’an. He didn’t look like he was joking, so she immediately smiled and added, “I’ll still do my best, though.”

After saying this, she lay down on the table and asked in a quiet voice, “Can you buy me some new clothes?”

Chen Ping’an, without looking up, replied, “I’ll buy you some warmer clothes when the weather gets colder.”

“But it’s already autumn, and the weather is already quite cold,” Pei Qian mumbled. “And look, there’s a hole in my shoe. Really, I’m not lying to you. If I get sick, you’ll have to take care of me. How troublesome would that be…?”

She raised her foot as she said this, and sure enough, her shoe was broken. Her tanned toes were already peeking out from the front.

Chen Ping’an put down his carving knife and gently brushed away the almost invisible bamboo scraps. “Go back to your room and sleep. We still need to wake up early for our journey tomorrow.”

Pei Qian didn’t say anything else, silently stood up, and left, returning to her room next door. A wide smile immediately spread across her face when she closed the door, but she quickly wiped it away and put on a serious expression. She didn’t allow herself to laugh out loud.

She then jumped onto the bed and happily rolled around. In the end, she gazed at the ceiling and kicked off her shoes. Thinking of Chen Ping’an’s expression, she copied his actions and bluntly said, “Return to your room and sleep.”

She didn’t dare speak out loud, but quickly made a face after saying this.

Before going to sleep, she jumped off the bed, lit the oil lamp, snuggled into bed, and slept until morning.

It would be a waste if she didn’t light the oil lamp.

This is how wealthy people should act.

1. “Guangxi” here refers to the reign title of the emperor. It changes with each emperor, and it is used to record the year number based on how long the emperor has ruled. ☜