Chapter 496 (2): Sword Immortals Need to Drink Wine

When the scholar closed his eyes, Chen Ping'an noticed that he seemingly took a glance at someplace to the side.

When the scholar opened his eyes again, he was once again that familiar scholar from Peeling Mountain. His expression was as if he had just taken a shit in his pants.

The two of them fell silent.

After a brief moment, Chen Ping'an remarked, "Your acting is quite good, Yang Ningxing. You're one of the ten dragons and phoenixes of the Northern Complete Reed Continent, and you're also the Young Heavenly Lord of the Lofty Cloud Palace. Why are you hiding such impressive titles?"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

There was a baffled look on the scholar's face.

Chen Ping'an snickered upon seeing this.

The scholar felt like the other him wouldn't go as far as to reveal so much to this person, so he continued to play stupid as he replied in exasperation, "The Esteemed Mystery Department's Young Heavenly Lord will get angry if he hears something like this. Yang Ningxing is an extremely stubborn and pedantic person, and he's not willing to take a single joke. Of the two brothers, Yang Ningzhen and Yang Ningxing, I still prefer to interact with Yang Ningzhen more.

"Also, that Daoist nun from the Esteemed Mystery Department who's responsible for communicating with the imperial court is truly a top-notch beauty. The reason that I've left home to train in the dangerous Malicious Ghost Valley this time is because I want to make a name for myself and have her hold me in higher regard.

"Brother Haoren, you have a good name and even better skills, so you definitely need to meet her when you visit the Great Origin Empire in the future. She's extremely smart, and she managed to fund and host an esteemed Heavenly Worship Ceremony when she was just a young girl. You'll most likely fall for her when you see her, but the end result is that she won't return your feelings. At that time, the two of us can drink together to wash away our sorrows and deepen our friendship!"

Chen Ping'an stood up and ignored the scholar's nonsense. As he looked around, he summoned the demon-binding chain to his hand and also had First and Fifteenth return inside his Sword Nurturing Gourd.

The scholar had taken a glance at someplace before resting his mind, but had he done that to play tricks and instill doubt in Chen Ping'an's mind? Or was there truly something mysterious in the vicinity of this mountain? Or perhaps a mighty figure had arrived, and Chen Ping'an was simply unable to detect their presence?

If that were truly the case, then was it the Nascent Tier Pu Rang's yin soul traveling afar and hiding somewhere nearby? Or was it some paramount figure with an even higher cultivation base? Was it an old immortal from the Small Mystery Capital Temple or the Great Round Moon Monastery, places that weren't recorded in the

Be At Ease Compilation

? Or was it a heroic spirit from the north of Malicious Ghost Valley?

In any case, it was unlikely to be Jiang Shangzhen.

If Jiang Shangzhen were using an observation technique to keep an eye on him from afar, then that would be very normal and understandable. However, for Jiang Shangzhen to secretly come here without showing himself? This definitely wasn't something that he would do.

Regarding the Jade Tablet Sect's plans at Bamboo Scroll Lake, Jiang Shangzhen had revealed some secrets when opening up to Chen Ping'an before at Mural City.

Chen Ping'an believed seventy to eighty percent of what he had said.

That being the case, he could temporarily view Jiang Shangzhen as an ally instead of an enemy. Even if Jiang Shangzhen wasn't a friend, he at least wouldn't scheme against Chen Ping'an or try to harm him.

To put things bluntly, just how easy would it be for Jiang Shangzhen to kill Chen Ping'an if he truly wanted to? Could he not do this with much more ease than Pu Rang, the skeleton whom Chen Ping'an viewed as a swordsman?

Right now, Chen Ping'an could only flee if he came face to face with a Nascent Tier cultivator.

Meanwhile, Jiang Shangzhen was an Upper Five Tier cultivator renowned in the Parasol Leaf Continent for his hobby of killing Nascent Tier cultivators.

Chen Ping'an sighed in his mind.

He silently told himself not to rush.

Cultivation wasn't drinking wine, and it wasn't the case that one could take large swigs or small sips without a care in the world.

One needed to eat rice one mouthful at a time, walk forward one step at a time, and earn money one coin at a time.

The scholar stood up and stretched his body before asking, "Brother Haoren, you have two bonded flying swords? Practicing the sword is already the most expensive cultivation path in the world, and ordinary sword talents need to receive money and resources from their immortal force to nurture a single flying sword. This is already their limit. So, how are you able to nurture two? Simply by traveling around and looting people? By the looks of it, you and I are quite similar. We're both official immortals who aren't receiving enough resources from our sect, so we're using the excuse of training in the outside world to act as vagrant cultivators and obtain some extra money. Isn't that right?"

Chen Ping'an didn't answer this question, and he instead looked toward the north and said, "I suffered a huge loss to rescue you just then, so what are you planning to do next?"

The scholar rubbed his hands together and chuckled in reply, "My Dao robe and my three talismans fell into enemy hands, so I naturally need to retrieve these items first."

Chen Ping'an glanced at him and said, "That's reasonable. Then let's each go our own ways. You can look for your lost treasures, and here's wishing Brother Mumao success in gaining resounding fame in Malicious Ghost Valley. As for me, I'll continue to look for some bargain goods."

"Oh, hey, that won't do," the scholar exclaimed. "There's strong animosity between me and the group of demons, so they'll definitely attack me together when they see me. They'll go red-eyed with killing intent, and I'll be forced into an even more pitiful state at that time. No, no, I can't accept that. I won't feel confident enough without the help of Brother Haoren. This might sound strange, but I'm filled with confidence and courage whenever Brother Haoren is present. I won't be afraid even if I travel to the skies, underground, or into the dens of tigers and dragons!"

"You don't have your Dao robe or talismans anymore, so what's in it for me to bring you around? For you to act as baggage?" Chen Ping'an asked.

The scholar raised a hand and summoned an item, after which he hurriedly twirled his other sleeve and used his spiritual energy to conceal the item. This was surprisingly a small purple flying sword, and the scholar said with a smile, "Cultivators from the mountains naturally have some trump cards. This sword is called Purple Ganoderma, and it's a replica of a flying sword belonging to a great sword immortal of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. "That flying sword isn't a bonded flying sword, but its aura is even greater than that of a flying sword. As such, Purple Ganoderma is top-notch for being used to pretend that I'm a great sword immortal and thus scaring other people! This is a pinnacle technique of Hatred Sword Mountain, and it's extremely unique throughout the Majestic World. Its fame can rival the treasured armors forged by the Three Official Attendant Temple!"

Chen Ping'an pointed at the long sword on his back and asked, "Do I need you to scare other people for me? Can you please show some sincerity?"

The scholar huffed and put away Purple Ganoderma, the flying sword that was radiating with an astonishing aura. He flicked his wrist and retrieved a hornless dragon copper seal, with his expression solemn and tragic as he said, "This is my final trump card. Smashing this seal will summon a hornless dragon with astounding combat power, and even flipping the mountains and overturning the seas might be possible. However, this seal can only be used a single time. In fact, I borrowed this from a junior sister in the Esteemed Mystery Department, and I still owe her some money for this extremely valuable tool from the treasure chamber of the Lofty Cloud Palace."

Chen Ping'an looked at Brother Mumao.

The scholar returned the gaze with a faint smile.

Chen Ping'an started to wonder about his chances of victory if they truly engaged in a life-and-death battle.

Over at Lady Bishu's Moon Hall, he had felt like he would enjoy a seventy to eighty percent chance of victory. Now, however, he felt like it would at most be... fifty-fifty?

The reason for this was very simple. Purple Ganoderma was indeed a replica flying sword and not some bonded item of a great sword immortal from the pinnacle of the mountains. It was extremely suitable for scaring off Nascent Tier cultivators.

At the same time, however, it was also extremely suitable for killing Golden Core Tier cultivators.

In addition to this, there was also the hornless dragon copper seal of unknown power. If these treasures were wielded by the true owner of the scholar's body, then he would possess both impressive offensive and solid defensive abilities. And what if the scholar possessed a Dao robe of a higher grade and a Militarian armor pellet that could act as a suit of precious armor?

After all, the Hundred Eye Taotie Dao robe was nothing more than a disguise that the scholar had worn to trick other people. It was extremely likely that the scholar was an innate Dao Seed and a direct disciple of the Esteemed Mystery Department, so how could he not possess some Dao robe or precious armor passed down by his ancestors when he traveled around the outside world?

There was grievance and sulkiness on the scholar's face as he lamented, "Why aren't you saying anything, Brother Haoren? Perhaps you're coveting my treasures after seeing them? It's not like I can defeat you anyway, so I'll have no option but to summon some other Dao robe and treasured armors to protect myself."

"Didn't you say that the copper seal was your final trump card?" Chen Ping'an asked.

"Being rich is truly impressive. I'm afraid of you, okay."

The scholar sighed and said, "My junior sister said that since my abilities are mediocre, I shouldn't be too honest or reveal too much when interacting with other people in the outside world."

"Let's go," Chen Ping'an said.

The scholar rubbed his fists and asked, "Are we going to the Mountain-Moving Great Sage's place, or are we going to Gushing Earth Mountain to avenge our defeat?"

"We'll follow the Black River and look for Old Dragon Cave," Chen Ping'an replied.

"Why?" the scholar asked in puzzlement.

Chen Ping'an started to walk down the mountain ridge, and he replied slowly, "The mountain-protection formation at Gushing Earth Mountain has already been destroyed by you, so the group of demons is definitely gathered at the mountain-moving ape's mountain right now. It's entirely possible that Gushing Earth Mountain's Dust Warding Primordial Lord has either hidden away his treasures already, or perhaps he's decided to directly carry them around with him. "In other words, he might have taken them to his ally's territory. That being the case, what's the point of going to Gushing Earth Mountain? To drink the mountain wind? Or perhaps you want to go to the Mountain-Moving Great Sage's place to face the group of demons again? Are you looking for another beating?"

The scholar struck his palm with his fist and praised, "Oh, you're right. Brother Haoren is truly good at analyzing the situation. Those two turtles didn't appear at all during the big battle at Gushing Earth Mountain, and in Brother Haoren's words, they didn't show any honor or chivalry of the cultivation world. That being the case, the Mountain-Moving Great Sage and the other demons most likely won't help them even if we go over and target them. There's resentment in the demons' hearts, and they would rather die than help the two turtles."

Chen Ping'an chuckled coldly and said, "What I'm worried about right now is the backer of Lady Bishu, whom you killed and devoured. Will her backer rush over? Go on, tell me what kind of mighty figure her backer is."

The scholar chuckled and replied, "Her backer is an experienced Nascent Tier yin spirit of Malicious Ghost Valley. He's very famous among the cities in the northern region, and he dares to ignore the orders of Skeleton Wall City's city lord. He was a great general of the Divine Strategy Nation when he was alive, and he provided impressive meritorious service to his nation. No one praised him for being divinely skilled at using troops at the time, but following his death, Militarians of future generations praised him for using troops in a proper manner rather than a surprising manner. He enjoys a very high regard in the history books.

"If it weren't for the foolish emperor that he was serving falling for a wedge strategy and forcing him to launch an assault with his army, this great general and his family of thirty-odd people wouldn't have been killed in one fell swoop on the battlefield. This was a critical turning point of the conflict, and the fall of the great general kickstarted a series of other decisive events. Otherwise, the outcome of the conflict at Skeleton Shoal might have ended up very different."

The scholar paused for a moment before continuing in slight melancholy, "As for how Lady Bishu was able to attract this heroic spirit as her backer? I'm not an all-knowing immortal, so I naturally have no idea of the reason."

The two of them walked along the mountain ridges and small paths together, and when Chen Ping'an saw him turning around and gazing at the cliff, he said, "Don't think about targeting those two demons."

"You're familiar with them?" the scholar asked in puzzlement.

"No, I'm not," Chen Ping'an replied with a shake of his head.

The scholar felt increasingly puzzled, and he asked, "Then why are you looking out for them? Are you leaving them to harm... Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Their cultivation bases are extremely low right now, so they won't be able to leave Malicious Ghost Valley to harm people for at least a few hundred years."

"It's not easy for sentient beings to cultivate," Chen Ping'an said slowly.

The scholar quickly looked Chen Ping'an up and down and asked, "You're genuinely injured?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and explained, "That Golden Core Tier yin spirit wanted to use the same tactic and attach that bone-attaching shadow to me, and after I shattered the shadow, the Mountain-Moving Ape Great Sage seized the opportunity to strike me with his hammer. Afterward, the demons activated a myriad of immortal treasures to attack me, so I had no option but to use a talisman that was worth tens of thousands of taels of gold. I'm still hurting right now."

Chen Ping'an was in a gloomy mood, and this wasn't simply because he had used a valuable talisman. In addition to using his last remaining gold paper Land-Shortening Talisman, he had also exposed his life-saving techniques to his opponents. In other words, there might be unforeseen circumstances if he wanted to use two gold paper Land-Shortening Talismans in quick succession in the future and use Sword Immortal to slash open the restrictions of Malicious Ghost Valley and Skeleton Shoal.

The scholar was extremely perceptive, and he noticed subtle changes in Chen Ping'an's voice when he talked about the Mountain-Moving Great Sage, so he smiled and asked, "What's wrong? There's animosity between you and mountain-moving apes?"

"What do you think? I was viciously struck by his meteor hammer, so how can there not be animosity between us?" Chen Ping'an replied in a calm and unfazed manner.

The scholar clasped his hands behind his back and swaggered forward, smiling with squinted eyes and remarking, "Then wouldn't you have gone dizzy at the sight of blood again?"

Chen Ping'an nodded and replied, "If you truly feel guilty about this, then I also care a lot about the favor that you owe me. So, why don't you give me that frightening flying sword of yours or the hornless dragon copper seal as compensation?"

The scholar chaotically waved his sleeves around and wailed, "I'm begging you, Brother Haoren, can you stop coveting the last of my treasures? I'll feel anxious and flustered on the inside if you continue to act like this."

Chen Ping'an glanced at the distant north and said, "We'll stick to the same agreement when we reach Black River? We'll split the treasures seventy-thirty in your favor again?"

The scholar was extremely surprised, and he replied in embarrassment, "It wouldn't feel right to get the better end of the deal again."

Chen Ping'an chuckled coldly in reply.

The scholar instantly understood Chen Ping'an's implication, and he grinned and said, "Let's split the treasures fifty-fifty. We'll get rich in a peaceful and harmonious manner. If that doesn't work out, then we can split the treasures sixty-forty in Brother Haoren's favor."

The two of them continued to travel north, choosing to take small paths in the mountain wilderness as they traversed mountains and crossed rivers. Chen Ping'an traveled quickly, appearing like a dashing hare and a swooping falcon. Meanwhile, the scholar traveled on the wind at a moderate pace, keeping side-by-side with Chen Ping'an.

When Chen Ping'an finally stopped on a tall branch and gazed into the distance, the scholar casually asked, "Why didn't you try to stop me when I killed Lady Bishu at Moon Hall? Wasn't it even more difficult for this Moon Palace seed to cultivate to the Golden Core Tier?"

Chen Ping'an paid no heed to his question.

Afterward, Chen Ping'an continued to lead the way as the two of them passed Copper Green Lake and carefully took a detour around Copper Official Mountain. Like elite scouts, they chose hidden paths and advanced without making a sound.

The scholar was slightly astonished. Brother Haoren was quite adept at this!

Was he accustomed to traversing mountains and crossing rivers?

But why didn't he appear like a vagrant cultivator?

Chen Ping'an had already taken off his bamboo hat and removed Sword Immortal as well as his Sword Nurturing Gourd when they reached the bank of Black River, and he put on the face mask of an old man and even instructed the scholar to change his get-up as well. He then tossed the scholar the face mask of a young man crafted by Zhu Lian.

The scholar didn't hesitate at all, nor did he show any resistance to Chen Ping'an's instructions. Instead, he found this all incredibly interesting.