Chapter 497 (7): I Can Also Split Apart the Sky With My Sword

Over at the inn located at the south of Green Cottage Town, Chen Ping'an forced himself to calm his mind even though he had already been feeling a sense of unease for a very long time. He wanted to draw two gold paper Land-Shortening Talismans tonight.

After picking up his calligraphy brush, however, Chen Ping'an discovered that he was unable to write anything after hesitating for a long time. This was because he was well aware that he wouldn't be able to draw a successful talisman if he forced himself to write on the gold talisman paper. Of course, he could perhaps succeed if he used ordinary talisman paper.

Chen Ping'an put down his calligraphy brush and stood up to practice standing meditation for two hours. However, he was surprisingly still unable to genuinely calm his mind.

That being the case, he decided to leave his room and take a night stroll around Green Cottage Town. After returning to his room, he took out some bamboo slips and looked over them under the light for a long time.

Chen Ping'an surprisingly remained sitting next to the light for the entire night.

When morning arrived, Chen Ping'an put on his face mask and once again visited Copper Stench City with his large sack. However, he was slightly disappointed when he didn't see the same ghost captain at the city gate.

Gold Dust Market had just opened for business, and Shopkeeper Zhenguan became dazed for a long time before she finally instructed the little boy ghost to take the silver bell and notify the owner of the market. The little boy was indeed very smart, and he simply nodded without saying anything before he left to look for the door god general at the northern palace gate. It wasn't long before he returned to Gold Dust Market in Tang Jinxiu's hand, and the prime minister examiner immediately saw the items already filling the counter when she entered the shop.

She smiled and said, "You're here again, Old Esteemed Immortal. Since when did Malicious Ghost Valley become overflowing with treasures? You managed to fill an entire sack after casually walking around for a night?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "It's just as you say. Malicious Ghost Valley is truly a very good place."

Tang Jinxiu was rendered speechless. Afterward, they started to do business just like the previous time.

However, Tang Jinxiu only purchased two items after looking through everything in the large sack this time, giving Chen Ping'an two lesser heat coins.

She wasn't being stingy with her immortal coins, and she was genuinely only interested in two of the many items. If it weren't for the fact that he was a so-called young sword immortal, paying him one lesser heat coin would have already been more than fair enough.

Chen Ping'an accepted the two lesser heat coins and left Copper Stench City.

He didn't feel like he had wasted his time.

Two lesser heat coins wasn't a small amount.

Chen Ping'an continued to practice the Heaven and Earth Stance in his room after returning to Green Cottage Town.

Apart from practicing walking meditation, he also planned to practice this strange fist stance one million times.

He only had a single meal today, and he went to the wine shop to buy a pot of wine when evening arrived. There were few customers, and Chen Ping'an finished eating his snack dish just as he finished his wine.

He was still unable to draw any talismans tonight, but the situation tonight was already much better than two nights ago. Chen Ping'an didn't practice the Heaven and Earth Stance during the second half of the night, and he instead lay down in bed and closed his eyes to rest his mind. He thought about many past events, and as his mind drifted further and further back, he even thought about the days when he had entered the mountains again and again to gather medicinal herbs. At some unknown point in time, Chen Ping'an actually fell asleep.

Chen Ping'an suddenly woke up in the morning, feeling both revitalized and refreshed. He filled up a new sack and visited Copper Stench City again, and he was finally able to encounter the ghost captain at the city gate this time. Chen Ping'an appeared even more anxious than the ghost captain as he tossed a snowflake coin over, and he was finally able to hear the ghost captain and his subordinates wishing him good fortune and a bountiful yield again. Chen Ping'an went directly to Gold Dust Market, and Tang Jinxiu was already waiting for him at the entrance of the shop this time.

Upon seeing Chen Ping'an, she smiled and said, "Tell me honestly, Old Esteemed Immortal, are you going to visit the shop again tomorrow? If you are, then I'll bunk down on the floor of the shop tonight!"

Chen Ping'an laughed and replied, "I genuinely won't have any more treasures to sell after today. It's my fault for drinking and falling asleep last night, and this prevented me from going out to look for more treasure. Drinking wine can ruin plans, and my experience is a prime example."

Tang Jinxiu picked out six items today, and she offered Chen Ping'an five lesser heat coins for the goods.

Even though this couldn't compare to the first transaction between them, it was still much more comfortable and enjoyable than what had taken place yesterday. Chen Ping'an had asked Tang Jinxiu again and again if she truly didn't want the items, while Tang Jinxiu had continually replied that she genuinely couldn't bring herself to buy the items. The atmosphere had truly been quite awkward.

Chen Ping'an put away the lesser heat coins and the unsold items, and when Tang Jinxiu saw him off at the door, she asked in amusement, "Are you genuinely not visiting again tomorrow, Old Esteemed Immortal?"

Chen Ping'an adjusted his bamboo hat before looking at her and replying with a smile, "You can sleep in tomorrow, Lady Prime Minister Examiner."

Tang Jinxiu faltered slightly before smiling and saying, "Okay."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment before turning around and cupping his fists in farewell, saying, "Please pardon my disturbance these past few days."

Tang Jinxiu also responded with a curtsy, smiling faintly and saying, "Safe travels back, Senior Sword Immortal. Feel free to visit again when you're free."

Chen Ping'an nodded in response.

However, Tang Jinxiu couldn't hold back at this moment, and she chuckled, "Senior Sword Immortal, remember not to barge into the bedrooms of young maidens in the future to loot their belongings. Such kind of behavior is beneath you."

This time, Chen Ping'an hurriedly walked away without turning back.

Tang Jinxiu clutched her belly with one hand and covered her mouth with her other hand, not daring to let herself laugh out loud. She was afraid that the young sword immortal both shameless yet easily embarrassed at the same time would reward her with a flying sword.

When exiting the city gate, Chen Ping'an didn't forget to give the ghost captain another snowflake coin. He had already walked several steps away, yet he mysteriously stopped in his tracks and looked back, mumbling to himself as he retrieved another immortal coin without hesitation and tossed it to the ghost captain. This wasn't a snowflake coin, and it was instead a lesser heat coin. Chen Ping'an laughed heartily and said, "General, you can treat your brothers to some of the finest wine in the city."

The ghost captain felt as if he were dreaming, and he looked at the lesser heat coin in his hand several times before laughing loudly and exclaiming, "Such generosity! This immortal coin is truly the old ancestor of immortal coins at Copper Stench City. It's more valuable than anything else!"

Chen Ping'an had nothing better to do as he made his way back to Green Cottage Town, so he started to practice walking meditation as he traveled. After all, the Heaven and Earth Stance was far too strange to practice in the open.

The more he practiced walking meditation, the calmer his mind became.

Before he knew it, Chen Ping'an had already arrived at Green Cottage Town. He smiled and continued to perform walking meditation as he made his way to the inn. It wasn't that far away anyway.

After returning to his room, he placed the entirety of the large sack into his minimization treasure. His job as a wandering merchant in Malicious Ghost Valley was pretty much done.

Chen Ping'an took a deep breath when he thought about the lesser heat coin that he had given away in the end.

Chen Ping'an sat at the table and took another deep breath, seemingly having no more distracting thoughts because he had finally made up his mind. He once again retrieved a calligraphy brush and two pieces of gold talisman paper from his pocket treasure, following which he started to draw a Land-Shortening Talisman.

He finished drawing the talisman in a single go.

After resting for a moment, he shook his wrist and stood up to perform the six-step walking meditation in his room. He then sat down again and drew the second Land-Shortening Talisman in a single go.

Chen Ping'an carefully placed the two Land-Shortening Talismans in his sleeve after he finished drawing them.

He then closed his eyes and started to once again think rapidly about his experiences in Malicious Ghost Valley.

He thought about entering this mystical realm through the archways with the Three Official Attendant Temple's Yuan Xuan and the Dao partners, and he also thought about his encounters at Crow Peak, Treasure Mirror Mountain, the peach tree forest, Peeling Mountain, and finally, at the bank of the Black River.

The old monk had once said, "There is salvation in repentance."

Chen Ping'an had recalled these words for no reason at the city gate, and it was because of this that he had tossed the lesser heat coin to the ghost captain.

Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and squinted, and he retrieved some fresh items from his minimization treasure and placed them in his large sack after a moment. For example, there were the erotic paintings from Lady Bishu's room as well as the five golden bamboo whips!

Chen Ping'an didn't head directly for Copper Stench City after leaving the inn, and he instead went to the wine shop in Green Cottage Town to purchase another bowl of wine.

When placing the bowl of wine on his table, the old shopkeeper couldn't help but chuckle, "What's going on, Young Sword Immortal? You're heading out to earn more money after just completing some transactions at Copper Stench City?"

Chen Ping'an smiled faintly and replied, "Immortal coins don't have legs, and they most definitely won't run away if they're already in someone else's pockets. As such, I can only rely on making a few more trips."

The old shopkeeper had served this person before, so he was aware that the young sword immortal in front of him also had another younger appearance. As such, he asked in a teasing manner, "Have you seen Tang Jinxiu, the city lord's younger sister, yet? If you want to make more money from her, I suggest that you don't wear the face mask of an old man."

Chen Ping'an drank some wine and joked, "Forget about it. Won't it be another troublesome matter if she becomes attracted to me?"

The old shopkeeper roared with laughter and concurred, "You have a point there."

Looking at Chen Ping'an take small sips of wine as he sat there, the old man asked, "As a mighty sword immortal, just how many trips have you made to Copper Stench City to act as a vagrant cultivator and a wandering merchant already? Are you truly not afraid of having the stench of copper rub off on you?"

Chen Ping'an smiled and replied, "I can probably earn a bit more this time. I was only warming up the past few times, and I was more or less just whetting her appetite."

Chen Ping'an made his way to Copper Stench City after finishing his bowl of wine, yet he discovered that the ghost captain at the city gate was already nowhere to be seen.

Chen Ping'an was seemingly very disappointed, and he asked a ghost soldier guarding the gate where the ghost captain had gone. Hearing his question, the ghost soldier grumbled, "Old Esteemed Immortal, it was all thanks to the snowflake coin that you rewarded Captain with yesterday. He's gone to the Daughter Market by himself to have fun. Meanwhile, us guards were ultimately unable to enjoy a single bowl of wine."

There was a speechless expression on Chen Ping'an's face, and he sighed in grief before turning around to leave. However, he glanced back and tossed a snowflake coin to the ghost soldier, stressing, "Remember to deliver this message to your captain. I'll visit Copper Stench City again tomorrow, so he definitely needs to be present at the city gate."

The ghost soldier was ecstatic as he caught the immortal coin, and he immediately nodded and bowed as he exclaimed, "Rest assured, Old Esteemed Immortal, I'll definitely bring Captain over tomorrow even if I have to tie him up."

Chen Ping'an returned to the inn at Green Cottage Town, and he didn't venture out again after entering his room.

At Skeleton Wall City located in the northern region of Malicious Ghost Valley, City Lord Gao Cheng, sitting high atop his throne of white bones, slowly retracted his palm. He chuckled in ridicule when the young man returned to Green Cottage Town in great disappointment after failing to see the ghost captain, his lucky star, at the city gate of Copper Stench City.

Gao Cheng no longer appeared like a white skeleton at this moment, and he had already reverted to the appearance of when he was still alive. It was just that his appearance was very ordinary.

The young man was visiting Copper Stench City again tomorrow?

Gao Cheng thought about the Sword Nurturing Gourd that was hanging by the young man's hip.

He gently placed his hand on the hilt of his saber and started to wait for the female sect leader to leave.

Green Cottage Town could observe some of the matters at Green Cottage Town, and to be more precise, he could observe the situation at two specific locations. However, he needed to be extremely careful every time he observed these locations. Firstly, this was because, strictly speaking, Green Cottage Town didn't actually belong to Malicious Ghost Valley.

Secondly, Zhu Quan was keeping an eye on things at Green Cottage Town, and there was also an extremely valuable treasure of the Flax Robe Sect protecting the region. As such, things would be extremely blurry and laggy when he used his palm observation techniques, and he could only manage to just barely make sense of the situation.

Even so, it would still be extremely worth it even if his two pawns were exposed and caught as a result of his observation technique.

In reality, Gao Cheng hoped that the young man would leave Green Cottage Town and travel slightly further to the north.

By the looks of it, he would definitely continue to travel north.

Now, he simply needed to wait for the little Daoist nun with the surname He to leave Malicious Ghost Valley.

She was still inside Skeleton Wall City.

And there was also the notorious Jiang Shangzhen.

If they remained, then the situation would definitely become incredibly complicated.

Gao Cheng shut his eyes and gently placed his hands on the armrests of his bony throne, the skulls of two emperors of already destroyed nations.

Night gradually descended. The Flowing Iridescent Boat slowly rose into the sky.

Gao Cheng stood up and instantly arrived on the treasure boat.

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

There was a hint of a smile on He Xiaoliang's face as she looked at the city lord of Skeleton Wall City.

Gao Cheng suddenly made sense of a fuzzy truth, and he roared with laughter and thumped his chest with his fist before saying in a solemn voice, "Even though I don't know why you decided to do this, I don't care about all the roundabout decisions made in the process. To put things simply, Skeleton Wall City will definitely thank you immensely if things succeed in the end."

He Xiaoliang didn't pay any heed to him. Just like before, she didn't say anything and didn't do anything either.

Gao Cheng no longer delayed the treasure boat from leaving Malicious Ghost Valley, and he quickly returned to his throne in the city and waved his hand, opening up a large gate between Malicious Ghost Valley and Skeleton Shoal in the direction of travel of the Flowing Iridescent Boat.

Sure enough, Jiang Shangzhen stood atop the city wall and didn't leave on the Flowing Iridescent Boat with He Xiaoliang. Instead, he continued to stroll along the city wall, gazing up at the gaping hole in the sky as he did so.

The Flowing Iridescent Boat disappeared with a flash.

The large gate behind the boat instantly closed after it returned to Skeleton Shoal.

"Why do this, Master?" the Deer Rider Divine Maiden asked in a careful voice.

"Dao partners in the world always enjoy fortune and suffer calamity together," He Xiaoliang replied in a calm voice. "I, He Xiaoliang, am renowned throughout two continents for my lofty fortune, so if I have a Dao partner, he'll naturally enjoy endless fortune wherever I am. The closer we are to each other, the more fortune he'll be able to enjoy. However, me staying at Skeleton Wall City, a place that conflicts with my existence and grinds away at my cultivation, naturally isn't a good thing."

The Deer Rider Divine Maiden's voice was slightly sluggish as she asked, "Is this why I walked out of my mural? Is this why Master purposely came to Malicious Ghost Valley and purposely decided to leave tonight?"

He Xiaoliang didn't say anything.

The Deer Rider Divine Maiden's face was deathly pale.

Amid the sea of clouds above Skeleton Shoal, He Xiaoliang suddenly turned around and opened her mouth slightly, and it was difficult to decipher whether the expression on her face was joy, anger, grief, or happiness. An expression of calm eventually returned, and she took a long and hard glance toward the south.

The Deer Rider Divine Maiden trembled in fright.

He Xiaoliang turned around and said a single word. "Leave."

Jiang Shangzhen furiously wiped his face after catching a glimpse of this unfathomable scene from the city wall of Skeleton Wall City.

He truly had to give it to He Xiaoliang this time. She was actually able to think of this and execute her plan as well?

Gao Cheng suddenly stood up, burning with rage as he bellowed in fury, "Leave the flying sword behind!"

At the Great Round Moon Monastery, the old monk looked up at the moon and put his hands together in a prayer, saying with a faint smile, "Very good."

Over at Green Cottage Town...

There were two flashes of golden light from the rooftop of the inn at the south, after which the young sword immortal who had already changed into his Golden Sweet Wine Dao robe instantly arrived near the barrier in the sky. He slashed down with Sword Immortal, slicing apart the sky and directly soaring away on his sword to the ancestral hall of the Flax Robe Sect.

Zhu Quan rested a hand on her saber hilt as she hovered in the sky and looked toward the north.

Not only did the sect leader of the Flax Robe Sect not obstruct Chen Ping'an — the young sword immortal who had secretly visited her and made a small transaction with her not long ago — but she even helped him keep an eye on the movements in the north.

At Skeleton Wall City, a saber-wielding skeleton that measured more than three thousand meters in height suddenly appeared without warning, shockingly preparing to hack apart the barrier in the sky with a single slash so that it could charge beyond Skeleton Shoal to pursue that young sword immortal.

Jiang Shangzhen roared with laughter and tossed out a net that was even larger than the two so-called snowflake coin nets that he had tossed out before. Those two nets had only been descendant nets, and the net right now was an authentic ancestor net.

The gigantic net instantly wrapped around a toe of the towering skeleton, viciously dragging it downward. Jiang Shangzhen leaped up at this moment, using a single willow leaf to open a fissure in the sky. He then surprisingly abandoned the treasure net that was worth dozens of grain rain coins as he flew toward the fissure in the sky. Before leaving, Jiang Shangzhen didn't forget to turn around and chuckle, "Come here and hit me, you big skeleton. Come on, get over here and hit me. If you don't come, then you're the obedient grandson of Lord Zhou Fei..."

Even though Jiang Shangzhen was taunting the colossal skeleton, this didn't delay his exit through the fissure in the least.

Inside Malicious Ghost Valley, Zhu Quan launched a saber strike that traveled from the south to the north and smashed into the waist of the colossal white skeleton.

Another fearsome sword strike that originated from White Cage City slashed into the colossal skeleton's skull.

"Huh? What are you doing, Skeleton Pu?" Zhu Quan asked in puzzlement. "Perhaps you've already coveted my beauty for a long time, so you're following the lead of your potential future wife?"

"The actions of sword cultivators have always been unrestrained by heaven and earth," the skeleton in azure robes replied apathetically.

The saber attack from Zhu Quan and the sword attack from Pu Rang obstructed the colossal skeleton from ripping apart the barrier in the sky.

Outside Skeleton Shoal...

Chen Ping'an soared through the sky on his sword and traveled to the ancestral hall of the Flax Robe Sect, wiping away the sweat on his forehead and cracking a grin as he did so.

I'm also someone who can split apart the sky with my sword.

How delightful!