The chaos was like flying sparks, exploding throughout the country. Three major provincial seats fell out of contact one after another. The Guzhou Heaven’s Design Pavilion and the local Zhao family branch fought heedlessly, triggering a local earthquake that warped a section of track between Guzhou and the capital, stopping all the Cloud Soaring Flood Dragons loaded with people or goods on their way. The summer heat of the south, which had yet to fade, quickly melted the ice; stinking sea fish covered the ground, and the fish sellers raged without daring to speak. 

Soon, even Yuzhou by the border was affected. The part of Xi Ping’s consciousness that was with Xu Rucheng “saw” it. Spiritual energy scattered everywhere as the half-immortals began to fight; the arrays surrounding the Moon Plated Gold gold smelters all encountered interference, and countless factories were forced to stop work. The people, like insects smelling the soil before a storm, all found somewhere to hide. The fishing boats and steamships on the Xia River all vanished overnight. 

“Are all these Zhaos deranged?” Xi Ping had seen the madness inside the sect and outside of it. “Are you going to tell me that all the ones who joined the inner sect were using Zhao Yin’s Way of the Heart, so the whole family is committing suicide because his heart broke?” 

“In fact, the majority of them were.” Lin Chi stabilized the blue luan and sighed. “That’s why there are comparatively more ascended spirits from the Zhao clan.” 

Xi Ping: “Tsk.” 

No wonder. Mass-produced factory goods. 

Lin Chi took another glance at the ascended spirit battlefield near the principal peak. He said, “The Dignitary of Law Elder Li Fengshan’s Way of the Heart didn’t shatter. The elder is still living, only nominally ‘in seclusion’, confined for a thousand years. But on that account, the Li clan, as well as the Zhang, Qi, Wu, and Tang families attached to the Li clan, all collapsed. The Dignitary of Rites Elder passing away is even more serious. We can’t know at present why Elder Zhao went mad and his Way of the Heart burst, but even after his death, the remnants of his soul were dispelled by the Bell of Tribulation. That isn’t very glorious, after all. They’re afraid.” 

Xi Ping said, “Afraid of what? The Crown Pr…the emperor’s mother is named Zhang, isn’t she, but it didn’t keep her from becoming the Dowager Empress. The previous emperor was so fierce, but even he didn’t cut down just anyone.” 

Lin Chi paused. “Though it isn’t stated in writing, the sect has tacitly agreed that since then, the descendants of those five families will no longer take part in Xuanyin’s Grand Selection. They’ve come to the end of the road at sunset.” 

Xi Ping gave a laugh when he heard this. “Peak Master Lin, not being allowed to cultivate is the same as ‘coming to the end of the road at sunset’? So it would seem that all of you immortals know that at the feet of the immortal mountains, being human is no better than being a dog? Here I thought you all thought pretty highly of yourselves.” 

Lin Chi never disputed with people. He only said, “Alas, you’re right.” 

Xi Ping had failed to pick a fight, but they were already near Flying Jade Peak. While he knew perfectly well that shifu couldn’t hear him, he still shut up, swallowing all his radicalism and sarcasm. Holding his breath, he turned to go scratch at his san-ge’s spirit. 

Zhou Ying had just received Bai Ling’s message when he heard Xi Ping say, “San-ge, there are too many Zhaos in Heaven’s Design Pavilion. Can’t you bury your kills?” 

“Within their capacity to provide support, the Kaiming Department can obey Pang Wenchang’s orders, but don’t move the Luwu.” Zhou Ying, temporarily trapped in the East Sea by the shed skin consciousnesses, evenly responded to both of them at the same time. He said, “The Zhao family has come to a dead end. It’s hard to guarantee that they won’t request foreign aid. Shu, Li, and Chu are three wolves watching from the sidelines, just waiting to come lap up the leftovers. I’m not doing this for their benefit.” 

Xi Ping froze, suddenly realizing that san-ge had perhaps anticipated this situation. 

Zhou Ying asked Bai Ling, “Pang Jian’s Way of the Heart and spiritual bones are all complete, and his natural endowments are one in a million—is he still unwilling to establish a foundation? Is he that poor?” 

In Guangyun Palace, Pang Jian said, “Damn it.” 

In a flash, he shielded the emperor, and a monstrous claw reaching out from the Mirage Drawing nearly tore a hole in his chest. A karma beast emerged from the subtle embroidery on the front of his blue robes. It opened its mouth and roared, and the monstrous claw only cut a hole in Pang Jian’s outer robe. The karma beast vanished, and the “monstrous claw” turned into a flabby human hand—Pang Jian’s Way of the Heart was “barrier dispelling”; he already knew that the monsters in the Mount Fu Mirage Drawing were all mortals Zhao Yu had snatched up at random, so he had been increasingly overcautious since the fight had begun. He would have been better off if he hadn’t seen! 

Zhao Yu understood him too well. 

“General commander!” 

At a critical moment, a walker in the mortal world tossed a mustard seed to him. Pang Jian remembered that this child was named Zhou Xi; it was said that he was…what, Zhou Ying’s little brother, with the same father. It was fucking unbelievable. 

Pang Jian said, “What’s this?” 

“There are spiritual stones in the mustard seed, and established foundation pills!” Zhou Xi hauled his terrified big brother the emperor away and called to Pang Jian, “The Zhao family wants to take advantage of their numbers to seize Great Wan before the immortal mountains can respond, force the immortal mountains to come to terms! General Commander Pang, everyone says you’re just a step away from establishing a foundation. A time of emergency means you can act without authorization. Stop hesitating!” 

“A time of emergency means you can act without authorization.” Pang Jian spat these words out and showed his snow white teeth in a sneer. He tossed back the mustard seed. “Little brat, that’s just what the mutinying Zhaos all think.” 

Hardly had he spoken than the Mount Fu Mirage Drawing enshrouded them. An established foundation cultivator’s talismans, obviously a level higher, came towards him head on like snowflakes. Arrays rose one after another on all sides, swapping with matchless speed between reality and illusion. Zhao Yu crushed Heaven’s Design Pavilion’s token. His vital weapon, the Panguan Brush, shot out without warning, pointed at Pang Jian’s back. 

Like a leopard, Pang Jian crouched down and nimbly dodged. Then, he took advantage of the instant the painting swapped truth and falsehood to escape it. Before he hit the ground, using his body as a bow, he shot an arrow! 

With an astral wind coming at him head-on, Zhao Yu gave an angry shout. Relying on his cultivation level, he dispelled the arrow by force. 

“Before, I couldn’t match up to you,” Zhao Yu said with a cold laugh. At this moment, he felt that the ancient Mount Fu Mirage Drawing had completely merged with his spiritual foundation.  The vast ancient inheritance inside it washed down his meridians, which had widened a hundredfold. “But one person’s strength can defeat ten people’s skills!” 

“Fine, you’re a man of integrity.” Far away, beneath the Resurrection Vortex, Zhou Ying directed a taunt at Jinping’s most steadfast protector. 

At the same time, Bai Ling’s scrupulously exact handwriting suddenly flashed before Pang Jian’s eyes. Bai Ling wrote: The Kaiming Office will cooperate however it can, but the borders are insecure, and the Luwu cannot get away. We will send General Commander Pang another helper. Receive him and put him to good use. 

A helper—who? 

Pang Jian didn’t know what he meant at first. He thought, If Zhou Ying dares to say the “helper” is his dim-witted little brother Zhou Xi, when I get through with this, I’ll go knock down his manor!

Then he saw the rapidly approaching Zhao Yu stop less than half a chi from him as if a freezing spell had been cast on him. Suddenly, he no longer moved. 

For a moment, Zhao Yu’s eyeballs seemed to get stuck. Then they began to move once more. He smiled at Pang Jian.

Pang Jian: “…”

What was wrong with him? 

At the center of Zhao Yu’s brow, the Mount Fu Mirage Drawing flashed. The demons and monsters, as well as the fog and the fake mountains, all disappeared. The palace maids and eunuchs that Zhao Yu had snatched up fell unconscious all over the floor. Because Pang Jian had been unwilling to use force in fighting back, these mortals were all completely uninjured. 

A corner of the wretched drawing peeled off and turned into a paperman when it landed. The paperman bowed urbanely towards Pang Jian, then disappeared between Zhao Yu’s brows along with the drawing. 

Zhao Yu became calm and composed. With perfect etiquette, he said to Zhou Huan, “This subject is guilty of frightening His Majesty.” 

Having said this, before His Majesty could respond, a stream of thin smoke came from his palm, knocking His Majesty down without explanation. 

Only then did Pang Jian, who was staring dumbfounded, come back to himself. “You’re…Bai Ling?” 

“Zhao Yu” smiled at him. “Not exactly. I am still Zhao Yu. But earlier, I didn’t look closely when I established my foundation. The vital weapon I incorporated had a substitute paperman mixed into it, and I inadvertently fused that paperman with my spiritual foundation.” 

He was actually still using Zhao Yu’s identity and tone to speak!  

This scene was beyond description. The whole crowd of walkers in the mortal world collectively broke out in gooseflesh. 

Bai Ling’s appearance was gaunt and upright—upright as in honorable. When he wasn’t speaking, he hardly had any sense of presence. Even his handwriting was somewhat more solemn than usual. He exuded austerity, an absence of selfish desire. 

This was Pang Jian’s first time finding that as soon as he swapped that extremely ascetic face for a different one, that deeply concealed, peculiar evil air in Bai Ling’s bearing and manner was revealed… It was chillingly demonic! 

Pang Jian calmed himself down. “What vital weapon?” 

“Zhao Yu” said, smiling, “The Way of the Heart I have been gathering was in a weapon known as the Mount Fu Mirage Drawing. Six years ago, while investigating the case of the sleep paralysis imps, I came to see His Third Highness. His Highness treated me as a friend from the first. He bestowed a painting fragment upon me on the spot. Now I have borrowed the final painting fragment from the Jingzhou tribute, putting it all together.” 

Pang Jian was disbelieving. “Zhou Ying pulled such a big trick back then, and Zhao Yu didn’t…wait…you didn’t know? Damn it, my tongue is all tied up in knots. What the hell are you supposed to be, anyway?” 

“I am the established foundation cultivator Zhao Yu, who takes his orders from a paperman,” “Zhao Yu” answered evenly. “Nothing was done to the painting fragment from six years ago. For one thing, His Highness was still a mortal then, and Bai Ling had yet to establish a foundation. Second, it was a chance encounter between strangers; of course I had to take precautions. The paperman was stuck to the final painting fragment. I spent nearly sixty years searching for fragments of that ancient painting; the matter wasn’t urgent. Since His Highness knew about the Way of the Heart I was seeking, with him in the way, naturally I wouldn’t act rashly. Unless it was perfectly safe or my hand was forced, I wouldn’t come here to take it. Taking without asking, and from the imperial palace at that—naturally I was both happy and guilty when I saw the ancient painting come together and neglected to take a close look at it. That can be excused from the standpoint of emotion, no? Evidently it is true that for all tasks, the last bit is the hardest to complete.” 

The top of Pang Jian’s skull rattled as he listened to this. He sucked in a breath. “Don’t say that it was your prince who arranged for that painting to come to the palace.” 

Zhao Yu smiled without answering; since he had been told not to say it, he wasn’t going to say it.

Pang Jian: “…” 

Selling the painting to a flatterer to make money under false pretenses and having it delivered to the palace, enticing Zhao Yu to come to the imperial treasury to steal it…even the spiritual stones Zhao Yu had spent to establish his foundation had come at his older brother's expense! 

However you figured it, Zhou Ying had been taking advantage at both ends! 

No, the fact that he had started burying his pieces so long ago showed that Zhou Ying had expected this upheaval. 

When a great family revolted, there would be internal strife in Heaven’s Design Pavilion; they would be at a loose end. Reaching an impasse, they would have no choice but to request help from the independent Kaiming Department; the Kaiming Department would have a chance to expand! 

Pang Jian remembered a type of oil poplar in the Land of Turmoil. The stronger a wildfire, the more obvious its fire resistant superiority became. While the plants around it were in tatters, it could take the opportunity to expand. It was said that sometimes the tree would even attract lightning to come set fire to the forest. With just one spark, it could sooner or later spread over a whole mountain! 

Pang Jian said, “Zhou Ying, are you even human?!”

When would heaven open its eyes and send a bolt of lightning to take care of this great calamity? He was willing to be a vegetarian for ten years—he would even give up the Phoenix’s Perch Pavilion’s duck! 

“I will certainly pass that on for you, general commander, if I have the chance.” Saying so, Zhao Yu raised his head. This established foundation body, which had merged a substitute paperman with its spiritual foundation, earnestly perused its memories, then said with a sigh, “Alas, as is to be expected, my family is rigidly stratified. Currently, the branch families everywhere will follow the directions of the main family in Jinping. No wonder I was in such a rush to establish a foundation.” 

Pang Jian’s head ached. “Bai-xiong…no, Paper-xiong, have a heart, can’t you speak more normally?” 

“As you command.” The paperman-controlled Zhao Yu shook his sleeve, and a Heavenly Question flew out of his clothes. “Then I will ask for everyone’s cooperation in playing dead. I’ll say that Jinping has already been taken. Let’s see what secrets this deep-rooted famous family has, and how it is any different from some nobodies on the point of death.” 

The city of Jinping was mysteriously sealed. 

The wild wind swept by, smashed the glass of around ten gas lamps on both sides of the Lingyang River, broke a few plaques that hadn’t been hung up properly, and left Jinping City completely unharmed as it headed towards the East Sea. 

Zhou Ying had not only cut down the tree, he had also laid a net under the tree, waiting to catch the fleeing monkeys and all the wealth they had accumulated over many years in one fell swoop. 

Without showing his face, he had the Zhaos coming and going. 

Xi Ping looked on, feeling that the Impassable Sea’s false master had been nameless and faceless, wrapped in mystery, but in fact he had only been a glutton who couldn’t fill himself up in eight hundred years; his “premature birth” had made a big commotion, but he’d croaked before even breaking the surface of the water. The Impassable Sea’s true master had his name attached to the Xuanyin Mountains and could collect spiritual stones, elixirs, and immortal tools from Xuanyin at regular intervals; he had quietly put down roots in the human world. 

Fortunately…fortunately san-ge was human, not a demon. 

Just then, Rosy Cloud Peak’s Peak Master Wen Fei landed at the foot of Flying Jade Peak. Xi Ping collected his consciousness and waited to hear this medicine-making expert’s brilliant views. 

Wen Fei glanced indifferently at the fight on the principal peak. His eyes didn’t pause there. He opened his fan and quickly swept a line of writing onto the foot of the snow-capped mountain: Just a trivial matter among ascended spirits. Let them fight it out. There is no need for you to exert yourself. Mind your own business. 

Xi Ping said, Peak Master Wen is right! 

His wave of the fan raised thin snow on the mountain, as if someone had sighed. 

Wen Fei continued to wield his fan: Zhi Jingzhai, I’m warning you, I’ve been keeping an eye on the mists of Flying Jade Peak, and there are signs of burnout. If you struggle again, I’d like to see whether you reach a shed skin first or die first. Isn’t Zhaoting your vital weapon? Where did you put it? You aren’t dead yet, can’t you pick up the shards of your sword?! 

Xi Ping said, What?! 

But Wen Fei was standing too close now. Lin Chi couldn’t hear it when Xi Ping spoke. 

Xi Ping would have loved to climb out of the reincarnation wood and kick Peak Master Wen down the cliff—you can’t even talk, and you’re keeping me from talking by standing there. All you can do is get in the way! 

Lin Chi looked up at Flying Jade Peak and said to Wen Fei, “Have you looked through your stock of pills?” 

Wen Fei nodded helplessly. It’s no use. These sword cultivators are like beasts of burden. They have nothing to do with talismans, arrays, inscriptions, elixirs, or tools. Any pill is only an aid for them. Moreover, the boundary he’s reached isn’t one I can comprehend. I think we’ll have to rely on you if we want to save him. 

“Zhaoting shattered for a reason. He crossed a huge boundary in the space of a breath, so the body of the sword could no longer sustain his sword aura. Even if we took all the shards and restored the sword to its original form, I’m afraid it would break again if he picked it up… Otherwise, I don’t think General Zhi would have gone so far as to abandon Zhaoting and enter seclusion on his own despite getting only half the results for twice the effort.” 

Wen Fei shook his fan: So in your opinion, would it help to knock him down a level?

Xi Ping, forced to keep his mouth shut, felt the roots of his teeth begin to itch. Bullshit, what was this rotten mute thinking?! 

Lin Chi said, “Don’t joke.” 

Careful, his disciple is listening. 

Wen Fei considered at length, then suddenly used his fan to say: I remember now. I heard that before Sanyue’s Xiuluo sword was repaired, it was also only an incomplete broken sword. The sword aura of that ancient god’s sword was extremely aggressive, nothing that Xiang Zhao could be a match for. But precisely because the sword was incomplete, there was latitude for Xiang Zhao to refine it into his own vital weapon, and the man and the sword made do together after that, so Zhi Jingzhai and Zhaoting will certainly be able to! You’re right, Zhaoting shattered for a reason. It’s just as well it’s missing a piece—perhaps he’ll be able to refine it anew!

Seeing these words, the bleak misery resurged on Lin Chi’s face. “It isn’t Zhaoting that’s the problem, it’s me. I’m only a by-the-book…” 

Wen Fei saw that he had accidentally caused Lin Chi to cast himself into despair and hastily tried to backtrack: No, that’s not what I meant. Hey, right, I heard that back then, when that…great master repaired Xiuluo, she used a divine tool to forge the sword. 

Lin Chi said, “The Unbound¹ Furnace.” 

Wen Fei wrote: Right, right, where is that thing? 

Lin Chi was silent a moment, then nodded and said, “The Unbound Furnace was hers. After she…left, it fell into the hands of Southern He’s Lancang Sword Sect. After Lancang was destroyed, Dongheng took the Unbound Furnace away on the basis that it had originally belonged to Western Chu. It must be at Sanyue now.” 

Wen Fei wrote, I heard that that divine tool can make you one with heaven, let you perceive the Way beyond the highest heavens. Do you think there’s any hope in using it to repair Zhaoting? 

Xi Ping’s ears pricked back up. 

Lin Chi shook his head. “I…I don’t know, I’m not worthy of using the Unbound Furnace…” 

Wen Fei wrote, If you aren’t worthy, then is that bunch of toads lusting after swan meat at Sanyue, who would force a woman into marriage, worthy?

Xi Ping said, Wen-shishu is right! 

His consciousness impatiently ran off, half back to Tao County, half to Zhou Ying. “San-ge, I need a favor!” 

For a dazed moment, it was as if he had returned to that time when he had gotten up to mischief in Demon Country, wasted all his spiritual stones, and written a letter bemoaning his poverty and asking for money. 

San-ge would take him home, and with some work, he would be able to “write letters” to his old grandmother again, would be able to see the all seasons garden at the Marquis Manor whenever he wanted. 

For some reason, though the Yongning Marquis Manor was clearly only a small compound in the mortal world without divine beings or divine instruments inside it, though it couldn’t rescue him from the Impassable Sea or let him shed his skin and become a god overnight, without fear of the Bell of Tribulation or the Silver Moon, it could still give him an unusual sense of confidence in himself. 

As though so long as his soul was placed there, there would be no mountain he couldn’t climb, no place he couldn’t go. 

If only he wanted it, Dongheng’s Sanyue’s Unbound Furnace could also be his.