All of this, of course, fell entirely within Chen Yan’s plan.
What “traveled north and south all his life”?
Under the experience accumulated by Chen Yan over several millennia, after going through countless grand and tumultuous events, the old man sitting beside the rickety square table was practically no different from a child.
With just a few words, he could gradually make him let down his guard.
Of course, Chen Yan didn’t have any ill intentions at all.
He simply felt that this old man’s life experience should be richer than that of the villagers in the surrounding hamlets, enough to extract certain intelligence.
Chen Yan kept humoring the old man as he spoke, and the old man began recounting the various ups and downs he had gone through in his lifetime.
For instance, in his youth, he had left his hometown. Though he had no martial skills, relying on his youth, strength, and boldness, he had once worked as an escort guard.
But during one escort mission, bandits robbed them. At the time, he watched people around him being cut down one by one. He couldn’t even hold his saber steady, and in the end, he narrowly escaped death by playing dead.
Later, he went to the capital and learned the craft of tile-making there.
Actually, he could have returned to the countryside to make tiles, but the quality of the clay in the countryside was far too poor. So, he worked at a kiln in the capital. Every time he came back, he would buy a cartload of tiles from the kiln at a low price and bring them home for his family to sell at a markup in the town.
Over time, he managed to save up a bit of a nest egg.
As the old man recounted his past experiences, his chopsticks kept reaching for the plate of spiced beef on the table.
“Back then, when I was in Li Family Village, I borrowed a neighbor’s yellow ox…”
Hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Chen Yan’s eyes. He listened to the old man’s youthful tales, nodding along repeatedly.
Then, as if casually, he tossed out his question toward the old man:
“Old sir, you’re from Li Family Village?”
“That’s right, but my surname is Zhao. Ninety percent of the people in this village are named Li; only my family has the surname Zhao. I remember my grandfather once told me that our family moved to Li Family Village because of a drought a hundred years ago—a once-in-a-millennium disaster. We fled the famine…”
The old man continued recounting his experiences.
“Does the old sir know if there’s a young fellow in the village, named… Er Niu, or something?”
Chen Yan asked.
Through the old man before him, he had already gained a rough understanding of the internal situation of Nanfeng, this secular dynasty.
Earlier that day, from the old man resting on the ridge of the field, he had obtained information that a young man from Li Family Village had been chosen by the Qingxuan Immortal Sect a few years ago.
But upon hearing the name “Er Niu,” the old man fell silent instantly. The chopsticks reaching for the spiced beef on the table paused mid-motion.
“There is such a person.”
The old man’s tone was noticeably less spirited than before.
Chen Yan clearly noticed the change, but he pretended not to see it and continued with a sigh of emotion:
“I heard that young fellow was selected by the Immortal Master of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect four years ago and taken back to the immortal sect to cultivate immortality. How enviable…”
“That did happen, indeed.”
The old man continued, then let out another sigh:
“But there’s nothing to envy.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan showed a look of confusion:
“Why? Isn’t cultivating immortality a good thing?”
“It is a good thing, but…”
The old man paused again, then turned his gaze to Chen Yan’s face:
“Young brother, I feel quite a connection with you today, so I’ll tell you this—but you must never tell anyone, especially the people of Li Family Village.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Li Er Niu is dead. The Li Er Niu who has now joined the Qingxuan Immortal Sect is not the original Li Er Niu.”
…
Chenping Continent, Heavenly Summit Mountain.
The Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry was still ongoing. Round after round of duels had passed, and now only the final sixteen remained.
Among these remaining sixteen Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquirers, nine belonged to the Five Great Sects.
This was only because, during the course of the Dao Inquiry, the Dao Inquirers from the Five Great Sects had engaged in several internal battles. Otherwise, the current Dao Inquirers would likely have consisted of fifteen from the Five Great Sects, plus Su Hongzhen.
“Four more rounds.”
Wearing plain-colored daoist robes, appearing as if he could face anything with a calm, unfazed demeanor and everything under control, the young cultivator clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at the blue-robed swordsman before him.
“Sir.”
Su Hongzhen bowed in salute toward Mr. You, who stood before him.
This was not the first time Su Hongzhen had encountered Mr. You on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Four years ago on Moxu Mountain, Mr. You had told him that they would meet again on Heavenly Summit Mountain four years later.
During the first two rounds, Su Hongzhen had already run into Mr. You and exchanged greetings.
“With your skill, winning this Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry is probably as easy as eating or drinking water.”
Mr. You continued.
Su Hongzhen said nothing, merely accepting the statement.
Not proud, but not modest in the least.
Still, if someone with such a clear advantage in strength were to be humble, it would come across as even more hypocritical.
Seeing this, Mr. You let out a soft laugh again:
“How do you feel now? Being the number one among the young cultivators of Chenping Continent.”
“I don’t feel anything special.”
Su Hongzhen replied:
“Whether I’m the first among the young cultivators of this era or the last, I will always be myself. Nothing has ever changed.”
“Young in age, but quite deep in thought.”
Mr. You chuckled:
“When I was your age, I didn’t have so many tangled ideas. I only ever focused on how to raise my cultivation.”
Su Hongzhen had never considered such a question. Everything he did was simply following his heart.
“You know what the reward for winning the Heavenly Summit Mountain champion’s seat is, don’t you?”
Mr. You asked.
“The chance to enter Heavenly Summit Palace for three days of meditation.”
Su Hongzhen answered.
“It’s hard to call it a reward, since Heavenly Summit Palace is completely empty… But for you, who knows?”
Mr. You’s tone was laden with meaning.
Su Hongzhen seemed to pick up on something in Mr. You’s tone. He lifted his head, gazing up at the majestic white palace suspended over two thousand zhang in the sky.
Floating there beneath the clear blue sky, looking down upon the world.