In Chen Ping'an's mind, this was not a matter of wine, but one of principle. He was running this wine shop, yet he couldn't even get a bowl of free wine here, and that was absurd to him!

Hence, Chen Ping'an decided to make a deal with a pair of swordsmen that he was familiar with. The two men had been glowering resentfully at him even as they enjoyed their meal of noodles and wine, and it took a lot of convincing, but Chen Ping'an managed to win them over. He implied to the two men that the next time someone ran a shady betting station, he would make sure that they were in on it and would get a share of the profits.

The attitudes of the two swordsmen instantly took a drastic turn at such an alluring proposition, and they insisted on treating Chen Ping'an to some wine. Furthermore, they weren't willing to settle for the cheapest Bamboo Sea Small World wine. Even though they were both struggling financially, they insisted on scrounging together five snowflake coins to buy a flagon of the shop's most expensive wine. They told Chen Ping'an that he had to drink it. Otherwise, he would no longer be their friend.

Chen Ping'an sat at the table, waiting for the wine to be brought to him, feeling a little lonely. With so many friends, it was difficult not to be treated to wine.

The list of the top ten sword immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall that Yuan Zaohua had provided earlier on the city walls was not much different from Chen Ping'an's list: the old great sword immortal, Dong Sangeng, A'Liang, Lord Hidden Official, Chen Xi, Qi Tingji, Zuo You, Nalan Shaowei, the old deaf guy, and Lu Zhi.

No one knew the full extent of Chen Qingdu's power, and aside from the imaginative and heavily romanticized stories told by children, there were no real tales of his feats, either.

The Dong Clan had been dealt a rather heavy blow after Dong Guanpu was personally slain by the old great sword immortal for colluding with the demon tribe, and in the wake of that incident, Dong Sangeng had kept a very low profile. His previous public appearance was when he gave a send-off to Sword Immortal Huang Tong of the Great Emblem Sword Sect.

A'Liang was already long gone from the Sword Qi Great Wall. He had scammed a donkey and a white Sword Nurturing Gourd off Wei Jin, and during his travels, he ran into Chen Ping'an and Li Baoping.

The Hidden Official was undoubtedly one of the most powerful people on the Sword Qi Great Wall, but just like the old great sword immortal, the full extent of her powers was unclear. To this day, no one had seen her bonded flying sword, and at the very least, Chen Ping'an hadn't even heard any mention of her bonded flying sword. If one were to listen closely to the stories told about the Hidden Official, it would occur to them that she was the sword immortal who seemed least like a swordsman on the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Xi was the current leader of the Chen Clan, but he was perpetually made to feel unworthy in the face of the old great sword immortal. Whenever he was in Chen Qingdu's presence, it always felt like he was still just a child. Hence, among all of the prominent clans on the Sword Qi Great Wall, the people of the Chen Clan were the ones most averse to visiting the city walls.

Chen Ping'an had met Qi Tingji while practicing his fist techniques on the city walls during his first visit to the Sword Qi Great Wall. He was a handsome, youthful-looking sword immortal and the leader of the Qi Clan.

As for Zuo You, he required no further introduction.

Nalan Shaowei had already been in seclusion for a very long time. Even though the Nalan Clan was one of the most powerful clans on the Sword Qi Great Wall, it was often forgotten about due to Nalan Shaowei's prolonged absence. As for whether Nalan Yexing was a member of the Nalan Clan, that was something that Chen Ping'an had never asked about. It was important to be critical and ask questions, but it simply wasn't appropriate to pry into some matters.

The old deaf guy was the old swordsman who was rumored to be a demon, and he was overseeing the prison where many great demons were being held captive.

When it came to Lu Zhi, just about everyone had already forgotten about her time in the Majestic World. She had arrived on the Sword Qi Great Wall at the Golden Core Tier, and she made one breakthrough after another, performing many glorious feats on the battlefield in the process.

Each time a battle was waged to defend the city, she would be sure to put her life on the line.

A'Liang had once invited her out for a drink, and he had said something rather interesting to her that had somehow been leaked, even though there had been no one else present at the time.

He had said, "All those who reside alone away from others are either wild beasts or deities."

Lu Zhi was the sword immortal whom Dong Bude and Die Zhang admired the most.

After learning that what he had said to Lu Zhi had somehow been made public knowledge, A'Liang had been furious, denouncing the culprit for shamelessly eavesdropping on them. How could they have leaked something that he had said in private to a woman? Granted, what he had said had been self-admittedly extremely profound, insightful, and classy, but had the culprit asked for his and Lu Zhi's approval before leaking the contents of their conversation for the entire world to hear?

Chen Ping'an was drinking his free wine, and he felt like he was doing quite well for himself, considering he was already ranked eleventh in Yuan Zaohua's eyes at such a young age.

"Hey, Second Shopkeeper, I hear you have a sword immortal friend on the Northern Complete Reed Continent who's really good in a fight and even better at drinking, is that right?" a drunkard asked.

Chen Ping'an rubbed his chin as he mulled over the question carefully, then nodded as he replied, "I'd say he could beat all of you at once with ease."

Of course, no one believed him.

Amid the hustle and bustle, Zhang Jiazhen was looking at Chen Ping'an, who was staring into the distance in a daze.

Right at this moment, a smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face as he turned to the street with a reminiscent expression.

He felt like he could see Qi Jinglong and Cao Qinglang walking along side by side.

Chen Ping'an finished the wine in his bowl in one go, then rose to his feet as he declared, "Everyone, I have an announcement to make!"

Everyone instantly fell silent, waiting with bated breath for him to continue.

Could it be that he's about to pay for everyone's wine?!

Chen Ping'an smiled as he concluded, "Don't forget to pay!"

***

Over the next three days, Liu Jinglong continued to keep Jin Su and the other osmanthus girls company as they visited all of Stalactite Mountain's most noteworthy attractions. Bai Shou didn't have any interest in the Incense Offering Tower or the Ganoderma Inn, nor did he feel much desire to visit the Sword Reverence Pagoda, which was laden with the portraits of many sword immortals. Ultimately, he still didn't truly see himself as a swordsman.

Out of all of the attractions on Stalactite Mountain, the Lightning Lake Platform was the one that captivated him the most. The flashing lightning and rumbling thunder made for a riveting visual and auditory experience, and he had heard that the martial goddess from the Middle Earth Divine Continent had refined her sword there not long ago.

Unfortunately, they only made a brief trip to the Lightning Lake Platform, and even then, the osmanthus girls had stayed a bit longer than they otherwise would've out of consideration for Bai Shou. After that brief visit to the Lightning Lake Platform, they went to the Milu Cliff, and upon their arrival, the osmanthus girls immediately began chatting spiritedly with one another.

At the foot of the Milu Cliff was an entire street full of shops that were clearly heavily catered to the female demographic. Even the relatively more inexpressive and steadfast Jin Su was like a kid in a candy shop as she waltzed excitedly from one shop to another, while Bai Shou was left rolling his eyes in exasperation.

Qi Jinglong continued to trail along behind them at a leisurely pace, carefully inspecting every single attraction that they visited. Even when they visited the shops at the foot of the Milu Cliff, he remained as dutiful and watchful as ever, occasionally even offering his opinion on items that the osmanthus girls brought to him.

Bai Shou could tell that at least two of the osmanthus girls had become quite fond of him, and whenever they spoke to him, they made sure to speak in a very soft and gentle tone while observing him with keen attention.

This was very perplexing to Bai Shou. They had no idea who he was, nor were they aware of his connection to the Great Emblem Sword Sect, and they certainly didn't know that he was the so-called Terrestrial Flood Dragon of the Northern Complete Reed Continent. From their perspective, he should've been nothing more than a pedantic scholar with not even a single snowflake coin to his name, so why were they attracted to him?

Could it be that his bonded flying sword had some type of innate ability to capture the hearts of women? If that were the case, then Bai Shou would feel much more motivated to learn swordsmanship from him.

The day passed by in an uneventful fashion.

Qi Jinglong didn't bother to reveal to Bai Shou that they had been followed by two separate groups of people in secret, but Qi Jinglong had scared them off on both occasions.

On the first occasion, Qi Jinglong had only displayed the aura of a Golden Core Tier swordsman. Whoever had been following them in secret was unwilling to give up, and they returned with reinforcements. Qi Jinglong could only elevate his cultivation base by an additional tier, and after that, no one else came to bother them.

Bai Shou spent the entire day hanging around near the osmanthus girls, putting on a display of boredom as he carried the spoils from their shopping trip. However, despite his perceived casual, lazy demeanor, he had actually been extremely vigilant the entire time, constantly observing his surroundings, just like he used to as an assassin of Deer Cutter Mountain.

Qi Jinglong was quite pleased to see this.

With Qi Jinglong accompanying the osmanthus girls, there was no way that he would allow any harm to befall them at the hands of the people from the Fu Clan. Hence, Bai Shou could've easily grown lazy and complacent, knowing that his services weren't required anyway.

Even in the Great Emblem Sword Sect, there were many direct disciples who, unbeknownst to even themselves, underwent minute changes in personality after they attained their status as direct disciples. They still spoke and behaved as they usually did, maintaining a respectful demeanor while continuing to abide by the rules, but deep down, they were already ever so slightly different from the people they had once been.

Over time, these minute differences would be magnified, and they would turn into drastically different individuals. Outside of his own cultivation, Qi Jinglong would do his best to help his juniors of the Great Emblem Sword Sect remain steadfast and true to themselves, but there were certain matters that he simply couldn't speak on as they concerned the foundation of their Great Daos.

Jin Su and the other osmanthus girls returned to the Osmanthus Island, satisfied with the spoils from their shopping trip. Over the few days that they had spent together, Jin Su's impression of Qi Jinglong had improved significantly, and she thanked him in earnest as they parted ways.

Qi Jinglong escorted them all the way to the Catch and Release Pavilion, and only then did he take Bai Shou to pay the bill at the Stork Inn. From there, they were planning to go and stay in the Spring Banner Inn, but upon their return to the Stork Inn, Bai Shou was immediately overcome by a sense of immense schadenfreude.

As it turned out, a familiar woman was waiting for them there. It was none other than Celestial Maiden Lu Sui of Water Scripture Mountain.

"Jinglong, the people at the Spring Banner Inn heard that you and Bai Shou have already been on Stalactite Mountain for three days, so they asked me to come here and extend an invitation to you," Lu Sui explained in a gentle voice. "I've already paid the bill for you. You don't blame me for that, do you?"

Qi Jinglong shook his head with a wry smile. It felt like it would be the wrong answer regardless of whether he blamed her or not, so he simply chose not to speak.

It was at times like this when Qi Jinglong began to miss Chen Ping'an.

The innkeeper of the Stork Inn was very intrigued. Who was this young outsider to warrant an invitation from the Spring Banner Inn?

The people at the renowned private residences like the Spring Banner Inn and the Ape Rub Residence were extremely selective with their guests, and generally speaking, no cultivator below the Upper Five Tiers would even be permitted to set foot inside.

Qi Jinglong smiled and bade farewell to the innkeeper, who responded with a smile and a nod of his own.

He was just the innkeeper of a tiny inn, and there was no need to be overly polite to someone so far above him. Even if he did everything in his power to appease the young man, it wasn't going to amount to anything, and he had never been one to suck up to others anyway. All he wanted was to enjoy a peaceful life and earn enough money to get by, and he didn't harbor any lofty ambitions.

Having said that, he certainly wasn't averse to meeting mysterious and unfathomable young men like Chen Ping'an and Qi Jinglong every once in a while. Perhaps once they forged resounding reputations for themselves, more and more business would be drawn to the Stork Inn by association.

However, it was not going to be easy to earn a reputation in a place that was teeming with power and talent like Stalactite Mountain.

On the way to the Spring Banner Inn, Bai Shou eagerly struck up a conversation with Lu Sui. He was very keen on visiting Water Scripture Mountain as there were many pretty big sisters there.

Bai Shou wasn't actually a playboy. Instead, he simply liked it when girls liked him.

On this occasion, Lu Sui was clearly much more talkative than the usual cold and unapproachable Celestial Maiden Lu, who was focused solely on her cultivation.

Bai Shou was feeling very indignant on Celestial Maiden Lu's behalf. If such an exceptional woman couldn't even capture Liu Jinglong's heart, then he deserved to be single for life and be forced to drink to death by Xu Xingjiu!

The owner of the Spring Banner Inn made a rare appearance to personally welcome Qi Jinglong.

Lu Sui brewed some tea for the two sword immortals, while Bai Shou was feeling rather uneasy.

In the past, Bai Shou hadn't felt much respect or veneration for the Great Emblem Sword Sect, and he certainly wasn't afraid of Liu Jinglong, but for some reason, that began to change after his meeting with Disciplinary Elder Huang Tong.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was even more afraid of the prospect of having to meet Sect Leader Han Huaizi on this trip.

Similarly, Bai Shou was feeling very tense and uneasy in the presence of Shao Yunyan, the owner of the Spring Banner Inn.

These were all legendary sword immortals, almighty figures who stood at the very top of the mountain summit, even on the Northern Complete Reed Continent, where swordsmen were as common as copper coins.

As for why he was so comfortable around Liu Jinglong, even though the latter was also a sword immortal, that was a question that Bai Shou had never really pondered.

In his eyes, it seemed like his master treated the sword immortal owner of the Spring Banner Inn no differently from the much lesser cultivators on the Osmanthus Island.

Bai Shou accepted the cup of tea offered to him by Lu Sui with both hands, and after taking a sip, he began to feel a bit more settled and composed.

Qi Jinglong asked if he could reserve a Sword Nurturing Gourd, and Shao Yunyan accepted his request with a smile, offering him a very fair price.

Qi Jinglong expressed his gratitude, while Bai Shou began sweating profusely after hearing the exorbitant number of grain rain coins that the Sword Nurturing Gourd was going to cost.

"Outside of this deal, the Great Emblem Sword Sect doesn't owe me anything, but you owe me a favor, Fellow Cultivator Qi," Shao Yunyan said. "To tell you the truth, if these fourteen gourds can ultimately be successfully refined into seven Sword Nurturing Gourds, then all seven have already been reserved well in advance in irrevocable deals. However, one of them is not going to be able to fulfill the agreement and make the purchase, so you're in luck.

“Otherwise, I'm afraid I would've had no choice but to turn you down. In repayment for this favor, all that I ask is that you go into battle for me once at my request within the next one thousand years. Rest assured, it will be in a situation where you're fully justified to draw your sword, and I won't try to force you to compromise on your morals and values."

"That's not a problem," Qi Jinglong replied with a smile.

He then hesitated momentarily before asking, "If it turns out that more than seven of the gourds are successfully refined into Sword Nurturing Gourds, then can I reserve another one?"

"If there are additional Sword Nurturing Gourds beyond the projected seven, then the extra ones will be sold to the highest bidders, so it's probably going to be very difficult for you to get your hands on one," Shao Yunyan replied with a smile.

There were some things that Shao Yunyan had chosen not to reveal to Qi Jinglong. Even though one of the previously reserved Sword Nurturing Gourds had become available, it was certainly not just available to anyone.

As for why Qi Jinglong had been able to claim the Sword Nurturing Gourd, there were three reasons for this. Firstly, Shao Yunyan and the Spring Banner Inn had faith in Qi Jinglong's potential and were confident that he would reach even higher heights in the future.

Secondly, there was a very good chance that Qi Jinglong was going to become the next leader of the Great Emblem Sword Sect. Thirdly, Shao Yunyan had also originally come from the Northern Complete Reed Continent, so there was a bit of a connection between the two in that regard.

Shao Yunyan didn't see the need to articulate all of this because he knew that Qi Jinglong was already aware of all of these underlying reasons.

"It seems like I was hoping for a little too much," Qi Jinglong said.

"It's only thanks to your presence here that I've gotten a chance to drink tea brewed by Lu Sui, Fellow Cultivator Qi," Shao Yunyan chuckled.

Lu Sui was the most prized direct disciple of the Water Scripture Mountain sect leader, and the only one that Shao Yunyan had ever been indebted to in his life was Lu Sui's mistress.

The two of them had obtained the gourd vine that currently resided in the Spring Banner Inn by chance together, and she was actually the one who had made the greater contribution in the process. However, for various reasons, the two of them were ultimately unable to become Dao partners. Despite this, she had gladly given him sole ownership of the gourd vine, and she had never expressed any regret or changed her mind on this decision.

However, this only made him feel even more indebted to her. Hence, with no children of his own, he treated her most prized disciple, Lu Sui, like his own daughter. Lu Sui's devotion and infatuation toward Liu Jinglong was very reminiscent of how her mistress had once felt about Shao Yunyan.

It was a little off-putting for Bai Shou to hear Shao Yunyan refer to Liu Jinglong as Qi Jinglong, just like Chen Ping'an did.

Regarding this matter, Bai Shou had heard some rumors on the Graceful Peak. Apparently, Liu Jinglong's surname was originally Qi, but after entering the Great Emblem Sword Sect to cultivate, his name had been marked down as Liu Jinglong in the ancestral hall.

After finalizing the deal on the Sword Nurturing Gourd, Shao Yunyan had some more tea before promptly departing, but Lu Sui stayed and continued to brew tea.

Bai Shou was watching her elegant and masterful tea-brewing technique, and it was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

"Have you seen through some of the secrets on Stalactite Mountain yet, Jinglong?" she asked with a smile.

Qi Jinglong nodded as he replied, "The eight attractions on the mountain are all eyes of a formation. Stalactite Mountain is not just a mountain seal. Instead, it's a celestial weapon with both offensive and defensive capabilities, one that's been refined countless times over. As for the origins of the formation, I presume it comes from one of the three ancient techniques left behind by the Master of Three Mountains and Nine Lords.

“The most remarkable aspect of the formation is that it uses mountains to refine water and turn the heavens. Once it's activated, it's capable of turning heaven and earth on their heads."

Lu Sui's eyes were brimming with affection, and even though she only took a quick glance at Liu Jinglong before returning her attention to the tea that she was brewing, that fleeting glance alone would've been enough to captivate countless men.

However, Qi Jinglong was completely oblivious, still lost in his own thoughts as he pondered the complexities of the Stalactite Mountain formation.

Bai Shou was struck by the urge to give him a slap to the head.

A thought seemed to have occurred to Lu Sui, and she said, "My mistress is good friends with Sword Immortal Li, and she can accompany you to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Lingcong is here with me on Stalactite Mountain. I'm sure you've met her before, Jinglong. I came with her to visit Stalactite Mountain on this occasion."

Qi Jinglong nodded in response, not questioning Lu Sui's alibi in the slightest.

Bai Shou was growing more and more exasperated by the second, and he could only chug down his cup of tea to drown his frustration.

What the hell are you nodding for, you idiot?! Do you not realize that Celestial Maiden Lu is only making up that story? She's not here with Lingcong or whatever; she's here to see you! I don't mean to make unfair comparisons, but Brother Chen is miles ahead of you when it comes to stuff like this! Forget it, I'll just have to tell Brother Chen about this the next time we meet and get him to teach you some of his tricks.

However, Lu Sui was already accustomed to this, and while refilling Qi Jinglong's cup, she said, "I heard that a martial arts prodigy from the Middle Earth Divine Continent recently arrived at the Water Essence Palace. She progressed to the Vajra Body Tier as the strongest sixth tier martial artist under the heavens, and she made her breakthrough on the Golden Armor Continent, where she received a lot of guidance from Cao Ci.

“She came to the Sword Qi Great Wall on this occasion because she wants to practice her fist techniques on the city walls for a few years, just as Cao Ci once did."

"I have a friend who's currently also practicing his fist techniques on the Sword Qi Great Wall," Qi Jinglong said with a smile. "Maybe they'll run into each other at some point."

After his ordeal with Pei Qian, Bai Shou couldn't help but feel a little uneasy whenever he heard mention of a female pure martial artist.

"Is it Chen Ping'an from the Eastern Treasured Vial Continent?" Lu Sui asked with a curious expression.

Qi Jinglong had mentioned this name last time at the Three Official Attendant Temple. It seemed that Chen Ping'an was the reason why Qi Jinglong had gone on a shopping trip to Hatred Sword Mountain and the Three Official Attendant Temple before facing his three challenges, so the name had left quite a deep impression on Lu Sui.

Qi Jinglong smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"Even I'm starting to get a little curious about this Chen Ping'an," Lu Sui mused. "I wonder what it is about him that's made him such a close friend of yours."

Qi Jinglong didn't offer any explanation.

Unable to remain silent any longer, Bai Shou interjected, "Brother Chen doesn't really have any good qualities, but his ability to convince people to drink wine is unmatched!"

Qi Jinglong turned to Bai Shou with a smile, and the latter immediately put on a serious expression as he amended, "That is Chen Ping'an's worst quality of all! He's a compulsive drunkard, and I'm both furious and embarrassed to have a brother like him!"

Lu Sui was struck by a combination of amusement and exasperation, and she couldn't help but wonder why Liu Jinglong had decided to take on such an erratic disciple.