There is a saying, “All meetings in this world are reunions after long separations.”

Many seemingly coincidental events are predestined.

The Six Worthy Ones of Green Cliff had been watching for many days, waiting to strike when Song Qian Ji was alone and unprotected. Unfortunately, Song Qian Ji rarely ventured out, living a simple life, staying in his small courtyard and focusing on farming.

They finally got their chance tonight when Meng He Ze was participating in the martial arts examination, with all the outer disciples gathered at the plaza to watch.

Song Qian Ji had no one protecting him, yet he dared to go to the deserted Yaoguang Lake.

In some people’s eyes, this was because he had encountered a female cultivator of low cultivation who appeared weak and vulnerable.

After playing the hero and saving the damsel in distress, he was supposedly bewitched by her beauty, only wanting to find a romantic spot away from disturbances.

On the other hand, Song Qian Ji needed to choose a quiet and secluded place to interrogate “Wang Tu Gen and Bai Lian Lian” about what they were really up to.

They were bound to collide.

Shopkeeper Hua didn’t know what sins he had committed in his previous life to encounter such an oddity as Song Qian Ji in this one.

Just thinking about the bag of mud that Song Qian Ji had personally packed made his skin crawl and his chest tighten with nausea.

These people also didn’t know what sins they had committed in their previous lives to come here and ambush Song Qian Ji.

On a dark and windy night, if a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators suddenly appeared in the forest, let alone even a small beast, wouldn’t these two people huddle together, trembling in fear?

But when that “fragile female cultivator” rolled up her sleeves, smiled revealing eight snow-white teeth, patted her storage pouch, and summoned a gleaming gold-threaded ring blade weighing three hundred jin-—

They realized things might not be going as planned.

“She’s concealed her cultivation level! She’s not at the initial stage of Qi Condensation at all!”

“That blade is a powerful magical tool, be careful!”

These people were not only wearing robes that concealed their appearances but their voices had also been specially modified. Each one had the same hoarse, unpleasant voice, making them indistinguishable.

Shopkeeper Hua, having suppressed his grievances all day, erupted with spiritual energy and charged into the enemy formation like a fierce tiger entering a flock of sheep. He slashed, chopped, and cut with unstoppable momentum!

The blade pierced through the darkness, with flashes of cold light and surging energy.

The five golden rings on the blade vibrated and hummed in unison like demons chanting curses.

Blood splattered onto his white dress, but he paid no attention.

The blade whistled through the air, causing sand and stones to fly and fallen leaves to rustle.

The attackers, seeing the situation turn dire, quickly adjusted their formation, trying to bypass this female cultivator and her great blade.

Their target was Song Qian Ji, but after five of them had been wounded, they hadn’t even touched a corner of Song Qian Ji’s robe.

A flash of silver light from a long chain struck treacherously toward the white-dressed cultivator’s back.

Yet she seemed to have anticipated it, and without even turning around, she swung her blade backward.

The blade’s edge sliced through falling leaves in the air, releasing violent spiritual energy that set the leaf fragments ablaze.

Before they hit the ground, the burning fragments were completely consumed. The crimson flames extinguished, turning into specks of ash.

The “Immortal-Binding Chain” was severed with one slash, falling powerlessly to the ground as its silver light faded.

The attackers’ last hope, like the falling leaves, was cut in two and reduced to dust.

No one could understand how this female cultivator, slender as a willow, could wield a blade that was half a head taller than herself with such ease.

What cultivation technique had she practiced that made her blade work so open and expansive, fierce and domineering, growing stronger with each strike?

Now who was ambushing whom?

So it turned out that it was she alone ambushing all of them?

Song Qian Ji yawned.

Although “Wang Tu Gen” fought with sweeping force, like a goddess scattering flowers, he was thinking about planting lotus roots and had no interest in watching.

“The information was wrong, we’ve encountered a tough opponent!”

“The wind is rising, let’s retreat first!”

The original plan was to quietly put a sack over his head and knock him unconscious, so they couldn’t use destructive talismans or other weapons that would cause a great commotion.

They also didn’t dare trigger the mountain-protecting formation, or no one would be able to handle the aftermath.

They had no choice but to retreat temporarily and send a message to their behind-the-scenes master—

“Song Qian Ji has a powerful protector by his side, of unknown origin, unknown background, and unknown cultivation level! We were ambushed!”

Shopkeeper Hua, still eager for more, pursued them a few steps with his blade and shouted, “Don’t be in such a hurry to leave, everyone!”

His voice now was high-pitched, a soft and beautiful female voice, but to the ears of the crowd, it sounded like the King of Hell summoning their souls.

Everyone made a quick decision, using earth escape techniques, plunging into the soil and fleeing rapidly from the forest.

“How boring, they scare so easily.”

Shopkeeper Hua took out a piece of fine silk and wiped the blade until it gleamed.

After a spell to clean his hands, he took out another handkerchief and carefully wiped it between his fingers.

Song Qian Ji turned to go down the mountain. For now, he believed the other had no ill intentions.

“Hey, why are you walking so fast, are you in a hurry?” Shopkeeper Hua followed, smiling:

“We’ve fought side by side after all…”

Though it was only him fighting one-sidedly.

Having fought a satisfying battle that released a whole day’s frustration, he reached out to pat Song Qian Ji’s shoulder.

Song Qian Ji avoided that hand and shook the storage pouch filled with mud: “Fellow Daoist Wang, I have other matters to attend to.”

“Kid, my surname isn’t Wang, it’s Hua.” Shopkeeper Hua jumped two steps away, vigilantly asking, “You collected this mud, you’re not planning to splash me with it, are you?”

Song Qian Ji shook his head and said seriously, “This mud is fertile, soft, and rich in humus, most suitable for planting lotus roots. It shouldn’t be wasted.”

Shopkeeper Hua was stunned.

What did that mean? So I’m not even worthy of being splashed with mud?

I’m not even worth a bag of mud?

He was about to flare up when he suddenly heard Song Qian Ji ask:

“Do you also know the ‘Appearance Concealment Technique’?”

When Song Qian Ji had discerned this person’s identity, a figure flashed through his mind—clear clothing but a blurry face.

That night after leaving the shady shop, on the old street of Huawei Sect, he had brushed shoulders with a small-time drunk troublemaker.

He remembered how the person was dressed but couldn’t recall the face no matter how hard he tried.

Because that was a cultivator who practiced the Appearance Concealment Technique, which, when activated, could hide one’s true face, confuse others, and make people instantly forget one’s appearance.

Shopkeeper Hua proudly said, “Of course, not only do I know it, I’m proficient at it!”

This question reminded him of Wei Ping.

He had once taught Wei Ping the Appearance Concealment Technique for three days after losing a bet. Although that guy was a scoundrel, he had extraordinary talent and learned everything quickly. By now, he had probably mastered it.

Shopkeeper Hua’s eyes shifted, “If you want to learn this, beg me a little, call me something nice, and I might consider teaching you.”

He wondered whether Song Qian Ji or Wei Ping had better talent and who would learn techniques faster.

“I don’t want to learn,” Song Qian Ji said.

“…” Shopkeeper Hua choked, “Having more skills never hurts. Such a divine technique, so many people want to learn it but have no way to, you really won’t reconsider?”

“I’m very busy.”

“What are you busy with? Are you just busy farming all day?” Shopkeeper Hua was exasperated, feeling an itch in his hands.

But he couldn’t hit Song Qian Ji and could only pull his hair.

This young man was thin, and if he damaged him with one slash, how would he explain it to the Calligraphy Saint?

Shopkeeper Hua decided to try intimidation instead: “You just saw it, you’ve offended someone, and they dare to seek revenge against you even in Huawei Sect. With so few survival skills, aren’t you afraid?”

“They’re more afraid now,” Song Qian Ji said.

Shopkeeper Hua scratched his head and thought, “That’s true.”

Regardless of who was behind those people, after being severely beaten by him tonight, they would be too scared to sleep, fearing they might dream of the “fragile female cultivator” swinging her great blade at them.

He looked down at his white dress and embroidered shoes stained with blood. There was no help for it—this world was simply that terrifying.

As they reached the lakeside, Song Qian Ji suddenly stopped: “Your accomplices are coming.”

More than ten auras were rapidly approaching.

Among them were a few who had acted with “Bai Lian Lian” to deceive him earlier in the day, and he naturally recognized them.

Shopkeeper Hua thought this was bad.

Just now, thinking Song Qian Ji was about to do something improper, he had secretly sent messages to the various shopkeepers and assistants.

“They, they are…” As Shopkeeper Hua was about to explain, he saw that Song Qian Ji had already taken a different path and continued walking without looking back.

He was in a hurry.

By the shore of Yaoguang Lake, the group from the shady shops arrived in an instant, and seeing Shopkeeper Hua covered in blood, they were shocked.

Shopkeeper Hua sighed, gave a brief explanation, and then looked world-weary:

“Song Qian Ji isn’t at all what we thought he was. We’ve all misunderstood him.”

“Indeed, it was a misunderstanding. We’ve also found out the identity of that qin-carrying female cultivator. It was easy to find out, we were just blind to what was right in front of us.” The rice shop assistant said in a low voice.

Shopkeeper Hua perked up: “Who is she?”

The rice shop assistant Xiao Mi threw out a portrait for everyone to pass around: “Take a look.”

As the portrait was unfolded, sounds of sharp intakes of breath followed one after another.

When “Wang Tu Gen” had failed last time, he was assigned the task of waiting until the qin-carrying female cultivator left Song’s courtyard, then intercepting her on the way to chat and get information from her, but he was brushed off.

“Her name is He Qingqing. She was once brought to Song’s courtyard to frighten Song Qian Ji. Because her face was completely disfigured, people at the academy gave her a nickname, ‘Black-faced Ghost.’ She is a pitiful person with a tragic fate…”

“Ah, who could have imagined that when Song Qian Ji bought a qin with his sword in the middle of the night and even threw in a nurturing-qi talisman at such great trouble, it wasn’t to please a beauty, but to give to her! We should be able to hear her play the qin at this year’s qin examination.”

Everyone was stunned into silence.

After a long silence, Shopkeeper Hua, dressed as a woman, pulled the pearl hairpin from his temple and violently smashed it on the ground:

“What does this all mean? His vision transcends beauty and ugliness, his heart embraces heaven and earth. Then what about us? What are we?”

“I suppose we’re small-minded people, measuring a gentleman’s heart by our standards.” The pawnshop assistant Xiao Zhuo felt very remorseful. “In today’s world, to think there are still true gentlemen, and we happened to run into one. How could a true gentleman write an ‘unscrupulous merchant talisman’ to insult people?”

“Who first suggested the beauty trap? Your brain must have been soaked in an ink pool!” The pawnshop keeper deflected blame.

The rice shopkeeper immediately pushed the blame: “This isn’t my fault, it’s all because of Wei Ping! Hanging around that rascal Wei Ping for a year has lowered my character and state of mind!”

“Yes, one becomes red near vermilion and black near ink, and Wei Ping is the ink pool. I won’t see him anymore, and I’ll let Song Qian Ji’s sacred radiance illuminate me more, then my moral standards will improve.”

After reviewing everything, everyone unanimously decided to place the blame on Wei Ping.

“So should we… continue testing him?” Zhang the blacksmith from the ironworks looked hesitant.

Shopkeeper Hua had already pulled out all his hairpins and jeweled ornaments, making his hair look like a chicken’s nest:

“Whoever still wants to go, go ahead, but I’m not testing anymore! Is it not enough that I willingly admit defeat?”

Everyone echoed their agreement.

They adjusted their mindset, unified their version of events, and prepared to report back to the Calligraphy Saint.

“Are you all in a hurry too?” Shopkeeper Hua broke down, “At least let me change back into men’s clothes first!”