After practicing his walking meditation for a while, Chen Ping’an hesitated momentarily, then ultimately decided to leave his residence and return to the pergola on the Dragon Slaying Cliff. There, he stood with his fist cupped, intentionally releasing his fist intent.0

Soon, the old woman came hobbling her way up the mountain with a smile as she asked, “Can I help you with something, Young Master Chen?”0

“Sorry to disturb your rest, Granny Bai, but there are some questions that I wanted to ask you, and I couldn’t wait,” Chen Ping’an said with a guilty expression.0

“There’s no need to be so formal and uptight, Young Master Chen,” the old woman said with a smile. “We’re family, so don’t be so distant. Otherwise, you’re going to make me upset.”0

After the old woman sat down, Chen Ping’an said with a solemn expression. “I can see that the Ning Manor has become almost completely deserted after the passing of the two seniors. May I ask what’s become of the Yao Manor?”0

The old woman was silent for a moment, then replied, “To answer that question, I’ll have to tell you a bit of a long story. Back when Mistress Yao first decided to marry into the Ning Clan, everyone in the Yao Clan disapproved because the Ning Clan had fallen from grace. At the time, Master Ning’s cultivation base wasn’t anything special, nor was he displaying the potential to become a sword immortal.0

“If that were the extent of his shortcomings, then it wouldn’t have been a huge problem. The Yao Clan wasn’t so materialistic that it would get in the way of true love just because Master Ning wasn’t necessarily destined for great things. The problem was that the Yao Clan had requested the Daoist sage presiding over the city to examine the eight characters of the two to see if they were a good fit for each other, and the outcome had been less than stellar.3

“Hence, the Yao Clan staunchly refused to support this marriage, even when the Ning Clan offered up this Dragon Slaying Cliff as a marriage gift. As a result,...0