Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Cui Chan bought a pot of fine liquor at a tavern in the small town and leisurely strolled towards Erlang Alley.

He walked to the school, took out his key and opened the gate, and came to the small courtyard behind the school.

The bamboo grove remains unchanged, and Qi Jingchun has been waiting here for a long time.

On the table were a chessboard and chess pieces that Chen Pingan had carved himself.

"Senior brother, please sit." Qi Jingchun smiled and raised his hand. "No one can spy on us here."

Cui Chan's previously mocking, blustering expression quickly vanished, and he sat down in front of Qi Jingchun.

"You chose that child?" Cui Chan asked.

It's hard to believe that the two brothers, who were seen as mortal enemies by outsiders, are now quite close.

“It wasn’t that I chose him, but that he moved me,” Qi Jingchun said. “From now on, Senior Brother only needs to keep watching. His path is none of our business.”

"You trust him that much?" Cui Chan asked curiously.

“That’s not the case,” Qi Jingchun said with a smile. “His master is really not someone to be trifled with. If he finds out that you schemed against his disciple, given your current state, I’m afraid he won’t be able to stop you.”

"Tsk, if that's the case, then we're in for a good show today." Cui Chan's lips curled into a smile as he flicked the gourd with his finger.

The wine inside the gourd swirled and poured out of its mouth, transforming into a water mirror in front of the two people.

In the water mirror, a petite yet voluptuous woman in palace attire walks through Mud Bottle Alley.

Three people followed at a distance behind them. One of them was a middle-aged man with a burly build and a resolute expression.

An old man with a pale face and no beard, who seemed to have poor eyesight, kept his eyes squinting.

A young woman was carrying a long sword, the golden tassel of which was curled up on her full breasts.

As the water mirror's perspective rises, Chen Ping'an is coming out of Ruan Qiong's blacksmith shop, heading happily towards Mud Bottle Alley. Chen Shu is also walking out of Gu Can's courtyard, and will arrive at Mud Bottle Alley in a little while.

Judging from the timing, Chen Shu should have encountered these people first, and then Chen Ping'an would have arrived.

"What a small world..." Qi Jingchun gasped, "How dare she come here?"

"Who knows? I guess they don't trust me." The young-looking Cui Chan curled the corners of his mouth, eager to stir up trouble, and said, "Do you think they might start fighting?"

"No," Qi Jingchun said confidently.

"Oh? That young man has such a kind heart?" Cui Chan asked curiously.

"What I mean is, none of them will leave alive." Qi Jingchun frowned. "Why don't you go and stop them, Senior Brother?"

Cui Chan pointed to himself: "Me?"

……

This short woman was none other than the current Empress of the Dali Dynasty, Nan Zan.

Of the three people accompanying her.

The old man's name was Xu Hunran, and he was renowned throughout the Dali Kingdom. He was known as the number one swordsman in Dali and had the cultivation level of the Golden Core Realm.

He liked to keep a sword hidden in his sleeve, named White Sparrow. It was only a little over an inch long, but it was extremely powerful. It was said that it could fly more than a hundred miles back and forth in an instant. The sword would be back in his sleeve before the person was completely dead. His methods were ruthless and unpredictable.

The middle-aged man was named Wang Yifu. He was one of the generals of the Lu Dynasty. He came from a first-class military family, and his ancestors were all generals on the battlefield. Although he was a Qi cultivator, he had the robust physique of an eighth-level martial artist and was proficient in swordsmanship.

Nan Zan walked into Song Jixin's courtyard and glanced at the chicken coop at the foot of the wall. She was taken aback by the fluttering of poultry wings coming from there.

It's been at least half a month since Song Jixin left, and this chicken is still alive.

However, she quickly understood the reason and laughed, "You still have to thank me for finding you such a good neighbor. Harmony among neighbors brings happiness to the whole world."

As she spoke, she looked toward the yard of Chen Ping'an's house next door.

Chen Ping'an's house was more than three times the size of Song Jixin's, with three more tiled rooms and a much cleaner courtyard.

His expression immediately darkened.

She couldn't tolerate a peasant putting pressure on her son.

Especially those peasants who were schemed against by her.

She walked to the wall, thought for a moment, and murmured:

"The few pages of ancient books that the Lu family of Fulu Street gave us record magical arts and supernatural powers. Their history is so ancient that it is impossible to verify them. They are very different from the major talisman schools of Taoism today. I remember one page that recorded an interesting little magic spell. What was the incantation again?"

"Heaven and earth are connected, mountain walls are linked, soft as apricot blossoms, thin as paper. I point my sword, and the door opens swiftly, in accordance with the decree of the Three Mountains and Nine Marquises!"

As Nan Zan chanted the incantation, she pointed forward with her finger, then strolled leisurely through the wall, leaving a slight ripple behind her, and entered Chen Ping'an's courtyard.

"Your Majesty, that young man is a disciple of the Great Sword Immortal. We'd better not provoke him, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves," Wang Yifu said hesitantly.

"He's just a peasant, what's the big deal?" Nan Zan waved his hand dismissively. "This is, after all, part of Dali's territory, part of the vast world. Rules must be followed. Does that guy think he can ignore the rules of the Confucian Temple and kill me?"

"What are your plans, Your Majesty?"

"Naturally, it would be a permanent solution. Before this wretched little bastard gains power, we should finish him off here. Oh, and his mother too, so that the whole family can be reunited. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

A golden sword tassel rested gently on the chest of the woman holding the sword, her expression serene.

Swordsman Xu Hunran completely ignored this and paid no attention to it.

Only Wang Yifu, who was walking at the very back, frowned once again.

……

"You've got guts." Qi Jingchun covered her forehead in despair and clicked her tongue.

“Quite courageous.” Cui Chan nodded heavily in agreement.

……

"Are you here to find peace?"

Just then, Chen Shu walked in from the alley entrance.

He immediately spotted the unfamiliar visitors in his yard.

Seeing that the group had an extraordinary air about them and dressed very differently from the rest of the town, she guessed that they, like Miss Ning, were friends of her little Ping An from outside the town.

"Not a friend, more like an enemy." Looking at the gentle woman before her, Nan Zan couldn't help but smile. "You may not know me, but I know you. After all, your husband, the father of your son, died at my hands."

The air suddenly solidified.

The color drained from Chen Shu's face instantly. Without any hesitation, she turned and ran towards the alley entrance.

Nan Zan wore a cold smile, reveling in the thrill of controlling others' lives. She slightly turned her head, gesturing to Xu Hunran beside her.

Xu Hunran pointed his fingers like a sword, and a chilling sword aura shot out, piercing straight into Chen Shu's heart.

However, just as the sword energy was about to reach Chen Shu within three feet, a barely perceptible ripple suddenly spread through the air. The unstoppable sword energy seemed to have struck an invisible high wall, emitting a soft sound, and was actually bounced back and dissipated into the air.

"A top-grade protective magic weapon?" Xu Hunran raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Nan Zan frowned impatiently: "Can't kill him?"

"Not exactly." Xu Hunran shook his head. This time, he put two fingers of his right hand together, and his spiritual energy circulated around him. A more condensed sword energy gathered at his fingertips, and a faint humming sound rang out in the air.

A snort.

Nan Zan's phoenix eyes flashed with murderous intent as she looked at the plain-clothed boy who was blocking Chen Shu's way.

The boy held a rusty iron sword, his eyes filled with confusion. He couldn't understand why his master's reputation seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

Didn't we agree that the mere mention of Russell's name would make even those at the thirteenth and fourteenth realms tremble?
How come he, a disciple personally taught by the esteemed Sword Immortal Luo, has absolutely no prestige?

"You little bastard, you've come at just the right time!" Nan Zan sneered. "It saves me the trouble of doing anything else. Today I'll send you and your son on your way together, so you'll have each other's company on the road to the Yellow Springs!"

Ignoring her clamor, Chen Ping'an simply turned his head and whispered to his mother behind him, "Mother, let's go to my master's courtyard first."

Chen Shu's face was a little pale. She nodded vigorously without any hesitation or lingering, and turned around to rush towards the seemingly ordinary courtyard next door.

Nan Zan's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and she was about to signal for them to stop her when Chen Ping'an's figure moved slightly. An invisible sword intent locked onto her and the three people behind her, as if anyone who dared to make a move would be met with a thunderous strike.

In that short delay, Chen Shu had already safely taken refuge in Russell's courtyard.

Nan Zan, unable to save face, laughed angrily: "Fine, very fine! Such deep mother-son affection! Xu Hunran, Wang Yifu."

Xu Hunran could no longer contain himself. As a fellow Golden Core cultivator, he had long wanted to test the true value of a sword immortal's personal instruction. His sword aura instantly filled the narrow alley, causing fragments of mud wall to fall to the ground.

He pointed his fingers like a sword, and a sword aura, even sharper than before, shot out and pierced straight into Chen Ping'an's heart, the sword aura hissing.

A complex and helpless look flashed in Wang Yifu's eyes. He could only let out a low roar, the ground beneath his feet cracked, and his body charged like a bull. His fist, as big as a casserole dish, carried terrifying wind pressure and slammed into Chen Ping'an from the side, intending to cooperate with Xu Hunran to severely injure him in one fell swoop.

Chen Ping'an tilted his head, and the rusty iron sword in his hand emitted a barely perceptible hum, resonating with the powerful sword energy flowing around him.

"Hey!"

Xu Hunran's confident sword energy was easily sliced ​​apart by the rusty sword, like fragile cloth, and vanished without a trace.

At the same time, Chen Ping'an clenched his left fist, his arm muscles bulging, and his blood and qi roared like a dragon's roar. He met Wang Yifu's powerful punch head-on with a simple, unadorned punch.

"boom!"

The two fists collided, producing a dull, thunderous sound. The shockwave rolled and blew dust off the earthen walls on both sides of the alley!
Wang Yifu felt an overwhelming, terrifying force, far exceeding his imagination, surging from the other's seemingly not-so-thick arm.

He groaned, his entire arm instantly went numb and tingling, his blood and qi surged, and he was so shaken that he staggered back seven or eight steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the ground.

Xu Hunran was also startled by this. He put away his last trace of contempt, shouted sharply, and the long sword on his back was suddenly drawn, turning into a streak of light and slashing towards Chen Ping'an.

The sword gleamed menacingly, clearly indicating that they were serious.

The massive, imposing sword energy abruptly stopped in mid-air, snapping in two and dissipating into countless tiny, blade-shaped sword energies.

A rain of silvery-white swords crashed down, covering all the buildings within its range.

Chen Ping'an remained calm and unhurried, flicking his finger, and the sword light shone like a ribbon, its aura soaring high.

Countless sword energies sliced ​​it in half at the waist.

Although their attack was not particularly destructive, its lethality was by no means diminished.

With his Golden Core cultivation, if he were to fight without restraint, he could raze this town to the ground in an instant.

But this would undoubtedly be suppressed by Ruan Qiong, the military strategist who was stationed in this area.

Unlike Qi Jingchun, Ruan Qiong was not reasonable. To risk their lives to kill Chen Ping'an would be a losing proposition.

Although Chen Ping'an was not afraid of Ruan Qiong, he would not deliberately cause trouble, not for any other reason than that this was his home.

The three exchanged blows quickly, or rather, Chen Ping'an's swordplay was extremely fierce.

The three people engaged in a fierce battle were moving at a speed that exceeded the limits of human visual perception.

The whistling air and the tearing wind crashed down amidst clusters of sword energy.

The sword energy rained down, carving out crisscrossing furrows into the cratered and uneven ground.

The spiderweb-like cracks that spread from the center were brutally crushed and shattered, then divided into fragments of varying sizes by the sword energy, which were scattered to both sides in the gale.

Chen Ping'an stood alone in the arena, completely dominating the two opponents; the rhythm of the battle depended entirely on the speed of his sword strikes.

The cold smile on Nan Zan's face had vanished, replaced by a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

She never imagined that this boy, whom she considered an ant and could crush at will, would possess such terrifying strength.

"Useless!" she muttered under her breath, her eyes growing increasingly cold.

Just then, a cold glint flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes, and an indescribable, icy sword intent suddenly erupted from the rusty sword.

The sword speed suddenly increased by another three points.

Like a cold streak of light shooting out from the darkness, it ignored the layers of sword curtains that Xu Hunran had laid out.

"Pfft!"

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh was exceptionally clear.

Xu Hunran froze instantly, his eyes wide with disbelief as he looked down at the rusty iron sword piercing his throat.

Chen Ping'an twisted his wrist, and sword energy burst forth.

"Ugh—!" Xu Hunran only had time to let out a short wail before his head was detached from his body and flew up. His golden core and divine soul were instantly reduced to dust by the violent sword energy.

The headless corpse swayed and then fell heavily to the ground.

Immediately afterward, without even looking, Chen Ping'an turned around and delivered a powerful side kick, which landed squarely on the chest of Wang Yifu, who was momentarily stunned by Xu Hunran's death.

"Crack!" The sound of a sternum shattering was sickening.

Wang Yifu spat out a mouthful of blood, his massive body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the alley wall before sliding down softly. For a moment, he was unable to get up and lost the strength to fight again.

In the blink of an eye, one of the two Golden Core Realm guards was dead and the other was seriously injured!

The smell of blood filled the air.

Chen Pingan slowly withdrew his rusty sword, blood dripping from its tip.

He turned around and looked calmly at Nan Zan at the very back.

He carried his sword and walked step by step toward Nan Zan.

Footsteps fell on the bluestone slabs, making a soft yet clear tinkling sound, like the drumbeats of death, striking Nan Zan's heart.

Sunlight streamed through the narrow alley, illuminating half of his profile—calm, yet carrying an undeniable murderous intent.

"I originally planned to wait until I reached the Upper Five Realms before going to the Dali Imperial Palace to find you," Chen Ping'an said, his voice not loud, but it made Nan Zan's heart skip a beat. "Since you've delivered yourself to my door, it saves me a lot of trouble."

Nan Zan swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain calm, and said, "I am the Empress of Dali. It is against propriety for you to kill me. Do you think your master can protect you?"

"..."

Chen Pingan was silent.

For no apparent reason, a feeling of weariness arose in his heart.

In his mind, a mortal enemy like Nan Zan should be a cunning schemer similar to Cui Chan, whom his master had described.

After all, there had always been rumors in the Dali royal family that the empress could rival the imperial advisor.

Today, upon seeing her, I was shocked to discover that the person before me was merely a foolish and ignorant woman.

It's amazing that someone like that is worth remembering for so many years.

He seemed almost ridiculous. (End of Chapter)