Chapter Twelve: The Flow of Time

“Die, villain!”

With a simple disguise, Qin Feng struck with ruthless force; his mastery as a first-rate martial artist was no mere boast. His surging blood and energy propelled him forward, his figure swift as a phantom. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before the Black Wind Bandit, raising his fist for a blow.

The bandit's face turned pale with shock. He felt a fierce gust, a shadow looming before him. Caught off guard, he tried to defend himself and turn to flee.

Crack—

Qin Feng's fist, laden with terrifying power, shattered the bandit's arm outright. The lingering force further broke every vein and bone in the bandit's body, leaving him collapsed on the ground like limp clay.

"Are you alright?"

Qin Feng immediately helped Su Yuer up; the scent of a young woman wafted gently to him.

"I'm fine," she replied, her cheeks tinged with pink from their close proximity.

"Good. Rest here for a while. I must be going," Qin Feng said, seeing her wounds were not too grave. He turned and departed without delay, unwilling to linger, wary that his own constable might notice something amiss.

"..."

Su Yuer gazed after Qin Feng, who vanished faster than the wind, her delicate face displaying astonishment. Such a beautiful woman right before him, and he fled as though facing a man-eating tiger...

He ran so swiftly...

Su Yuer gently bit her lip, unable for the moment to fathom the origins of this mysterious masked man.

...

Meanwhile, Qin Feng, after rescuing Su Yuer, sped back to the county town like the wind. His rapid pace left only a blur, making it impossible for passersby to glimpse his features.

He sought out several local thugs, beat them soundly, stripped off their clothes to disguise himself, and then, acting as though nothing had happened, hurried home.

On the way, Qin Feng avoided everyone, head lowered, so that none paid him any mind.

At home, he changed into the same outfit he’d worn upon leaving, then hastened to the magistrate’s office.

En route, Qin Feng quietly injured his own veins, letting blood trickle from the corner of his mouth to feign wounds from battle.

He slipped into the magistrate’s office, showed his face, and, sighing heavily, lamented to his colleagues about the ferocity of the Black Wind Bandit.

About half an hour later, Su Yuer returned, dragging the critically wounded and unconscious bandit behind her, earning the praise and flattery of all present.

Thanks to his own disguise, Su Yuer failed to notice anything odd about Qin Feng. She spoke briefly, then took the Black Wind Bandit to see the county magistrate.

"Phew, I've muddled through..."

Seeing this, Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief, left with his colleagues, and hurried home.

"After a day out, I wonder how things are in the box-world..."

He entered the secret study. Approaching the box, Qin Feng gazed into its world.

Before his eyes lay majestic, endless mountains, adorned with countless pavilions and palaces, winding through the ranges like a jade sash.

Within the valleys resided thousands of disciples of the Azure Palace; the young children he’d seen that morning had all grown up.

Time seemed to have passed another twenty years.

"The flow of time inside is too swift..."

"It seems whenever I'm not beside the box, time accelerates within..."

Qin Feng found this rather intriguing. His original intention was to treat the box-world as a backyard, ensuring the little people inside merely survived.

As for birth, aging, sickness, and death—those natural cycles were inevitable.

He himself could not live forever, so how could he help those inside?

Lost in thought, Qin Feng silently watched the box-world.

At that moment, within the spacious hall of the Azure Palace inside the valley, three elders gathered, jointly recommending themselves to Uncle Tie to serve as Imperial Immortal Masters in the Great Qian Dynasty.

These three were Yan Jun, Pei You, and Xiang Yunqian, former disciples of years past.

"To serve the Great Qian Dynasty is to enter the mundane world," Uncle Tie said, looking at the three elders before him. "You will be entangled in earthly affairs, lack the resources of the palace, and your cultivation may slow. Are you truly resolved?"

He held high hopes for these talented juniors.

Indeed, Yan Jun and his peers had proven their exceptional gifts, advancing rapidly in two decades of cultivation—now nearly surpassing Uncle Tie himself.

"Uncle Tie, we hail from the Great Qian Dynasty. It is time we returned to defend our homeland and ease the burdens of our people," Yan Jun replied, his voice firm with resolve.

Having trained in the Azure Palace for many years, he often descended the mountain to visit family.

But now, having achieved mastery, he naturally wished to serve the dynasty, helping the people to live better lives.

Beside him, Pei You and Xiang Yunqian shared the same sentiment.

The two spoke in turn:

"Perhaps, by immersing ourselves in the secular world, we can refine our hearts amidst the red dust. Staying in the valley forever is somewhat stifling."

"Very well. Then you shall go to the Great Qian Dynasty as guardians and immortal masters," Uncle Tie nodded gently, approving their choice.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Yan Jun bowed respectfully, and together with Pei You and Xiang Yunqian, left the hall, making their way to the Great Cauldron and the Mountain of Heavenly Principles.

The Mountain of Heavenly Principles recorded the history of the Azure Sect and tales of ancient immortal exiles.

The towering incense atop the Great Cauldron burned slowly, its fragrant mist seeming destined to waft for thousands more years.

"Do you think there truly were ancient exiled immortals?" Yan Jun asked, gazing at the immortal traces.

"Perhaps there were," Pei You mused. "After all, we are cultivators. To reach the highest realm is to become immortal."

Xiang Yunqian nodded softly, evidently of like mind.

"These are but stories in ancient records," Yan Jun said, waving his hand. "No cultivator has truly ascended to immortality—only legends, uncertain and indistinct."

"They say the Azure Palace was once favored by an ancient immortal exile," he continued. "But in my twenty years here, I have never seen the immortal's true form, nor witnessed any new miracles."

His words fell, and silence lingered.

Xiang Yunqian spoke quietly: "To an immortal exile, perhaps the passing of twenty years is but a fleeting instant."

Pei You added, "The fungus knows not dusk and dawn, the cicada knows not spring and autumn."

Yan Jun fell silent, lost in thought.

After a while, he withdrew his gaze from the Mountain of Heavenly Principles, and together with Pei You and Xiang Yunqian, set off for the Great Qian Dynasty.

News spread that three elders from the Azure Palace would soon reside in the dynasty, offering protection to the people.

The emperor, stirred with emotion, personally led a hundred officials to welcome them, hosting a banquet that very day with rare treasures from the four seas to honor the immortal masters.