The little dumpling smiled and introduced, "He is Xiong Shan, the mountain god of Ziyun Peak; he is Niu Mang, the mountain god of Qingshan Peak; and he is Ma Hu, the mountain god of Wulei Mountain. Xiong Shan and Niu Mang were appointed as mountain gods by my boss, while Ma Hu was appointed as a mountain god by the Heavenly Court in the past. He is the know-it-all of the mountain range and knows everything."

Ma Hu grinned crookedly, "Keep it low-key, keep it low-key."

Xiong Shan greeted him warmly, "Little brother, let me teach you how to play rock-paper-scissors. This is a dragon, this is good buddies..."

"Easy, right?"

"Simple."

Xuan Qing nodded.

Soon after, the sound of finger-guessing games rang out in the cowshed. Xuanqing's face was quickly covered with a paper strip, making him look like an old man, which made Xiong Shan and the others laugh heartily.

"There's no more alcohol."

"Great Protector, bring out the divine wine you got from the City God and let us have a taste."

"I forgot my wine gourd at the Taoist temple."

Ma Hu grinned and said, "Longhu Temple isn't far, why don't you go back for a visit?"

The little dumpling could only tell the truth, "The boss came back and confiscated my wine gourd."

With a whoosh!

Xiong Shan and Niu Mang then slipped away.

Ma Hu paused for a moment, then slipped away.

Why are you running?

The little dumpling looked puzzled.

......

Jinghu Land God Temple.

Qin Luochao bowed with his hands clasped at the Earth God Temple.

The Earth God of Mirror Lake sensed something and came to the outside of the Earth God Temple, his face full of joy, "Great Immortal, it's been a long time."

Qin Luo smiled and said softly, "Senior, the incense offerings here seem quite good."

The Earth God of Mirror Lake laughed heartily, “Since the Mirror Lake Academy was established, the number of worshippers here has increased even more than at its peak. It’s all thanks to the Great Immortal.”

Qin Luo shook his head, "This is all thanks to everyone!"

As they were talking, Linglong came closer, her eyes shimmering, and she pursed her lips. "Mr. Qin!"

After Linglong took control of the Luo River's water transport, she learned about some of the hardships Qin Luo had endured. She dared not tell others, fearing that Ziyue and the others would be saddened if they knew.

No matter what Qin Luo went through, he always had a smile on his face. "Linglong, you've worked hard all these years."

Linglong's appearance remained unchanged. For dragons, who have long lifespans, ten years is not a long time.

"Thank you, Mr. Qin, for avenging me and entrusting me with the water transport of the Luo River." Linglong's eyes were filled with gratitude.

Qin Luo looked at Linglong and said solemnly, "You are worthy of this water transport right now."

Linglong smiled gently, looked at Huaying with wariness in her eyes, and said softly, "Fairy Huaying."

Hua Ying nodded and smiled. Qin Luo knew that Hua Ying's master had killed Linglong's father, and that Linglong was hostile towards Hua Ying. "Linglong, Hua Ying is different from the previous imperial advisor."

“You’re right, sir.”

Linglong didn't trust Huaying, but she trusted Qin Luo. "Mr. Qin, everyone is waiting for you at the academy."

"Senior, let's go to the academy first."

"Great Immortal, please wait!"

Qin Luo and Hua Ying, accompanied by Linglong, entered Jinghu Academy, where they encountered Chen Xingzhou, the old gatekeeper.

"Immortal Master, you've finally returned!"

"Mr. Chen, are you settling in alright?"

"I'm used to it. It's lively here. I can talk to the children every day and farm. It's very free."

"That's good."

Qin Luo arrived at the martial arts arena.

A burly figure ran towards Qin Luo.

"Master Dao, I've missed you so much!"

Wu Shashen held Qin Luo tightly.

After a brief hug, Qin Luo asked with a smile, "How's life here?"

"I feel very comfortable."

Wu Shashen laughed heartily.

Qin Luo could hear thunderous sounds resounding within Wu Shashen's body—thunderous sounds of flesh and blood, a characteristic of martial arts masters. Over the years at the Dragon Tiger Temple, Wu Shashen had comprehended his own path by relying on the meditation and breathing techniques taught by Qin Luo. In recent years, he had condensed a martial arts golden core and was even close to achieving a martial arts golden body.

"Dean Qin?"

"Is he our dean?"

"Our dean seems very capable!"

The younger generation around Qin Luo were buzzing with discussion. There were five or six-year-old children and fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys and girls. They surrounded Qin Luo with curiosity in their eyes.

Linglong said with a serious face, "Mr. Qin is the dean of Jinghu Academy. You should all pay your respects quickly."

"Greetings, Dean!"

The students of the academy bowed in respect.

Zhao Qing'er manages Jinghu Academy and has always emphasized that Qin Luo is the dean, and that the power behind Jinghu Academy is Longhu Temple. She and Linglong are only acting deans.

Looking at them was like looking at a radiant sunrise; they were all full of energy. The older academy disciples had gratitude in their eyes, knowing that it was Qin Luo who gave them the opportunity to study. The younger academy disciples had admiration in their eyes, as they often heard the little dumpling tell stories about Qin Luo and knew that he was a great figure who could rival the heavens.

"Make way, everyone, Old Meng is here."

The younger generation made way for a refined old man with a full head of white hair. He exuded the fragrance of books, and Qin Luo saw a strong sense of righteousness in him.

"senior!"

Qin Luo bowed respectfully.

The refined old man returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

Linglong said respectfully, "Mr. Qin, this is Elder Meng, a great scholar invited by Young Master Chu. I can only teach the younger generation to read and write, but we still need Elder Meng to explain the principles."

"Thank you for your trouble, Elder Meng!"

Qin Luo bowed again.

"I am Meng Bai, and I often hear Xiao Chu mention Master Qin. He says you are a saint in his eyes."

"The younger generation is far inferior to the sage."

Meng Bai chuckled and said, "Everyone sees a saint differently, but in my eyes, they are all saints."

“They are all saints.”

Qin Luo murmured softly, finding it quite interesting, and couldn't help but think of the Buddhist scripture that all sentient beings are Buddhas.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!