Sword of Coming

Sword of Coming

Sui Jingcheng felt slightly unaccustomed to this.

In her impression, Senior Wang Dun had always been the number one martial artist of the Five Mountain Nation since its founding, and it was said that he could defeat all of the martial arts superior grandmasters of the nation’s cultivation world with a single hand. He enjoyed a good reputation in the nation, and everyone in the imperial court, martial artists in the cultivation world, literati in the scholarly world, and ordinary merchants and workers all claimed that Senior Wang Dun was a refined and elegant old man dressed in azure.

Senior Wang Dun was masterfully skilled at musical instruments, Go, calligraphy, and painting, and in addition to his remarkable abilities, he also cared deeply about his nation and its people. One time, he had stood on the borders and defended a border pass by himself, holding back an army of enemy cavalry that was attacking from the south and winning enough time for the border army of the Five Mountain Nation to mobilize and set up a formation...

Chen Ping’an sat down, following which Sui Jingcheng also sat down.

Wang Dun stood up and went to the counter to grab three pots of wine, one for each of them, and he said generously, ”This wine is my treat.”

When Wang Dun placed a pot of wine in front of Sui Jingcheng, he remarked quietly, ”You’re the daughter of Old Assistant Minister Sui Xinyu, right? You’re truly very beautiful, and the four greatest beauties all enjoy an equal status, with each having their own strengths. There’s no notion of rank, and you’ve brought glory to the women of our Five Mountain Nation. Compared to me, who was only ranked last out of everyone, you’re much more deserving of a plaque from the emperor. However, to be honest with you, this sword immortal that you’ve found — regardless of whether he’s your master or your Dao partner — is a bit too stingy. He was only willing to share one bowl of wine with you.”

Sui Jingcheng glanced at Chen Ping’an who was sitting opposite her, and she saw him leisurely cracking open the clay seal of his wine pot and pouring himself a large bowl of wine. She then turned to the old man who claimed that he was wearing a face mask and said with a smile, ”Old Villa Master Wang...”

Wang Dun wasn’t very happy to hear this, and he waved a hand and interjected, ”I’m not old at all. My body might be old, but my heart isn’t old. You can call me Villa Master Wang. It’s also fine for you to directly call me Wang Dun.”

Sui Jingcheng nodded and said, ”Villa Master Wang, the Green Shrine Nation’s Xiao Shuye is already dead.”

Wang Dun sighed softly, understanding the insinuation behind Sui Jingcheng’s words. He raised his wine cup and took a sip, saying, ”But I’m still ranked last, aren’t I? Any random martial artist from the Great Seal Script Empire is more powerful than me.”

Sui Jingcheng felt like there was already nothing more that she could say.

Wang Dun chuckled and looked at the young man in azure, a sword immortal with the surname Chen, whose deeds had been widely reported in several newspapers in a row. The earliest report on him was seemingly the time when he was traveling to the Spring Dew Garden on an immortal ship. He hadn’t used his flying sword, and had simply relied on his fists to knock a Vajra Body Tier martial artist from the Great Guan Empire’s Iron Warship Residence off the immortal ship.

Afterward, when Sword Immortal Liu Zhiqing from the Golden Crow Palace had flown past on his sword, the sword immortal with the surname Chen had split apart the mountain protection lightning cloud of the Golden Crow Palace with a single sword strike. This should have resulted in a deadly battle between the two sword immortals, yet they had surprisingly enjoyed tea together at the Spring Dew Garden’s Luminous Jade Cliff. In fact, it was even rumored that they had ended up becoming friends. And now, he had even beheaded Xiao Shuye in the territory of the Five Mountain Nation.

”Outsider Sword Immortal, you won’t hack me to death with a single sword strike because I accused you of being a bit too stingy, right?” Wang Dun asked.

”Of course not,” Chen Ping’an replied with a helpless smile.

Wang Dun raised his wine bowl, and Chen Ping’an did the same, with the two of them lightly clinking bowls. After Wang Dun drank some wine, he asked in a quiet voice, ”How old are you?”

”Around three hundred years old,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Wang Dun put down his wine bowl and patted his chest, saying, ”This makes me feel a little better. Otherwise, I would have felt like I had wasted many years of my life.”

Sui Jingcheng smiled faintly upon hearing this.

Even though Senior Wang Dun was completely different from what she had imagined, it seemingly felt better to sit at the same table and drink wine with this old villa master who was relaxed and disguising himself as an ordinary shopkeeper.

Wang Dun lowered his voice and asked, ”Did you truly use nothing but your fists to send the Iron Warship Residence’s Master Liao flying from the immortal ship?”

Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, ”This is a slight exaggeration. It was actually very intense and dangerous.”

Wang Dun smiled and asked, ”Then how about the two of us spar with each other? The non-deadly type, of course. Rest assured, my hands are only feeling slightly itchy because I’ve drunk some wine and have come across a genuinely powerful person.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head in response.

”You’re unwilling to entertain my small request after drinking two pots of wine for free?” Wang Dun asked.

Seeing no response from the outsider sword immortal, Wang Dun continued, ”Then consider this as me begging you?”

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before nodding and replying, ”Then we’ll have a friendly spar according to Senior Wang’s suggestions, using only our fists.”

Wang Dun stood up and looked around, picking out a table and gently pressing down on it, causing its four legs to silently disintegrate into dust. The tabletop gently landed on the ground.

”If you feel like the two of us jumping onto a table to spar appears childish in the eyes of the onlookers, then we could have simply moved this table out of the way to make some space,” Chen Ping’an said.

Wang Dun faltered and replied, ”I did think about this, but I was afraid that doing so would be too basic and crude for a sword immortal like you.”

The two of them walked onto the fallen table in unison.

Sui Jingcheng wanted to stand up to walk out of the wine shop, but Chen Ping’an raised a hand and gestured for her to remain seated.

After Wang Dun stood still, he cupped his fists and said, ”Wang Dun from the Five Mountain Nation’s Sweeping Villa. I’ve attained initial success in fist techniques, so I look forward to receiving further enlightenment from you.”

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists in response, not saying anything extra as he extended an open hand and said, ”Please go ahead.”

It wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal his true name and background.

Meanwhile, he wasn’t willing to call himself Chen Haoren or whatnot.

Commotion instantly erupted among the many onlookers in the surroundings. How had this wine-selling old man suddenly become Senior Wang Dun?

When the old shopkeeper ripped off his face mask and revealed his true appearance, however, the onlookers immediately became excited and frenzied. Sure enough, he was the powerful and elusive Senior Wang Dun!

Wang Dun was fierce and unrelenting as he unleashed a flurry of punches, but none of his attacks contained any killing intent.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an defended more and attacked less.

When the two of them brushed past each other one time, Wang Dun smiled and suggested, ”We’re relatively familiar with each other’s power now, so should we let loose a bit?”

Chen Ping’an nodded in response.

Many martial artists from the cultivation world stood on the distant streets, roofs, walls, and trees, filled with spirit and excitement as they watched the battle in the wine shop. They hadn’t witnessed a pinnacle battle like this in one hundred years, one where both sides were confined to such a small space.

This was as expected of Senior Wang Dun, the number one martial artist in the Five Mountain Nation. Not only did he dare to unleash his fists against a sword immortal, but he was even able to hold his own.

Even though the sword immortal was yet to summon his sword, if the onlookers were honest with themselves, Senior Wang Dun was already fighting as if his life were on the line. He was risking his fame and dignity as a martial artist who had never suffered defeat before. He was fighting for the face of everyone in the martial arts world of the Five Mountain Nation! Senior Wang Dun was truly the martial core of the Five Mountain Nation!

Those who only dared to spectate the battle from a great distance naturally weren’t genuine martial arts grandmasters. Moreover, their distance from the wine shop also meant that they weren’t able to see things as clearly as Sui Jingcheng.

For example, there was one time when she saw the senior sword immortal planning to end the sparring session, suddenly increasing his speed as he stepped forward and twisted his wrist, pushing aside Wang Dun’s punch and continuing to advance forward, with his palm strike almost about to strike Wang Dun’s face.

Unexpectedly, however, Wang Dun hurriedly signalled with his eyes, following which the senior sword immortal lightly nodded in response. Wang Dun’s punch had initially been a fraction slower, but it ended up striking Chen Ping’an at almost the exact same time that he was struck by the palm strike. Both of them slid back two steps, coming to a stop at opposite edges of the table as if in tacit understanding.

Sui Jingcheng saw Wang Dun starting to signal with his eyes, with the senior sword immortal also starting to signal with his eyes in response. She was extremely puzzled at this moment, feeling as if the two of them were haggling with each other as they fought. Even so, their attacks became quicker and quicker, with their exchanges almost always ending up in a draw. Neither of them was able to gain an advantage. In the eyes of the onlookers in the distance, this was an evenly-matched battle between two extremely powerful grandmasters.

In the end, the two of them seemingly reached an agreement on their deal, with both of them striking each other in the chest and causing the table underfoot to split into two. After standing still, they then cupped their fists in respect to signal the end of the sparring session.

The fight was over, and it was now time to pack up.

Wang Dun roared with laughter and remarked, ”Who would have thought that a sword immortal would possess such impressive fist techniques?”

”Your fist intent is more intense and tempered to a more flawless state,” Chen Ping’an replied in a loud voice. ”In five years at minimum and ten years at most, I’ll visit Sweeping Villa again to exchange fist techniques with you.”

Sui Jingcheng massaged her forehead and lowered her head to drink wine, unable to bring herself to watch on any longer. Looking at the two of them praising each other, why did it feel like the genuine cultivation world was akin to wine that was diluted with water?

Sui Jingcheng wouldn’t mind if it were Hu Xinfeng, Xiao Shuye, and their ilk doing something like this, but the shamelessness of the senior sword immortal and Senior Wang Dun almost made her feel as if her world were crumbling apart. She didn’t want to touch novels about the cultivation world for the rest of her life.

Wang Dun walked to the entrance of the wine shop and raised his cupped fists into the air, treating this as a gesture of greeting to the onlookers in the surroundings. He then waved a hand and said, ”Alright, all of you can leave now.”

There were loud cheers and shouts of praise as the onlookers slowly dispersed. They naturally didn’t dare to linger around following the instruction from Senior Wang Dun.

Wang Dun sat back down in his original spot, while Chen Ping’an had already picked up the broken table from the ground and placed it on another nearby table.

After sitting down, Wang Dun drank a sip of wine before sighing with emotion and saying, ”Your cultivation base is so high, so are you actively visiting a martial artist in the cultivation world like me? Is this for the sake of the Sui Clan that this young lady comes from? Are you hoping that I, Wang Dun, can help look after the Sui Clan after the two of you leave the Five Mountain Nation and enter the mountains to cultivate?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, ”No, I don’t have such a request. I simply hoped to show myself here to give a warning to some people hiding in the shadows, forcing them to consider the consequences of me seeking revenge if they dare to target the members of the Sui Clan.”

Wang Dun nodded and said, ”Mhm, the schemes and conflicts between cultivators in the mountains are simply an extension of the grudges in the cultivation world thanks to their longer lifespans. There are no fundamental differences between the two, with both being equally as pointless. You can be regarded as a young sword cultivator, but you’re quite unlike any immortal from the mountains that I’ve encountered before, and it’s because of this that I treated you to some wine. I feel like this isn’t a waste of good wine. Is it too arrogant of me to say something like this?”

”Taking things one step at a time is the most important aspect when it comes to the cultivation of martial artists. There are no shortcuts to be taken. That being the case, how can one ascend to the peak if one isn’t ambitious enough or able to see far enough?” Chen Ping’an chuckled in response.

Even though Wang Dun was selling wine, he seemingly didn’t have a huge addiction to drinking wine, only taking small sips and never taking large swigs. There was melancholy in his voice as he said, ”I won’t be able to run this wine shop anymore, nor will I be able to hear the true thoughts of many people in the cultivation world in the future.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, ”Villa Master Wang dislikes praises from other people this much?”

Wang Dun pursed his lips and replied, ”I do like praises from other people. I liked them a lot when I was young, and I like them even more now. However, given that I enjoy words of praise so much, I’m afraid that I’ll become overly confident and float into the clouds if I don’t listen to any sincere remarks and words of criticism. I don’t have the mystical power of immortals, though, so won’t I plummet to the ground and crash to my death at that time?”

Chen Ping’an glanced up at the sky.

Wang Dun chuckled and said, ”According to our agreement from just then, what else do you need from Sweeping Villa apart from the dozen or so pots of fine wine?”

”Two quick horses and a map of the Green Oriole Nation’s immortal ferry station,” Chen Ping’an replied.

”That’s all?” Wang Dun asked in puzzlement.

”This is already a lot,” Chen Ping’an replied.

Wang Dun pointed at the counter and offered, ”The lower down the wine is placed, the richer and finer its taste. Sword Immortal can feel free to take the wine.”

Chen Ping’an stood up and walked over to the counter, where he started to pour wine into his Sword Nurturing Gourd.

He opened pot after pot of fine wine.

After five pots of aged wine were cracked open, Wang Dun was finally unable to remain seated any longer, leaning on the counter and persuading in a quiet voice, ”Drinking too much can cause trouble in the cultivation world, so it’s best that you restrain yourself.”

The young-looking sword immortal didn’t stop his movements as he stood with his back facing Wang Dun, continuing to pour wine into his Sword Nurturing Gourd as he replied, ”That’s not an issue. I can drink slowly even if I bring a lot of wine with me.”

Wang Dun hesitated for a moment before adding, ”I can continue to sell wine somewhere else if I put on a new face mask.”

Chen Ping’an looked up and chuckled, ”Then I’ll offer my best wishes to Villa Master Wang in advance. I wish you an auspicious grand opening and booming business.”

Seeing Chen Ping’an fail to understand him, Wang Dun could only say, ”The few pots of old wine at the bottom are too intense. They’re called plum wine, and they’re actually old cellar wine from Sweeping Villa. Generally speaking, those who visit the wine shop aren’t familiar with this type of wine, and they don’t dare to drink a second bowl even if they can spare the silver. This is because the after-effects are far too strong, and there’s a saying that one will sway after two bowls and collapse after three. You should take some ordinary wine instead of this plum wine. Ordinary wine tastes better, in any case.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, ”That’s okay. Drinking wine isn’t the same as drinking tea, and there’s no need to worry about a lingering taste or whatnot. Drinking until inebriation and unconsciousness is completely justified.”

Wang Dun couldn’t help but say, ”There are many esteemed guests visiting the villa right now, and I can’t afford to slight the officials and their families, nor the friends from the cultivation world or the renowned literati from the scholarly world. The thirty pots of plum wine stored in the villa have most likely been completely exhausted already, and part of the reason that I came here to hide was to save a few pots of plum wine in the process. Can you please show some mercy?”

However, Chen Ping’an had already cracked open the final pot of plum wine, saying with annoyance, ”Why didn’t Senior tell me earlier? The taste of this wine can’t be maintained after the seal is cracked open. If we hadn’t drunk our fill just then, I would have been willing to have a taste of this plum wine straight away. Now, however, it will be a true pity if I don’t pour the plum wine into my wine gourd. It would be a true pity... So be it. If Villa Master Wang wants to keep a pot for himself similar to how I was only stingy enough to pour Sui Jingcheng a bowl of wine just then, then I’ll be considerate and leave a pot for Villa Master Wang.”

Wang Dun waved a hand and chuckled, ”No, of course that’s not the case. I’m not that type of person. Feel free to pour the wine into your wine gourd. To gift fine wine to a sword immortal, and to have the fine wine stored in a Sword Nurturing Gourd, is a beautiful matter.”

And thus, not a single pot of plum wine was left in the end.

Wang Dun turned around, as if he were feeling slightly sad about his daughters marrying off to faraway lands. He was unwilling to look at this any longer.