Unsheathed

The young boy ran under the night sky that was filled with twinkling stars, continuing all the way to the creek after exiting the small town. Even though it was night, Chen Ping’an didn’t run any slower than if it were day. When he arrived, he purposefully avoided the covered bridge where the water would be the deepest. That section of the creek was far deeper than the other sections.

Instead, he chose a section of the creek that was only knee-deep before shrugging off the basket and bending down to retrieve a small bamboo basket that was hidden inside it. He tied this to his waist before taking off his shoes and rolling up his pants. Only after doing all this did he enter the creek to search for pebbles.

The wound on his left hand still caused him stabbing pain, so it naturally couldn’t be drenched in water. As a result, he could only use his right hand to sift through the rocks at the bottom of the creek. In reality, it would be easiest to collect pebbles from the dried banks of the creek.

However, just like Liu Xianyang had said, the luster of these pebbles would be greatly reduced due to their exposure to wind and sunlight. Now that Chen Ping’an roughly understood their secret thanks to Ning Yao, this wasn’t hard to understand. He felt like these pebbles were just like the clay that he had tasted while traversing the mountains with Old Man Yao. Even though the clay looked ordinary, the distance of just one mountain could cause them to taste completely different when put in the mouth.

Old Man Yao referred to this as “trees moved will die, and humans move to stay alive, while clay moved from their homes transform into deities placed high”. Once clay was removed from its original habitat, it would very quickly change in taste.

The creek didn’t have a name. There were all kinds of different pebbles resting in this creek, some as big as a fist and others as small as a thumb. However, the generations of residents in this small town had already grown accustomed to seeing these colorful pebbles, so it was only natural that they didn’t treat them as anything rare or valuable. If someone collected these pebbles and brought them home, they would definitely be laughed at and mocked as someone with nothing better to do. If they had so much spare time and energy, wouldn’t they be better off doing some work on the farms? Would they not be utter fools?

Bending down in the creek, Chen Ping’an continued to flip around and move aside the larger rocks on the bottom. He had already collected seven or eight pebbles and placed them in his bamboo basket. They varied in size and color, with some pebbles appearing as golden-orange as the tangerines in autumn, while others appeared as white and smooth as the skin of an infant. There was also a pebble so pitch-black that it almost glowed, and a pebble that appeared as bright as a large red peach blossom. No two pebbles looked the same.

Most of these pebbles that were referred to as snake gall pebbles by the residents of the small town weren’t large. However, they were all quite smooth and weighty when held in the hand. If one held them up to the sunlight during the day, or before the candlelight during the night, the silk-like veins inside the pebbles would become especially clear, appearing like snaking fish. Holding the pebbles further away, their exterior would then glimmer like the scales of fish and snakes.

After around two hours, Chen Ping’an had already mostly filled up the bamboo basket that was tied to his waist. He returned to where he had left his large basket and straw sandals. He then walked to the banks to grab a few handfuls of reeds, laying them on the bottom of the basket before transferring the pebbles over one by one. With his straw sandals in one hand, his bamboo basket by his waist, and his large basket on his back, he walked to another section of the creek before once again placing down his straw sandals and large basket. He then entered the creek and continued to sift through pebbles and rocks.

After filling half of the bamboo basket, Chen Ping’an straightened his back and looked up at the starry sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star lighting up the night sky. However, it was clear that he wouldn’t be so lucky tonight. After coming back to his senses, Chen Ping’an continued to rely on the faint glow of the stars and his extremely good vision to do what an avaricious person should do.

Each time he found a satisfactory pebble, he would feel a sincere sense of joy from the bottom of his heart. To the young boy, each pebble was like a pebble of hope.

Before he knew it, Chen Ping’an had already filled most of the bamboo basket. There were 80 odd pebbles, with the largest of them being even bigger than his fist. Its color was especially eye-catching as well, appearing like a bright red orb of blood that didn’t make one feel any sense of discomfort. There were almost no flaws or cracks on the large pebble either.

Chen Ping’an climbed up the bank and headed toward the next section of the creek. At the same time, he fiddled with a medium-sized snake gall pebble. It was a light green color, even lighter than the plum-green pottery in the small town. It was also smooth and round, making it appear especially adorable. Chen Ping’an immediately took a liking to this pebble.

He walked toward the large green stone cliff on the banks. During the hot summer days, the children of the small town would often come here to bathe. The water under the cliff was especially deep, with the deepest part of it measuring two Chen Ping’an’s deep. This depth was only second to the deepest part of the creek, the area under the covered bridge. Those who were skilled in the water loved coming here to see who could stay underwater for the longest.

Chen Ping’an had chosen this area because he had discovered a great number of snake gall pebbles in the pits underwater while bathing here with Liu Xianyang before. In order to show off his skills one time, Liu Xianyang had purposefully dived down and returned with a large snake gall pebble under his armpit. Chen Ping’an remembered that the snake gall pebble was at least as large as Gu Can’s head. It was white and translucent, and one could even see faint red lines and dots inside the pebble. It was as if they were blossom leaves that had been frozen inside.

At the time, Liu Xianyang had felt like he had accomplished something great, so he had asked Chen Ping’an to help him carry the large pebble back home. After arriving back in town, however, the tall and broad boy who always changed his mind had felt like this was boring, so he had told Chen Ping’an to deal with the large pebble himself.

Immediately after arriving on Clay Vase Alley, Chen Ping’an had discovered his neighbor Zhi Gui following behind him. She had remained silent, yet her eyes had been intently fixed on the large snake gall pebble in his hands. In fact, her expression had been like Chen Ping’an’s expression when he looked at the meat buns being sold in Apricot Blossom Alley.

Unable to withstand her intense gaze, Chen Ping’an had ultimately chosen to give the pebble to her. However, she had been unable to carry it, and she had almost dropped it on her feet. Thus, Chen Ping’an had decided to carry it to Song Jixin’s courtyard for her. As for where this pebble was now, Chen Ping’an had no idea at all.

The pebble had been clear and translucent like water; amid it had been fluttering red decorations like floating blossom leaves.

This was just like the lush and verdant peach blossoms after a period of rain in Peach Leaf Alley.

Even though Chen Ping’an had never understood the value and mysterious nature of these pebbles before today, he had still felt like that pebble was extremely beautiful from the bottom of his heart.

Chen Ping’an sighed and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Approximately 30 meters away, atop the green stone cliff, there sat a young girl in green whose cheeks were bulging with food. However, she still continued to stuff food into her mouth.

Chen Ping’an’s first thought was that this young girl had most likely been starved to death in her previous life. It was because of this that she was still so pitifully hungry in the middle of the night.

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before deciding not to go any further. He was afraid of ruining her mood as she ate. However, he didn’t turn around to leave either. After all, he had already decided to dive into that pit to try his luck tonight. He would bring one or two pebbles up each time, and as long as he persisted, he would eventually have success. In any case, the snake gall pebbles in this pit were larger and more dazzling than those in other areas of the creek.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t as good a diver as Liu Xianyang, but he certainly wasn’t a bad diver either.

However, to his surprise, the young girl retrieved another item of food from beside her after finishing what was in her hand, not pausing for even a second. Her cheeks were perpetually filled and bulging. Thinking that he would need to spend more energy on diving in a while, Chen Ping’an turned around and put the heavy basket of pebbles down.

However, he had underestimated the hearing ability of the young girl. Even though his actions had been careful, the young girl’s ears immediately perked up, and her gaze immediately swept over.

It wasn’t like Chen Ping’an could tell her to eat slowly either, so he could only look over with an awkward smile on his face.

The young girl appeared slightly dazed, and after burping twice, it was as if she had accidentally choked on some food. She hurriedly straightened her back and used her hand to forcefully pat her chest.

It was also at this moment that Chen Ping’an realized that she was quite young. Even so, the scenes beneath her neck were truly majestic and grand. It was no inferior to the women who had raised many children.

Her clothes were extremely stretched around her chest.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly retracted his gaze, not a single impure thought in his mind.

Only at this moment did the young girl suddenly remember that she had a bottle of water. She didn’t forget to turn her back to Chen Ping’an as she took a large swig of water. Her breathing immediately became much smoother.

At this moment, there was only a single thought in the young boy’s mind. That was, the material of this young girl’s clothes was definitely very expensive. Otherwise, there was simply no way they could withstand such immense pressure.

The young girl in green continued to enjoy her feast. However, she was far more restrained now, and her cheeks weren’t bulging in such an impressive manner either. Instead, her head was lowered as she took small bites from her snacks. From time to time, she would shoot a sideways glance at the strange boy from the small town. Her eyes were like peach blossoms, and her eyebrows were also slightly curled upward, making her appear much like a young fox spirit.

It was as if she were asking the young boy a question with her eyes, “What’s wrong? Keep going!”

Chen Ping’an wore a helpless expression as he pointed at the water beneath the green stone cliff and shouted, “I’m not passing by! I want to enter the creek from there!”

The young girl remained silent as she looked at the skinny young boy.

Chen Ping’an hurriedly retrieved a pebble from his basket and explained, “I’m going to collect some pebbles from over there.”

As if suddenly remembering something important, the young girl suddenly raised a finger to her mouth, signaling for Chen Ping’an to be quiet. She then shuffled over, clearly making space for Chen Ping’an to pass her. She wouldn’t be in Chen Ping’an’s way now.

Chen Ping’an had no option but to pick up his basket and muster some courage to walk over. Fortunately, the green stone cliff was quite spacious, being large enough to fit a dozen or so people. Moreover, the young girl had already shuffled to the side, and her legs were no longer stretched across the middle like before. Rather, she was sitting with her legs crossed, with a bag that was filled with all kinds of desserts and snacks on her lap. This was a small mountain of food. Right now, she had only finished a small corner of this mountain.

Chen Ping’an placed his straw sandals, large basket, and bamboo basket on the ground. He had initially wanted to dive shirtless, especially since it was night. However, this was not an option now. After all, there was an unfamiliar young girl sitting next to him. Even if she didn’t scream, Chen Ping’an would still have his legs broken if her parents and elders were to see or hear about this. That would truly be a miserable and undeserved fate.

After making his way to the edge of the stone cliff, Chen Ping’an suddenly leaped forward and dived into the depths of the pit.

It wasn’t long before he resurfaced with a palm-sized pebble. However, it was a shame that this wasn’t a snake gall pebble. Chen Ping’an could only wipe his face and dive down again. After three attempts, he finally managed to obtain a dark green snake gall pebble. Chen Ping’an was dripping wet as he climbed back onto the stone cliff and placed the snake gall pebble into his basket. He then dived into the water again.

From the beginning to the end, the young girl had kept her back facing him, busily feasting on her snacks.

In less than an hour, Chen Ping’an had already collected seven or eight snake gall pebbles. Apart from the first one appearing slightly duller, the rest of the pebbles were all large and brilliant.

The previous time he returned, however, there was no snake gall pebble in his hands. Instead, there was a fish that measured as long as his palm. The people in the small town referred to this type of fish as rock slate fish, and this was because these fish liked to hide under slates of rock when they encountered people. These fish were extremely succulent, and generally speaking, they would only be as long as a person’s finger. It was extremely rare to see a rock slate fish as large as the one in Chen Ping’an’s hands.

In fact, Chen Ping’an had already caught a few of these fish while searching through the stones and pebbles before, but he had chosen to release them to collect some snake gall pebbles instead. This time, however, a brilliant thought had suddenly occurred to him. Why didn’t he catch a dozen or so fish and brew some fish soup for Ning Yao tomorrow? That would be fairly nice too, wouldn’t it?

After returning to shore, Chen Ping’an casually tossed the fish into the bamboo basket.

The second time he resurfaced with a fish, he suddenly discovered the young girl squatting next to the bamboo basket and looking at the lonely fish inside. He could see the radiance and energy on her face, and her expression was identical to the one that Zhi Gui had worn while she had been staring at the large pebble in his arms at that time.

Chen Ping’an tossed the second rock slate fish into the bamboo basket.

The young girl slowly looked up.

Meanwhile, the barefooted young boy had already turned around and entered the creek again.

After hearing the young boy plop into the water, the young girl speedily grabbed a fish in each hand, looking down at their flopping bodies and saying with a serious nod, “How impressive!”

The young girl in green knew that there were many strange things in the small town. For example, the iron chain hanging on the well in Apricot Blossom Alley was heaven knows how long. Nearby, the covered bridge had actually been a 3000-year-old stone arch bridge before. Beneath it was an iron sword that was covered in rust. Where the tip of the blade pointed was a dark green pool that seemingly had no bottom. There was also the crab archway with 12 legs, the fallen and broken clay statues near the ancestral hall, the mountain of porcelain in the north that was filled with smashed pottery that had failed to pass the inspections of the kiln supervision officials, and so on…

In fact, she knew the reason and secrets behind most of these things.

She had traveled to many places with her father since a very young age, so she could genuinely be regarded as someone who had seen and experienced many wonders of the world.

However, when Chen Ping’an returned with the third fish, the already empty-handed young girl was still squatting next to the bamboo basket. It was just that she was still secretly wiping her hands on her clothes. She looked up at the barefooted young boy, and it was as if she were a commoner looking up at a god.

Chen Ping’an felt extremely uncomfortable under her strange gaze, so he asked in an uncertain voice, “You want these fish?”

The young girl subconsciously nodded in earnest.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Then I’ll give these three fish to you. I’ll catch some more later.”

The young girl blinked before smiling in delight. Her joyful expression was bewitching and much like a fox spirit.