Unsheathed

The sound of footsteps traveled over from Song Jixin’s house. Liu Xianyang was just about to jump down from the wall, yet he heard a voice travel over before he could even see the owner of this voice. “Are you the disciple of the Treasure Creek dragon kiln’s Old Man Yao? Is your surname Liu?” the person asked in a gentle voice.

This person was none other than the kiln supervision official who was dressed in white. He looked over with a smile as he strode out of Song Jixin’s house.

Liu Xianyang froze upon hearing this, and he discovered that he surprisingly didn’t have the strength to hop down from the wall anymore. He chuckled guiltily and replied, “Yes, that’s me. When you went to the dragon kiln back then, Master told me to demonstrate a few things to you.”

The man nodded in reply. He looked the broad young boy up and down and asked frankly, “Young boy, do you want to leave this place and see the outside world? For example, joining the army? If you can endure this for 10 years, I guarantee that you’ll become a powerful official. At that time, I’ll personally organize a banquet in the capital for you to celebrate your achievements. How does that sound?”

Song Jixin wore an extremely dark expression as he stood behind the man in white, and he tightened his grip on the Old Dragon Rainbringer jade pendant that Fu Nanhua had given him.

Right now, this young boy who had been slandered as an “illegitimate child” and “bastard” for many years was already aware of this man’s true identity. Thus, he very clearly understood the weight behind this man’s words. The promise to “personally organize a banquet” would be one of the most powerful life-saving talismans in the Great Li Empire. It would more so be a grand ladder that allowed Liu Xianyang to climb to great heights.

Liu Xianyang wracked his brain in an attempt to come up with an intelligent-sounding response. In the end, however, he stammered, “T-thank you for your kindness. But I’m a-afraid that… I can’t accept b-because I’ve already agreed to become Master Ruan’s d-disciple. I can’t go back on my words. P-please don’t… take note of this… of this…”

It was as if Liu Xiangyang’s words were stuck in his throat. He couldn’t remember the phrase no matter what, and he was so worried that his face became bright red.

“It’s a greater man who does not take note of a lesser man’s fault,” Song Jixin reminded him in a seemingly understanding manner.

The man in white simply smiled in response, not seeming to mind. “No matter. When you have the opportunity to leave this small town one day, you can go to the nearby Danyang Mountain Pass and look for a martial artist called Liu Linxi. Just tell him that it was the capital’s Song Changjing who recommended you to join the army. If he doesn’t believe you, tell him that Song Changjing said that he still owes him 3000 enemy heads from the Great Sui Nation.”

Liu Xianyang was in a daze as he nodded and replied, “Okay.”

The man smiled before turning around to leave. Song Jixin wanted to bid him farewell at the door, yet as if reading his thoughts, the man said without turning around, “Follow me to the kiln supervision office. I’m going to introduce you to someone.”

Song Jixin planted his feet and refuted with a dark expression, “I’m not going!”

To the ordinary residents of the small town, the office of the kiln supervision official was naturally a mighty place that was extremely difficult to visit. To this young boy who had grown up listening to others’ slander, however, it was nothing less than a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den. This was a mental trauma that he couldn’t overcome.

The man, who was always swift and resolute when dealing with outside matters, wasn’t angered by the youth’s stubbornness. He didn’t stop, but he slowed down and said, “According to the intel provided by the spies, you’ve already met Prince Gao from the Great Sui Empire, correct? Are you aware that the Great Sui Empire’s Gao Clan are the mortal enemies of our Great Li Empire’s Song Clan? As a prince, he dared to come to this small town which is situated in the heart of an enemy empire. Meanwhile, as a fellow prince, you don’t even dare to visit a small official residence in your own nation?”

Song Jixin’s first reaction wasn’t to ponder over the deeper meaning behind the man’s words. Instead, he instantly turned around to look at Liu Xianyang. However, it was as if Liu Xianyang hadn’t heard the man’s words at all as he sat on the wall and massaged his limbs.

The corners of the monarch’s lips curled up into a smile as he walked through Clay Vase Alley. He had been given an unexpected surprise.

As expected of someone from the Song Clan.

However, upon recalling that Song Jixin was that woman’s son, the number one martial artist and powerful monarch of the Great Li Empire couldn’t help but feel slightly agitated and troubled.

Song Jixin gritted his teeth before turning around and saying to the maidservant who was standing by the door, “I’ll be gone for a little while. No need to leave lunch for me.”

Just as Song Jixin was about to leave the courtyard, he turned around and said with a smile, “Grab the pieces of loose silver from my bed and buy yourself the pair of dragon and phoenix ornaments from the Du Family’s store. After all, there’s no need for us to save money in the future.”

Zhi Gui nodded before gesturing for him to be careful.

Song Jixin smiled happily as he left in a carefree manner.

After Song Jixin left, Liu Xianyang, who was sitting on the wall, asked carefully, “Zhi Gui, what’s Song Jixin’s relationship with the kiln supervision official?”

Zhi Gui looked at the tall youth with pity in her eyes.

Liu Xianyang couldn’t stand it when she wore such an expression, and he said, “What? He’s merely acquainted with the official responsible for overlooking the kilns. Is that so impressive?”

Zhi Gui wore an emotionless smile as she went back inside to retrieve some animal feed. She then started to feed the chicken and her bunch of fluffy little chicks.

Liu Xianyang couldn’t help but feel dejected. He jumped down from the wall and shouted, “Chen Ping’an, let’s go to the blacksmith! I’m not going to sit here and suffer in frustration!”

With her back to the wall, the young girl giggled and said, “Deities fight for incense, while humans fight for dignity. However, it’s a shame that good-for-nothings can only have a stomach full of pent-up frustrations.”

Liu Xianyang boiled with anger, with even his ears becoming bright red. He walked up to the wall and punched it with ferocity, shouting, “Wang Zhu, I dare you to say that again!”

The maidservant scattered the remaining corn and vegetable leaves before clapping her hands clean and saying with a smile, “Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?”

Liu Xianyang was rendered speechless as he looked at the young girl who was becoming more slender and beautiful by the day. He felt completely empty inside, and it was as if something inside him had been shattered.

Chen Ping’an had already been standing at the door for a while, and upon seeing this, he hurriedly walked over and said in a soft voice, “Let’s go.”

The two youths walked side-by-side in the small alley. “Chen Ping’an, am I really pathetic?” the tall young boy suddenly asked.

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment before replying in a serious voice, “The neighbors and residents in the alley all say that my mother was extremely kind and amiable, and they all say that my father was renowned for being a quiet and taciturn person. So, in my opinion, whether one is pathetic or not has nothing to do with whether others like them or not.”

Liu Xianyang wore a sullen expression, saying, “Then I’m even more pitiful! Even if I manage to own a dragon kiln in the future, or even if I manage to learn all of Master Ruan’s skills, won’t she still dislike me as always?!”

Chen Ping’an smartly kept his mouth shut, lest he add fuel to the fire.

Walking along the familiar alley, Chen Ping’an suddenly recalled a memory. Back then, he and Old Man Yao had followed a stream into the depths of a mountain. There, they had seen a milu[1]peacefully drinking water. It wasn’t afraid of their presence, and after having its fill to drink, it continued to gaze at the stream with its head lowered, not leaving for a long time. Apart from its own reflection, there had also been a circling fish that didn’t leave the entire time.

Before leaving, Ning Yao had suggested to Chen Ping’an that he should leave the small town as soon as possible since he had already obtained a locust leaf. With the formless protection of the locust leaf, it was unlikely that he would face any grave dangers. However, she was unsure about Liu Xianyang’s situation and whether he would drag Chen Ping’an into any trouble. Thus, it was best that he didn’t stick around for too long.

However, Chen Ping’an insisted on staying until he personally witnessed Liu Xianyang becoming Master Ruan’s disciple. Only then would he be able to leave with an easy mind.

Because if it weren’t for Liu Xianyang at that time, he would have already starved to death.

Of course, Chen Ping’an also wished that Ning Yao could stay at his home until she fully recovered from her wounds. However, he hadn’t dared to say this out aloud, afraid that she would take it the wrong way.

“Will you refuse to sell that treasured armor your grandpa left you no matter what?” Chen Ping’an suddenly asked.

“Nonsense! Of course I won’t sell it, even if I die!” Liu Xianyang said with a righteous expression.

He punched Chen Ping’an in the shoulder and said jokingly, “After all, I’m not a little miser like you.”

The tall young boy placed his hands behind his head and said, “Some things might be lost temporarily, yet they can be obtained again as long as one has enough money. However, there are other things that once lost, will genuinely be lost forever.”

“I understand,” Chen Ping’an said.

When they were about to reach the end of Clay Vase Alley, Chen Ping’an suddenly heard Liu Xianyang swear in anger. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and looked up. His expression instantly became solemn.

The person standing before them was Lu Zhengchun, the young master of Fortune Street’s Lu Clan. Many years ago, it was none other than this person and his friends who had trapped Liu Xianyang in this alley and almost beaten him to death. If it weren’t for Chen Ping’an’s cries for help, Liu Xianyang, who had no relatives, might have truly been killed and tossed into an unmarked grave.

At that time, Song Jixin had also been squatting on a wall and enjoying the spectacle. In fact, he had even added fuel to the fire. Afterward, however, he had told Chen Ping’an with an apprehensive expression that Lu Zhengchun and the others’ actions would be referred to as “acting gallantly with personal feelings” by people outside their small town.

Lu Zhengchun blocked Liu Xianyang’s path and said with a forced smile, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to settle old animosities. Rather…”

Liu Xianyang cut him off saying, “Again? Obedient dogs don’t block their owner’s path. Now, piss off!”

Lu Zhengchun wore an awkward expression, yet he still forced himself to appear amiable as he said, “Liu Xianyang, I genuinely have something I need to discuss with you. You ran away without even giving me an opportunity to explain last time. Could you at least listen to my proposal first? Truth be told, it was through blows that we became acquainted with each other, and there’s no need for there to be such hostility between us. Those customers and I are extremely sincere!”

Liu Xianyang cocked his head and said with a sneer, “What, you’ve become addicted to the feeling of being someone else’s puppet? Say, I find this quite strange. You, Lu Zhengchun, come from the wealthiest clan in town, yet you’ve taken a liking to running around as those outsiders’ lackey?”

Anger flashed across Lu Zhengchun’s face, yet he still forced himself to maintain a smile, causing his expression to appear extremely strange and comical. There was a hint of pleading in his voice as he said, “Liu Xianyang, as long as you agree, they’ll try to satisfy your request no matter what it is. For example, copper coins? Why don’t you name a price? Say… 150,000? Or… 200,000? Even if it’s that much, I can still try my best to obtain it for you. 200,000! That’s enough for you to buy half a residence on Fortune Street!”

Liu Xianyang looked at him with disdain and said, “200,000? Are you trying to shoo a beggar away? And you call this sincerity? I suggest that you stop trying to deceive and swindle me. I still have important matters to attend to, so why don’t you piss off to the side?!”

Around the corner of the alley, an adorable little girl was sitting on the shoulders of a tall and solidly-built old man. Next to them, a boy in a big red robe was holding onto the hand of his mother. He was at an age of innocence and naivety, yet the sinister and ruthless expression on his face was one that was in deep discordance with his age. Using the language of his hometown, he said, “Is this person from the Lu Clan stupid or what? What’s the point in keeping him…?”

His mother shook her head and said with a gentle smile, “When bestowing favors upon others, one has to remember that occasional favors bring gratitude, while constant help breeds grudge. When doing business, the best way to maximize profits is to act like Lu Zhengchun is acting now. It’s important to get a feel for the other person’s bottom line.”

“We need to go through so much trouble even with these lowly peasants?” the little boy asked in puzzlement.

The woman smiled and replied, “The human mind is complicated and dark. This is the case regardless of one’s cultivation. Even if the people in smaller areas lack knowledge, this doesn’t mean that they’re completely stupid too. If you think like this, you’ll eventually suffer the consequences one day.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied. “Since mother is so familiar with the human mind, why don’t you directly deal with him yourself?”

“Take a look at our clothes,” the woman explained patiently. “Regardless of which store we enter, as long as the store owner is slightly shrewd, they’ll be unable to help themselves but try to rip us off.”

The little boy sighed and mumbled, “It just feels stifling to hide like this.”

The woman squatted down and placed her hands on the little boy’s cheek. Looking at his face which was extremely similar to his father’s, she said with a stern expression, “Remember this. Cultivating one’s mind is also one aspect of cultivation. One should cultivate their strength in favorable circumstances, and one should cultivate their mind in challenging circumstances. Both are equally as important.”

The little boy pulled his head from his mother’s grasp and huffed, “Not these meaningless principles again! How annoying!”

The woman was slightly exasperated, yet she didn’t continue to educate her son. Her son was extremely talented, after all, and his physique was also outstanding. There were more so two clans supporting him, so the path ahead of him was still an extremely long one. As such, even though he was slightly cold-hearted at the moment, this was something that could be slowly tempered and fixed with time. Trying to hasten this process would be the worst choice possible.

The little girl felt slightly anxious as she listened to the boring conversation in the alley, and she said, “Grandpa Yuan, what will we do if that person refuses to sell it no matter what?”

The old man, whose arms reached his knees like an ape, chuckled and said, “Then we’ll have him die. I came here to deal with this exact situation. Otherwise, we would have wasted all that money to enter here. However, your safety will be an issue at that time, and I’ll most likely have to leave you with the Song Clan or the Li Clan.”

Disregarding everything else, the old man would definitely be tossed out of the small town if he dared to kill a native resident. However, compared to their money silently disappearing down a drain, this would at least make a plop like a small stone being tossed into a pond. They would at least have something to show for it.

Of course, this was the last resort, and the old man definitely wouldn’t use it unless he was forced to. After all, regardless of how important that sword scripture was, and regardless of how highly the sword scripture was regarded by Sun Scorch Mountain, it was still nothing compared to the cultivation path of the little girl sitting on his shoulders. At the very least, this was the case for the old man.

Of the Four Surnames and Ten Clans in the small town, the Lu Clan was the head.

If one were to take into account the outside world, however, things would be the complete opposite. In reality, the Lu Clan was the weakest of all the clans. This was because the empire supported by the Lu Clan had been annihilated by two armies from the Great Li Empire. As a result, their standing in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent was now extremely precarious.

Meanwhile, inside the alley, Liu Xianyang was listening to Lu Zhengchun babble on about becoming a wealthy official and having dozens of beauties around him and whatnot, and it was as if he were listening to Song Jixin expounding on all those profound principles and teachings. He was extremely ticked off. He took a step forward and pointed at Lu Zhengchun, saying in a resolute voice, “That suit of armor is a relic passed down by my ancestors, so its value isn’t something that can be measured with money! Even if you allow me to move to your house today, and even if you call me master from now on, I still won’t consider selling it! Lu Zhengchun, have I made myself clear?!”

Standing alone at the entrance of Clay Vase Alley, Lu Zhengchun stared intently at the young boy who wasn’t showing a single ounce of fear toward him, even though his standing was far inferior. At this moment, Lu Zhengchun felt like banging his head against a wall and killing himself.

Not long ago, he had tried the same thing on the covered bridge, blocking Liu Xianyang’s path as he headed to the blacksmith. However, he had failed to convince Liu Xianyang to sell the suit of armor. When he returned home, his grandpa had called him into a secret room after finishing his meeting with those esteemed guests. He hadn’t threatened Lu Zhengchun, nor had he spoken about any profound principles. Instead, he had simply pointed at the corpse under the white sheet and said, “Zhengchun, Grandpa doesn’t have any other wish. I simply wish that your brother’s death wasn’t in vain. Seven days from now, I hope that you will have already left the small town. You can look at the outside world for your brother.”

Tears suddenly welled up in Lu Zhengchun’s eyes, and he sobbed, “Liu Xianyang, I’m begging you, okay?”

Liu Xianyang was stunned.

The wealthy young boy appeared increasingly fragile and helpless, with his lips quivering as he sobbed and said, “Please? I’ll kneel and apologize, okay?”

There was a thud as Lu Zhengchun fell to his knees.

He then started to kowtow to Liu Xianyang.

A man’s knees were plated in gold, so how could they kneel to others?

Yet, Lu Zhengchun was extremely earnest as he kowtowed, with his head banging against the ground.

Around the corner of Clay Vase Alley, the little girl’s feet were lightly drumming against the chest of the old man as she pondered about all the mountains they had passed on their way here. She contemplated which one she should take home.

Meanwhile, the little boy was taking great pleasure in Lu Zhengchun’s misfortune, casually asking, “Mother, has he gone mad? Are we really going to take such a madman with us when we leave? Just how embarrassing will that be?”

The woman wore a complicated expression. She recalled the many mysterious people and strange events that she had seen with her own eyes, but she eventually swallowed her words and said with a shake of her head, “We won’t.”

Liu Xianyang was at a complete loss.

Not even in his dreams would he have imagined Lu Zhengchun dropping to his knees and kowtowing to him. This was the eldest grandson of the wealthiest clan, yet he was actually kowtowing to him just like that?

Liu Xianyang was in two minds at this moment. However, the young boy in sandals who had been observing their conversation the entire time suddenly tugged at his sleeves and lightly shook his head.

However, Liu Xianyang couldn’t bring himself to be so heartless, and he muttered, “That’s far too unsympathetic…”

Chen Ping’an’s expression remained resolute.

Meanwhile, the tall and burly youth was already showing signs of relenting.

At this moment, it was surprisingly the young boy in straw sandals, whom Ning Yao viewed as a foolishly kind person, who was appearing extremely cold-hearted and unsympathetic.

Chen Ping’an’s instinct told him that if Liu Xianyang had agreed to sell the suit of armor before Lu Zhengchun fell to his knees, he might have suffered some hardships anyway, but he definitely wouldn’t have faced any life-threatening danger. Now, however, he had already become trapped in the same situation that Chen Ping’an had faced before. If it weren’t for Mr. Qi’s interference at that time, he would have killed Fu Nanhua and then been killed himself, either by Dawn Cloud Mountain or Old Dragon City.

Making the situation even worse was the “rule” that Ning Yao had told him about. Since Lu Zhengchun was native to this small town, Mr. Qi most likely wouldn’t be able to stop him if he or his clan wanted to kill Liu Xianyang.

A thought occurred to Chen Ping’an, and seizing the opportunity while Lu Zhengchun was still kowtowing with all his might, he lowered his voice and said to Liu Xianyang, “If nothing else works, you can just pretend to accept his proposal first. We can then deal with it after you visit Master Ruan and become his disciple.”

Liu Xianyang nodded in understanding. He turned around and said to Lu Zhengchun, “Brother, why don’t you get up first? Stand up and talk! Fucking kowtowing like this… Just what the hell is this?!”

Lu Zhengchun didn’t stand up. However, he raised his head, revealing his swollen forehead that was covered in dirt.

Liu Xianyang’s voice was filled with exasperation as he said, “However, you need to go home and have a serious meeting with those people first. You need to come up with a satisfactory offer and stop trying to fool me. After all, I’m not a fool. An offer of 200,000 copper coins? To say nothing of whether I’m being screwed over or not, don’t those people feel like they’re degrading themselves?”

Lu Zhengchun slowly stood up, smiling and saying, “Yes, yes, that’s indeed the case! Liu Xianyang, as long as you’re willing to sell it, I’ll be your brother in the future! I don’t mind whether you accept me as a brother or not, but I, Lu Zhengchun, will definitely consider you as a brother!”

Liu Xianyang walked over and wrapped an arm around Lu Zhengchun’s shoulders. As they walked toward the end of the alley, he said in comfort, “Brother Lu, you need to share your fortunes and fun with me in the future. When we complete this deal, I’ll have to invite you over for a drink no matter what.”

Lu Zhengchun rubbed his forehead with his hand as he laughed heartily and said, “Easy! There’s nothing difficult about having a drink. And that’ll have to be on me! How can I allow you to pay? Then it’s settled! Don’t try to argue otherwise, or else I’ll get angry!”

Liu Xianyang laughed and responded, “I always knew Brother Lu was a kind-hearted person. I’ll definitely be hanging out with you in the future!”

Chen Ping’an walked behind the two of them, leaning slightly closer to the wall of the alley. He stared intently at the entrance of the alley.

————

With an old subordinate leading the way, the man in white led Song Jixin to the guest hall of the kiln supervision office.

The subordinate said that Mr. Li, who had traveled over from an academy far away, had already been waiting here for around an hour, and that he was about to head over to the private school to visit a senior.

Song Changjing didn’t comment on this, and he simply asked, “The assassin who died in the alley… Have you found out whose underling he was yet?”

The subordinate hesitated upon hearing this.

Song Changjing furrowed his brows. “Hmm?”

The old man hurriedly bowed and said in fear, “The Fortune Street’s Song Clan.”

Song Changjing chuckled coldly and said, “They don’t know to give me a little surprise?”

Sweat poured down the old man’s back.

Song Jixin remained silent, yet there was a fervent look in his eyes.

Inside the school, Qi Jingchun lightly put down the book that he was reading. Turning around, he saw that there was a handsome young man standing there, a hat on his head and a Confucian robe on his body. He smiled but didn’t speak.

Qi Jingchun wore a tranquil expression, appearing solemn and dignified.

In the small town, a bald man in strange clothes walked along the street barefoot. He looked haggard, and when he arrived beside the Iron Lock Well, he looked down and placed his hands together in prayer, closing his eyes and saying softly, “When Buddha looks at a bowl of water, what he sees is an innumerable amount of organisms.”

Atop a mountain outside the small town, there stood a person on the thick and sturdy branch of a towering ancient tree. There was a tiger talisman hanging on his waist and a sword strapped to his back, and he was currently gazing at the outline of the small town in the distance.

Outside the small world that the small town belonged to…

There was a profoundly long path that seemingly led up to the heavens. It was surrounded by clouds and mists, making it impossible to see anything in the surroundings.

A Daoist nun wearing a yellow Daoist hat slowly rode up the path on the back of a white deer.

There was another handsome Daoist beside her, with his footsteps as light and carefree as floating clouds and flowing water. Two large fish with long barbels swam around him, one red and one green.

Confucians, Buddhists, Daoists, and martial artists — the Three Teachings and one art form were about to gather together in the small town.

In the blacksmith forge next to the creek in the south of the small town, the father and daughter continued to swing their hammers and forge iron, sending sparks flying into the surroundings in a dazzling display.

Holding a sword billet in his hand, the man said to the young girl with the ponytail, “Don’t go to town for the next few days.”

The young girl’s movements instantly became much weaker, and it was as if all of her strength was flowing away with the snacks from the small town.

The man laughed in anger, saying, “How impressive!”

The young girl transformed her grief and frustration into power, furiously swinging her hammer and smashing it into the searing red sword billet.

Brilliant sparks flew into the air, illuminating the young girl’s face and making her appear like a goddess of flames.

1. Milu is a type of deer native to China. ☜