Unsheathed

Deep into the night, Song Changjing returned alone to the office of the kiln supervision official. Song Jixin had already left and returned to Clay Vase Alley, a place that was like a dog’s kennel. The man in white didn’t have any issues with this. As a front-line general who had led armies to wars for numerous years, and as someone who could still sleep soundly amid a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses, he naturally didn’t feel like his nephew had been treated badly these past few years. Even though he had been tossed into this small town, he could at least return to the capital of the Great Li Empire alive. This was already quite good.

The old steward of the kiln supervision office had been waiting outside the gates the entire time, a lantern in his hand.

Song Changjing walked through the side entrance which only had a single door open. He then continued to stride forward, saying, ”No need to lead the way.”

The old steward nodded in acknowledgment. He slowed down his pace before silently taking his leave.

The office of the kiln supervision official was located on Fortune Street, and this wasn’t an extravagant building. In fact, it was much smaller than the residences of the Lu Clan and the Li Clan. The previous kiln supervision official — the legitimate one — had lived an honest and frugal life. The residents of the small town hadn’t found this out of the ordinary.

However, Song Changjing was different. He was the younger brother of the Great Li Empire’s ruler, and he had also made a profound contribution to help expand the territory of the empire. At the same time, he was also one of the top-notch martial arts grandmasters of Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.

His arrival was akin to a flood dragon crashing into a small lake. Even though the powerful clans in the small town weren’t especially afraid of him, they still had to at least treat him with a sense of respect.

When Song Changjing walked past a courtyard, he noticed that there was still someone reading under the dim candlelight in a nearby building. They were sitting upright, and even though they were alone in the building, they still maintained a meticulous posture and attitude.

As expected of a noble and virtuous person.

Song Changjing’s sleeves billowed in the air as he briskly walked past, and a smile of ridicule tugged at the corners of his lips.

In the past, there had once been a youth who had sought knowledge at Lake View Academy. His calligraphy skills had been divine, and his renown had echoed throughout the imperial palace. The ruler of Southern Wei Nation had invited him into the palace to compose imperial decrees in a side palace. During winter, the heavy snow and biting cold had been such that his calligraphy brush had become frozen and unable to produce any characters. Learning this, the emperor had ordered a dozen or so of his retainers to assist the young scholar and use their breaths to warm his brush.

News of this had spread through Eastern Treasured Vial Continent like wildfire, and it had immediately become a story praised and talked about by everyone.

However, no one had thought to ponder deeply about this — with how strict the imperial palace was with information, to say nothing about the emperor, eunuchs, and concubines, just how in the world had ordinary peasants learned about all of this?

Walking along a secluded and narrow path, Song Changjing suddenly broke into hearty laughter.

Song Jixin, who was dressed cleanly, arrived back in Clay Vase Alley. He pushed open the unlocked courtyard door and proceeded back to his house. What greeted him was the sight of Zhi Gui sitting on a chair in the main hall, with her eyes half-closed as she dozed off. When her head drooped to a certain angle, she would immediately jerk upright before slowly leaning forward again.

By the looks of it, the young girl was truly tired. Song Jixin bent down and lightly shook her shoulders, saying in a soft voice, ”Zhi Gui, Zhi Gui, wake up. Hurry up and return to your own room. Be careful of catching a cold.”

Zhi Gui rubbed her sleepy eyes and murmured, ”Young Master, why are you back so late?”

Song Jixin smiled and replied, ”I took a trip down to the covered bridge. It’s quite far away, so I was only able to get back this late.”

”Huh? Young Master, when did you change into this?” Zhi Gui said in astonishment upon seeing the unfamiliar clothing that Song Jixin was wearing.

Song Jixin was unwilling to talk about this, so he said, ”Let’s not talk about this. I lent you the Local County Chronicle, so how are you going with reading it and learning new characters? Do you need me to teach you anything?”

The young girl shook her head and replied, ”No.”

Song Jixin returned to his room. It was pitch-black, and he removed his outer robe before kicking off his shoes and feeling his way to the bed. Lying down, the young boy murmured, ”Wang Zhu, Wang Zhu... So that’s how it is...”

Zhi Gui also returned to her room, blowing out the candles and getting into bed. As she snuggled under the blankets, there was a soft and persistent rustling sound as if someone were hiding under the blankets and chewing on something.

In the end, she even burped in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, even though Liu Xianyang was still yet to become an official disciple of Master Ruan, it was already abundantly clear to the others that Master Ruan held this tall and broad young boy in extremely high regard. Otherwise, there was no way he would have personally taught him how to forge sword billets. Not everyone was allowed to enter that row of swordsmithing buildings.

During lunch break, a young man who had worked in the dragon kilns before jogged over to Liu Xianyang and told him that someone was looking for him. He wriggled his eyebrows and winked, and his expression appeared especially playful and teasing. He said that a woman who was even more beautiful than those on Fortune Street was looking for Liu Xianyang.

Liu Xianyang followed him with a playful grin. However, he was actually feeling extremely solemn.

Sure enough, he saw that slender woman standing by a well. Nearby, the young men were working extremely hard as they dug the wells.

Just like the young scholar Song Jixin had said, Liu Xianyang was indeed a country bumpkin who didn’t know much. However, determining whether a woman was beautiful or not had nothing to do with how many books one had read. Nor did it have to do with whether one was literate or not. Perhaps the young boy didn’t know, but calling someone beautiful was only a very general remark. Under this umbrella of beauty, there existed a type that was charming, where the woman would appear both dignified and naturally alluring. This type of beauty was particularly soul-stirring.

If one insisted on defining a charming beauty, perhaps this would be a woman who had slender and intoxicating eyebrows.

The unfamiliar woman standing before him had eyebrows that were as slender as a willow branch and a forehead as smooth and bright as jade.

She had come alone today, and she didn’t look like she was here to accuse Liu Xianyang of any wrongdoing. It didn’t look like she was here to pressure and bully him either. Liu Xianyang breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

He conceded that this woman was very beautiful, and he conceded that she indeed possessed a graceful and noble demeanor. If he had come across such a woman on the streets in the past, perhaps he would have looked over and whistled at her. However, this wouldn’t mean that he had fallen for her. Liu Xianyang had only ever liked a single girl — the maidservant from Clay Vase Alley. This was the case now, and it would be the case in the future.

Liu Xianyang walked toward the creek with the beautiful woman, and he said in a firm voice, ”Ma’am, if you’re trying to convince me to sell my family heirloom to you, I suggest that you give up.”

The woman smiled beautifully and replied, ”Don’t be so quick to reject my offer. Allow me to explain the benefits and intricacies first, and then you can decide again after you finish listening.”

The young boy’s expression remained unchanging, and he purposefully continued to act in a carefree and relaxed manner. However, his heart had already sunk.

In the distance, a young girl in green was squatting by a blacksmith forge with a bowl of rice in her hands. The rice was heaped so high that it formed a pyramid shape that protruded far above the side of the bowl. She lifted the bowl of rice and started to wolf it down. After destroying the ”pyramid”, she caught a glimpse of the braised pork belly that she had hidden inside the bowl of rice. She glowed with happiness, and she secretly turned around to have her back face the man who was slowly eating his own bowl of rice.

”Father, aren’t you going to stop that outsider lady?” she asked.

”No,” the man replied in a low and muffled voice.

The young girl in green felt slightly anxious, and she said, ”But he’s going to be your opening disciple in the future. Aren’t you afraid that he’ll be led astray?”

”That will simply mean that he doesn’t have enough fortune,” the man replied calmly.

”Father, won’t you feel like that’s a great pity?” the girl asked with a puzzled expression.

For example, when she saw those delicious and exquisite desserts in the shops... So be it if she didn’t have any money. However, if she had money and decided to purchase some, wouldn’t it be a great shame if she accidentally dropped them on the floor? She would deserve to be punished by the heavens!

The man answered with a completely unrelated question of his own, asking, ”How’s the braised pork belly?”

The young girl subconsciously nodded and said in happiness, ”It’s delicious!”

However, she immediately froze in the next moment. Her father had issued a ”decree” before, saying that she could only eat one meat dish a day. Thus, she had pretended to get a full bowl of rice, but she had actually hidden a piece of braised pork belly inside. This was so that she could rightfully eat another meat dish at night.

The young girl had an awkward expression as she lifted her bowl of rice up high and said in a righteous manner, ”There’s only one piece! I didn’t break the rules!”

The man chuckled and asked, ”Then will it be a pity if you can’t eat that other piece of braised pork belly hidden at the bottom?”

The young girl opened her mouth, yet she didn’t know what to say. Her expression was ashen, and it was as if she had been struck by lightning.

The man continued to pour salt on his daughter’s wounds, saying, ”If you hadn’t been so nosy and commented on Liu Xianyang’s situation, I would have simply turned a blind eye to your behavior.”

The young girl didn’t utter a word as she slowly nibbled on the piece of braised pork belly. It was clear that she would become a thrifty person in the future.

After finishing his lunch, the man looked at the young boy and woman by the creek and said, ”Your father won’t care about that young boy’s life or death for as long as he doesn’t reach the Middle Five Tiers. After he reaches the Middle Five Tiers, I’ll step in to save him if it’s necessary. However, I’ll only do so once or twice, and definitely not more than three times. Each person needs to deal with their own fate.”

”Why won’t you help him now?!” the young girl asked with a sulky expression.

The man huffed and replied, ”When cultivators and martial artists take disciples, it’s not the same as when ordinary sects and factions recruit subordinates. The aim of taking disciples isn’t to gain an advantage in numbers when arguing or fighting with someone in the future. At the end of the day, both master and disciple should be like-minded people who pursue the same Dao. At the very least, that’s how I see things. In any case, Liu Xianyang isn’t even my disciple yet.”

The young girl didn’t reply.

The man sighed and continued, ”My silly girl, do you know how many people live in this small corner of the world that’s the Great Li Empire? Over 20 million families! With so many people in the world and so many troubling matters to deal with, can you truly keep an eye out for everyone? After I take over from Qi Jingchun, I’ll be watching over this small town for the next 60 years. At that time, you should also stop running around everywhere. You need to diligently forge and practice your swordsmanship near this blacksmith forge. Otherwise, if you go out and cause trouble, should your father help you or not?”

Before the man could say anything else, the young girl immediately quipped, ”I don’t need your help!”

The man almost choked and suffered internal injuries. The might of this attack was no weaker than the trump card of some powerful sword immortal.

Ruan Qiong truly wanted to knock his foolish daughter on the head. How could he not help his own daughter?

He felt a bit melancholic at this moment.

The young girl had an ”astonished” expression as she suddenly exclaimed, ”Huh? How did a piece of braised pork belly suddenly appear at the bottom of my bowl? Oh no, there goes my meat dish for the day. Or maybe you want to eat it, father?”

Without even turning around, the man could still sense the abhorrent acting skills of his daughter. He could only sigh and say in exasperation, ”Don’t worry about it; you can have it yourself. I’ll pretend that you only ate a single piece of braised pork belly today. However, remember not to slack off when you forge iron in the afternoon.”

The young girl was filled with gratitude, and she said sincerely, ”Father, you’re so nice!”

The man laughed in irritation, and he corrected, ”You mean the braised pork belly is nice, right?”

The young girl lifted her bowl and ate a mouthful of rice, saying in a soft voice, ”Father is also nice.”

It took the man great willpower not to laugh out loud. Thinking about it, perhaps it was better to have a daughter, after all.

A voice suddenly sounded next to his ear, saying, ”Father, can I have another piece of braised pork belly for dinner? Two pieces or three pieces... The difference isn’t that great, right? If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes, okay?”

The young girl shot into the distance like a bolt of lightning.

In fact, she had already run extremely far away when she said that final sentence.

The man rubbed his face and murmured, ”Food is truly the most important thing for my Xiuxiu.”

After visiting a number of streets and valleys and delivering all of the letters, Chen Ping’an bought some breakfast and took it back to Ning Yao, who was still staying at his home in Clay Vase Alley. While she ate, he started to adeptly brew medicine.

Ning Yao was wearing a brand new robe today, and it was dark green in color and especially smart in appearance. She already radiated with a gallant and resilient aura to begin with, and coupled with the saber by her waist, this outfit made her appear even nobler than those from the wealthy families in Fortune Street.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, ”If you genuinely want to start studying the Mountain Shaking Guide now, there are three things you need to do before you can start practicing the fist technique — standing meditation, walking meditation, and sleeping meditation. Sleeping meditation is more focused on the accumulation within one’s acupoints and the circulation of one’s breath. It’s quite difficult to describe using words, so let’s leave this for later. As for standing meditation and walking meditation, these don’t have stringent requirements in terms of one’s talent and aptitude. Thus, you can diligently practice these following the stances illustrated in the Mountain Shaking Guide. If you stick to it, it will eventually bring you some benefits. Even if you’re unable to become a true martial artist, there’s still a chance that it can strengthen your physique and extend your lifespan.”

”Is it possible to practice walking meditation in the creek?” Chen Ping’an asked. This was something that he had thought of before.

Ning Yao nodded and replied, ”Of course. Start with knee-deep water, and then move onto waist-deep water. After that, you can move onto neck-deep water.”

Following her logic, Chen Ping’an asked, ”In the end, will I have to fully submerge myself in the water?”

Ning Yao chuckled coldly and said, ”Oh? You want to practice holding your breath underwater? Are you going to master that and then become a bastard turtle[1]?”

Chen Ping’an huffed and fell silent.

Ning Yao pondered for a moment before saying, ”Here, I’ll demonstrate walking meditation to you first. Watch carefully!”

Ning Yao got Chen Ping’an to move the table aside. She then took six steps forward, with three steps being small and three steps being big. When she put her foot down after the final step, it was as if a muffled rumble was traveling through the entire ground of the house.

The young girl completed this in a single breath.

Her movements had appeared relaxed and smooth like flowing water, and this made the young boy in straw sandals feel an indescribable emotion.

It was as if he had been looking at a crashing waterfall, with its descent proper and mighty. At the same time, it was also as if he had been looking at a leaf twirling around in the stream, with its movements free and gentle.

These were indeed the fundamental aspects of walking meditation. However, Chen Ping’an only knew it was so, but not why it was so.

Seeing the confusion on his face, Ning Yao returned to her starting position and demonstrated it again.

After finishing her demonstration, Ning Yao turned around and asked, ”Do you understand now? Do you want to give it a go?”

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath before making an attempt.

He swayed and wobbled, and it was as if he were a hopeless drunk.

Chen Ping’an stood there and scratched his head. Even he was acutely aware that his attempt had been terrible.

Ning Yao wore a dark expression, and she said in a solemn voice, ”Try again!”

After three attempts, Chen Ping’an did indeed start to show some slight improvements. However, Ning Yao’s expression was already as dark as thunderclouds that were about to unleash a wild storm.

She was unable to fathom how there could be someone as stupid and slow as Chen Ping’an in the world. How was it possible that his comprehension ability was so poor? How was it possible that his talent was so lacking?!

This was simply hopeless.

Ning Yao had already reached an exceptional height in swordsmanship since a very young age. Her background, aptitude, talent, and vision were also equally as outstanding.

Because of this, the young girl was unable to comprehend how those people at the foot of the mountain tens of thousands of miles beneath her would make their way up step by step. She more so couldn’t comprehend why their steps were so shaky.

In the end, the young girl ran out of ideas to help Chen Ping’an. She was afraid that she would eventually feel the urge to draw her sword and hack at him.

A thought suddenly occurred to her at this moment, and she patted the young boy’s shoulder and attempted to say in comfort, ”Chen Ping’an, the meaning of a book will become clear if you read it many times. Practicing martial arts is the same. If you can’t get the feel for something after practicing it 10,000 times, then practice it hundreds of thousands of times. If that’s not enough, then practice it millions of times! Go and collect your pebbles now. Remember, those who are less talented simply need to make an earlier start. Don’t lose hope, and remember to take things slowly. When you collect pebbles in the creek, you can practice walking meditation again and again.”

Chen Ping’an thought about this, and he felt like it did indeed make sense.

Song Jixin had said something similar to ”the meaning of a book will become clear if you read it many times” before, and the saying had gone, ”The more one reads, the better one writes”.

However, Chen Ping’an felt like Ning Yao’s other remark made more sense than these two sayings. That was, if he couldn’t get the hang of something after practicing it 10,000 times, then he should practice it hundreds of thousands of times or even millions of times.

There was a smile on his face as he ran out of Clay Vase Alley. As he made his way to the creek, he silently recited the method of walking meditation to himself — three small steps and three big steps. He tried to emulate Ning Yao’s movements.

Chen Ping’an told himself a ”truth” in his mind. That was, perhaps he would reach a level of small accomplishment if he practiced this walking meditation a million times.

In this sense, the introduction to the Mountain Shaking Guide would be to complete walking meditation a million times. Only after completing this would he have the right to move forward.

Sitting alone on the doorstep, Ning Yao muttered to herself, ”Why do I feel like I’ve dug a huge hole for him? He won’t collapse and be unable to climb out, right?”

1. Bastard and soft-shelled turtle are homonyms in Chinese. ☜