Unsheathed

On the riverbank of the Dragon Whisker River, an old man squatted on top of the Azure Cow Ridge and puffed on his smoking pipe. Next to the stone cliff, a “young woman” was carefully seated with her long hair untied and draped over her back, extending all the way into the river.

Now that she had been promoted to a formal river goddess recognized by the imperial court of the Great Li Empire, it was already possible for her to temporarily come onshore in this current form. This couldn’t be underestimated. If one were a river guardian, they wouldn’t be able to do this even if they cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years.

With her hair covering the riverbank beneath the stone cliff, the woman asked in a timid voice, “Immortal Elder, why can’t I, Ma Lanhua, have a river goddess shrine of my own? I’d be happy even if it were only a small and empty shrine!”

The old man exhaled a cloud of smoke and sneered, “With your terrible reputation, you still want to enjoy unceasing incense and offerings? I’m afraid that there’ll only be a few large vats of spit waiting for you! Moreover, do you really think you’ll be able to enjoy consistent incense and offerings forever, regardless of the situation? Do you think this is a simple job where you can lie down and enjoy yourself while doing piss all?”

The woman smiled in self-ridicule and replied, “Immortal Elder, you already know that I’m a country woman who has long hair but short wit. How about you explain some of these things to me, lest I break a taboo and anger some powerful figure? I’m not afraid of being beaten, but I’ll definitely feel extremely guilty if I cause Immortal Elder any trouble.”

The woman stole a sideways glance at her flowing hair as she called herself someone with long hair but short wit. There was a slight sense of satisfaction and pride in her mind.

Her hair was long, genuinely long. Meanwhile, many of the old ladies and foolish women with short lifespans in the small town would already be fully grey at only 40 years old. Could they compare to her? Regardless of whether it was their status or wealth, could they compare to her, a mighty river goddess?

“Upon the construction of a shrine, the erection of an altar, the placing of a censer, and the offering of the first stick of incense, your fate will genuinely be tied to this piece of land forever,” the old man explained slowly. “Take the two earthquakes that traveled over from Red Candle Town just then, for example. Dragon Spring County also shook as a result of these earthquakes, with the mountains shaking and the rivers oscillating. If you had a dedicated shrine and a golden clay statue, then you would have also had to face the shockwaves of these quakes.”

The woman nodded in reply, yet she was actually quite dismissive of this in her mind.

The old man was expressionless as he held his smoking pipe in one hand and casually knocked the stone cliff using his other hand.

The woman’s flesh instantly started to fracture and tear, leaving her in such agonizing pain that she fell into the river where she wailed in anguish. Her body violently thrashed around in the water.

The old man ignored this, and he slowly continued, “Why do formal mountain gods and river gods choose to loyally serve mortal rulers and help them keep the cultivators in check? Apart from matters pertaining to the source of offerings and incense, conflicts between cultivators will also affect the rise and fall of a place’s fortune. This is also a critical factor. Who’s willing to subject themself to a precarious situation where they might be severely wounded at any moment and perhaps even vanish from the world?

“In addition, the folk customs, religions, conflicts, and all kinds of other factors and sudden changes in a region can affect your cultivation. These changes might be subtle and gradual, or they might be sudden and severe. Regardless, such changes are unaffected by the wills of the deities. The former is akin to having your flesh slowly cut by a blunt knife, while the latter is akin to a great calamity descending from the heavens. Indeed, you should cherish the leisurely life that you’re currently enjoying. Only then will you genuinely be able to live like a free and unfettered god.”

The woman didn’t dare to climb back onshore. Her pale face slowly rose above the surface of the river, and she begged for forgiveness, saying, “Great Immortal, this servant understands what’s important and what isn’t now!”

“You can piss off somewhere far away now,” the old man said with a wave of his hand.

The woman slipped into the river. With a sway of her hips, she instantly dashed past the stone arch bridge and arrived at someplace more than 100 kilometers away.

The woman, who had only been a river guardian of Dragon Whisker Creek not long ago, unhurriedly swam past the banks where the blacksmith shop was located. Right now, she was already much less afraid of that young girl who could unleash powerful techniques. After all, she was not only working earnestly to increase the yin energy of the river for the Militarian sage, but she was also answering mundane questions about the small town for the young girl when she was occasionally called over. As time passed, her backbone also grew firmer.

Ma Lanhua found Ruan Xiu extremely strange, and through their conversations, she learned that the young girl would do many things apart from just forging iron every day. She was continuing to keep an eye on the almost-complete renovation taking place in the old house, and she would also occasionally head over to the small town to help clean a few residences. She had also brought that cage of old hens and young chicks back to the blacksmith shop.

In reality, the river goddess didn’t understand Ruan Xiu’s thoughts at all. As the single child of a Militarian sage, why was she content with living the life of an ordinary young girl? To say nothing of how boring and drab this was, she didn’t show any signs of having lofty goals or great ambitions either.

However, she didn’t dare to reveal these thoughts to Ruan Xiu.

After becoming a formal river goddess, she became increasingly aware of the terrifying might of that fiery dragon.

However, Ma Lanhua felt like she had found herself genuine support now! She felt like she had turned Ruan Xiu from an enemy into a friend, and she also believed that she could be considered as half a helper for the Militarian sage. Moreover, she could surely be regarded as Old Man Yang’s secret disciple, right?

She felt extremely proud of these things.

Truth be told, she was also someone who remembered punishments. However, she was quite forgetful, so she would often forget her painful lessons once her wounds healed.

Even so, she still enjoyed her current life.

Sitting alone on the Azure Cow Ridge, the old man sighed with emotion, “Occasionally catching a glimpse of the full moon, the frog at the bottom of the well feels such joy that it forgets all worries.”

After a long while, a young boy with a red birthmark on his glabella slowly walked up the stone cliff and squatted down next to the old man. He continued to shake his head and sigh.

Old Man Yang smiled and asked, “Did you read many books in the private school today?”

The “young” imperial preceptor was deeply hurt by this question, so much so that his entire body started to shake in anger.

The old man didn’t rub any more salt into his wounds. After all, they had been allies for a short period of time. “The golden clay statues for the Wenchang pavilion of the Yuan Clan and the martial sage temple of the Cao Clan have both been completed, right? But a decision is still yet to be made regarding the sites for these shrines? Aren’t you going to help that disciple of yours? Or are you content to watch his official career come crashing down in Dragon Spring County?”

The handsome young boy had a dejected expression as he replied, “If this were in the past, I would have naturally had a backup plan. Now, however, do you think I still have the need for this?”

Old Man Yang nodded and remarked, “Mhm, your situation is indeed quite miserable.”

“Oi, Old Man Yang, so be it if you didn’t speak up for me back then. Yet, you still have the face to taunt me now?!” the young boy fumed.

Old Man Yang was unfazed, and he retorted, “My words can only be considered as provocative at best. They can’t be considered as taunting.”

He thought for a moment before adding, “Even if I were willing to forsake some of my dignity and speak up for you, would that have done you any good at all?”

The young boy mumbled hesitantly and replied, “But you should still show some loyalty and at least say a few words…”

He leaned back and lay down on the uneven surface of the green stone cliff. Gazing up at the profound and limitless night sky, he murmured, “Is your relationship with Song Changjing the same as mine? Did you also have a secret alliance with him?”

Old Man Yang smiled and replied, “Yes, of course! And I didn’t really try to hide it either. Otherwise, the commotion between Li Er and Song Changjing wouldn’t have been so great. Rather than causing your emperor to feel suspicious, I decided it would be better to do everything out in the open and let him see with his own eyes. That way, he’d have a better grasp of the situation. However, with Song Changjing’s unruly nature, he most definitely recounted the situation to the emperor after returning to the capital.”

“It’s just that my luck is worse than Song Changjing’s!” Cui Chan said in anger. “I shouldn’t have come to this crappy place. And they call it a small world filled with fortune? Fuck me if this isn’t a world of misfortune for me!”

The old man smiled and remarked, “To the other half of yourself, this isn’t necessarily the case.”

Cui Chan sat up and exclaimed in fury, “Old Man Yang, I’ll challenge you to a life-or-death duel if you keep saying things like this!”

Old Man Yang turned around to glance at the young boy who had suffered a string of unexpected misfortunes from out of nowhere. He didn’t add more fuel to the fire, and he asked, “Have you noticed how much you’ve changed after having your link with your other half severed?”

“Have I?” the young boy frowned and asked in puzzlement.

The old man nodded and replied in earnest, “You have. Your temperament is changing gradually, and your soul is also stabilizing slowly. Even though your cultivation base has become negligible, you ultimately seem more like a youthful Cui Chan compared to the other Cui Chan, the imperial preceptor,”

The young boy’s expression was livid, and there were flames of fury flickering in his eyes.

Old Man Yang gazed into the distance and teased, “By the looks of it, reading does indeed have some benefits.”

Cui Chan had only planned to stay in this precious body for a short time. Right now, however, it was as if he had traveled to a distant land and settled down as a migrant.

He had been split into two.

The imperial preceptor Cui Chan had lost a portion of his soul. Meanwhile, this youthful body was both a home and a cage for the young Cui Chan.

The young boy wasn’t willing to delve into this matter any further, afraid that he would jump into a river and commit suicide if they continued. He hurriedly changed the topic and said, “The emperor didn’t agree to combine the Dragon Whisker River and Iron Talisman River into a single river and assign it to the river guardian. Instead, he left them separate and appointed a river guardian to each.

“At the same time, he unexpectedly promoted Song Yuzhang, who ‘died of sickness’, to the mountain god of Downtrodden Mountain. He even ordered someone to make a gold head and deliver it to Dragon Spring County. In this sense, he’s punished both his brother and the empress equally without considering their guilt.”

Old Man Yang gazed at the undulating mountain range to the west and asked, “Do you, the great Imperial Preceptor Cui Chan, also need to speculate the emperor’s thoughts?”

The young boy faltered before heaving a sigh and replying, “I’ve been restricted for too long, and a poor man naturally has his ambitions stifled. Moreover, the aspirations of the emperor are far too grand, and he’s also someone who likes to scheme openly. He truly can’t be underestimated. If this were any other empire, Song Changjing would have already usurped the throne long ago. Perhaps he might have even had a taste of the empress regnant.

“Eastern Treasured Vial Continent might be small, but it does have one thing that none of the other continents have. Looking at our official history, we’ve never had an empress regnant take charge of an empire. Because of this, countless women are itching with a desire to become the first in history. They want to use this opportunity to leave a lasting reputation. In fact, they’d even be willing to have a notorious reputation if it meant becoming the first empress regnant.

“I don’t know if the Great Li Empire can overcome this obstacle. Even if we can, the empire will regress by heaven knows how many years.

“However, I’m the only person in the world who knows what A’Liang wants to do, and can guess what he will do.”

As he said this, the young boy was beaming and in buoyant spirits.

“The Cui Chan in the capital doesn’t know either?” Old Man Yang asked.

The young Cui Chan sighed and replied with a complicated expression, “That half of me… most likely doesn’t know anymore.”

He roughly massaged his cheeks and continued, “The Dragon Tail County Chen Clan suddenly opened a private school here and started offering free lessons to the children of Dragon Spring County. They offered a huge sum to invite three teachers, and each of them is a great Confucian or scholar who’s renowned in the continent. In fact, these are all honored guests of the Chen Clan. Is it possible that this wasn’t supported by the Yingyin Chen Clan? Perhaps their branch of Confucianism has ulterior motives regarding Eastern Treasured Vial Continent?”

Old Man Yang chuckled and said, “I’m aware of this passage of karmic fate, but I’m not going to tell you the answer. In any case, you’re going to collect your belongings and piss off out of this place very soon. I’ve already shown enough benevolence by chatting with you for so long.”

Cui Chan wasn’t angry upon hearing this, and he said, “And it’s good that I’m leaving.”

He stood up, and his expression instantly changed. He stomped his foot and roared in anger, “Good my ass! So be it if I have to bring two troublesome dead weights with me… I’ll tolerate this! But telling me to become that brat’s disciple? What in the world is this?! What the hell is that old geezer thinking?! Has he decided to toss his knowledge in the trash can as well after losing his cultivation base and status?

“If he dares appear before me, I guarantee I’ll scold him silly this time! Old geezer, this is called acting shamelessly, you understand? This is called acting irresponsibly, you understand? A person should have some conscience and reason…”

Old Man Yang raised a thumb and clucked his tongue in wonder, remarking, “Such a righteous youth; such a gallant and courageous youth.”

Cui Chan suddenly stopped his torrent of abuse, and he said quietly, “I didn’t utter his name or title. The old geezer was indeed supremely powerful before, but how many years ago was that? He’s only got a smidgen of his power left, so he couldn’t have heard my words just then, right?”

Old Man Yang stood up and put his smoking pipe away. He patted his robes clean and prepared to leave. “That’s hard to say. After all, you were once his first disciple. As such, it’s possible that you’re an exception.”

The young Cui Chan chuckled nervously, and he consoled himself by saying, “No, that’s impossible. Definitely impossible.”

Right at this moment, a stack of the most ordinary and elementary Confucian texts materialized before the young boy. No one was touching them, yet they slowly flipped to the first pages by themselves.

The young boy was stunned, and it was as if he had just lost both of his parents.

Old Man Yang swaggered away. “Ah… Someone needs to start reading again!”

The young boy dazedly fixed his sleeves and straightened his back. His voice was loud and filled with pain as he recited, “Pervading heaven and earth is a righteous spirit; taking many forms it bestows itself upon things impermanent. Below it manifests as rivers and mountains; above it manifests as the sun and stars…[1]”

However, the young Cui Chan suddenly jolted to his senses, and he looked at the disappearing figure of Old Man Yang and roared, “Fuck! Did you purposely snitch on me and tell that old geezer what I said?! Old bastard, you can’t bully people like this! All I did was expose your identity… Is there any need to take revenge like this…?”

His hand suddenly shook, and a burst of pain coursed through his body and caused him to shudder. It was as if a strict teacher were standing next to him and punishing his bad behavior with a ruler to the palm.

The young boy continued to shout, “To the people, it is called the spirit of honor and fearlessness, so vast that it fills the universe. When an empire is tranquil, it inspires harmony within the splendid court…”

————

In front of Pillow Relay Station, the bad-tempered attendant eventually cursed and answered the old man’s question, most likely realizing that he couldn’t get physical with such a disheveled old man. He revealed that the group of people had already taken a boat and left in the morning, heading south down the Embroidered Flower River.

After the old man turned around to leave, the attendant forcefully spat on the ground. Only afterward did he remember that this was the entrance to the relay station. He huffed and scrubbed the blob of spit away with the tip of his foot.

After the arrival of those children at Pillow Relay Station, all kinds of strange things had happened one after another. In the end, even the kind relay station deputy lost his official position. These children were truly the bringers of misfortune.

As the old man walked down the street with his luggage on his back, he pondered the situation carefully and eventually decided to leave things here. The path ahead of them was still long, so it was only a matter of time before he would see their true character.

He quietly reached forward and grabbed a jade hairpin. He then casually placed it inside his sleeve.

The children were heading south to Great Sui Nation, while the old scholar was heading west to someplace else.

Different people had different aspirations, so the paths they walked would naturally be different as well.

As for whether these paths would converge again… This was unknown, and it was hard to say for sure.

No matter the case, each person could only rely on themself as they walked the path underfoot one step at a time.

————

Because of the troublesome white donkey that was both in the way and an eyesore, Chen Ping’an and the others could only stand at the bow of the large ship. They couldn’t sit down and relax in the cabin.

Fortunately, the four of them were already accustomed to the hardships of camping out in the open and trekking through the wind and rain. Even so, Li Huai was still slightly angry about the ship owner looking down on them. However, he quickly started to giggle as he told Lin Shouyi to hold the donkey for him while he climbed onto its back. Riding a donkey while traveling on a ship was a fresh and interesting experience that caused a beaming smile to spread across Li Huai’s face.

The nearby passengers looked at the young children as if they were looking at retards.

Lin Shouyi held the donkey leash as he stood in the light river breeze that gently brushed by his sideburns. He ran his hand over the left side of his chest, and this was where he had placed the yellow paper talismans and the Recite Atop Clouds Scripture.

Chen Ping’an was squatting beside them and deftly splitting some green bamboo. He had promised Lin Shouyi and Li Huai to make them a small bookcase each.

Li Baoping wasn’t willing to put her emerald-green bookcase down even as she squatted down beside Chen Ping’an. As she looked at him, she suddenly exclaimed in astonishment, “Junior uncle, your hairpin has disappeared! You were clearly still wearing it before we boarded the ship!”

Chen Ping’an was surprised, and he reached up to run his hand over the top of his head. There was a slightly baffled expression on his face. However, the young boy had already become accustomed to all kinds of strange occurrences during their trip, so he still smiled even though he felt extremely downcast. “It’s okay. I remember the eight characters that were engraved on it, so I can always make myself another one in the future.”

Li Baoping nodded in reply.

————

Walking along the streets of Red Candle Town, the old scholar gave a knowing smile and said softly, “Very good.”

1. An extract from Wen Tianxiang’s ‘Song of the Righteous Spirit’. Wen Tianxiang was a Chinese poet and politician in the last years of the Southern Song dynasty. ☜