Unsheathed

Mao Xiaodong was standing in the wenzheng hall halfway up the mountain with his redwood ruler strapped to his waist, and he appeared to have been dozing off.

Following the emperor’s personal visit to Eastern Splendor Mountain, all of the spies on the mountain had already been withdrawn, and even the 10th tier Qi refiner who had been assigned with the task of protecting the mountain only dared to reside near the mountain, prohibited from setting foot in the academy unless it was for a good reason.

This was the respect that Great Sui Nation was giving to Mountain Cliff Academy, and it was also a reflection of the trust that the emperor of Great Sui Nation had in Mao Xiaodong.

Inside the wenzheng hall, portraits of the three Sages with ties to Mountain Cliff Academy were hanging in front of an offering of incense. At the center was naturally a portrait of none other than the Paramount Sage, the patriarch revered by all followers of Confucianism under the heavens.

The other two portraits depicted the Scholarly Sage, whose identity had been intentionally concealed on the portrait, and the first mountain master of the academy, Qi Jingchun.

At the entrance of the academy at the foot of the mountain, Cui Chan submitted his clearance documents, then scaled the mountain all the way up to this point.

He poked his head into the wenzheng hall and took a glance inside, but refused to go in, standing outside the doorstep with a furious expression as he yelled, “Mao Xiaodong! Are you doing this just to make me mad, or are you trying to screw me over? You better give me an explanation right now! If I’m not satisfied with your explanation, I’ll leave this place right away and never return!”

Mao Xiaodong’s eyes remained closed as he replied with an indifferent expression, “Either come in to offer some incense, or let’s get to the bottom of this. Otherwise, if I take so much as even a single glance at you, I’m your grandson.”

.

Cui Chan sat down at the doorstep as he harrumphed, “Even if you’re willing to become my grandson, I’ll have to consider whether I’m willing to accept a grandson like you. Who was it that came to me with snot and tears flowing down their face, begging me to teach them to play go?

“Even after studying the game for 10,000 years, you were still thoroughly embarrassed by me, even though I had given you a two-stone handicap? Do you still remember the look on your face back then?”

“Go is nothing more than a game,” Mao Xiaodong replied in an indifferent voice.

A mocking sneer appeared on Cui Chan’s face as he countered, “Go may just be a game, but your lack of mastery in the game reflects your lack of discipline and dedication. Everyone knows that among all of the old scholar’s failed secret disciples, you were a mediocre scholar, but you revered your teacher more than anyone else, serving the old scholar even more earnestly than you would’ve done your own father!

“Why have you suddenly started promoting the teachings of another Sage, particularly one that was sworn enemy of the old scholar? I know you learned go from me, but are you trying to follow in my footsteps and betray your teacher as well?”

Mao Xiaodong’s eyes remained closed as he sneered, “If I continue this pointless bickering with you any further, then I’m your son.”

Cui Chan rolled his eyes as he said, “I only came to Eastern Splendor Mountain this time to stay here on a temporary basis as I have no home to return to. Right now, you’re the mountain master of the academy, so just turn a blind eye to my existence. If you don’t want to see me, then don’t look at me. Without your supervision, I’ll have the freedom to do as I please, and we’ll both be happy.”

“Given your opportunistic nature, I’m worried that the entire academy is going to be taken apart before long!” Mao Xiaodong scoffed. “I’m not going to stop you from going against Great Sui Nation, but don’t even think about wreaking havoc here on Eastern Splendor Mountain. This is an academy, a place of education, not a place that you can defecate on and defile as you please!”

Cui Chan’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “Did you not receive that secret letter from me? The one with the go stone enclosed?”

Mao Xiaodong nodded in response. “I did receive it, but I tossed it into the fire right away before opening it. After that, I immediately went to go and wash my hands. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to pick up my chopsticks and dig into my meal.”

These were some very scathing words from Mao Xiaodong, but Cui Chan wasn’t bothered at all, and a cheeky grin appeared on his face as he rose to his feet before making his way over to Mao Xiaodong’s side. “Xiaodong, I can assure you that I haven’t come here this time because I’m plotting something.

“All I want to do is focus on my reading, do some sunbathing in my free time, occasionally play some go with you, and look after those kids from Jewel Small World while I’m at it.”

“If I believe you, then I’m your ancestor,” Mao Xiaodong scoffed.

Cui Chan was rather perplexed to hear this. “What’s wrong with being my ancestor? Isn’t that a good thing for you? You’d be vaulting up the ranks in terms of seniority!”

“Of course that’s not a good thing for me!” Mao Xiaodong scoffed. “If I were your ancestor, I’d be so furious with you that I’d be rolling around in my grave!”

“That’s enough from you, Mao Xiaodong!” Cui Chan snapped in a furious voice.

Mao Xiaodong’s eyes remained closed as he shook his head in response. “I’ll stop when I feel like it.”

Cui Chan stabbed a finger at Mao Xiaodong as he asked, “You wanna fight?”

Mao Xiaodong’s eyes instantly sprang open, and an astonishing aura erupted out of his body as he replied, “A fight is exactly what I want! I was no match for you back in the Great Li Empire, but here, I’m willing to fight you with one hand tied behind my back!”

Cui Chan blinked momentarily, then said, “You’re my grandson now. A grandson can’t just go around beating up his grandfather.”

Mao Xiaodong gripped onto the ruler strapped to his waist as he said, “It’s fine, I’ll just make you a nice grave after I’ve beaten you to death.”

Cui Chan hurriedly extended a hand as he said, “Hold on a second! Both the old scholar and Qi Jingchun wanted me to pass a message onto you. Listen to what I have to say first before you decide if you still want to fight.”

Mao Xiaodong’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the killing intent radiating from his body became even more pronounced as he threatened, “Be careful what you say next, for they may be your final words.”

Cui Chan’s lips fluttered slightly as he communicated a message to Mao Xiaodong.

After hearing what Cui Chan had to say, Mao Xiaodong stared intently at him, particularly into his eyes. One’s eyes were always referred to as the window to one’s soul, and if one’s heart were to be likened to a lake, then one’s eyes would be the center of the lake. If one’s heart were clear, then that would be reflected in their eyes, whereas if they harbored impure emotions or motives, then their eyes would appear murky and unclear.

Back in the old Mountain Cliff Academy in the Great Li Empire, Mao Xiaodong wouldn’t have bothered with this at all. At the time, his cultivation base had been far below Cui Chan’s so no matter how long he peered into Cui Chan’s eyes, he wouldn’t have been able to see anything.

However, the tables had been completely turned on this occasion, and he was now the one with the cultivation base advantage over Cui Chan, so this became an effective way of telling whether Cui Chan was lying or not. Most importantly, both of them had once been students of the Scholarly Sage, so he would’ve been able to peer into Cui Chan’s heart more clearly than if someone else had been in Cui Chan’s place.

After looking into Cui Chan’s eyes for some time, Mao Xiaodong withdrew his gaze before departing.

Cui Chan smiled as he asked, “Where are you doing? You don’t wanna chat for a bit longer?”

“I have to go wash my eyes right away. Otherwise, I’m going to turn blind!” Mao Xiaodong harrumphed coldly.

A gleeful look appeared on Cui Chan’s face as he said, “That is true. This youthful body of mine is blindingly handsome to behold.”

Mao Xiaodong stopped in his tracks and turned around with the intention of administering a beating. After all, he had wanted to beat this traitorous bastard to death for a very long time.

A faint glimmer of golden light appeared in Cui Chan’s sleeve, ready to fly out at any moment, and a stunned look appeared on his face as he exclaimed, “Are you really going to attack me? Confucian Sages influence others with their morality, and noble persons convince their others through reason. Due to your connection to the old scholar, you’re still only a virtuous person, but even virtuous persons don’t just roll up their sleeves to fight someone!”

Mao Xiaodong turned to depart once again.

Cui Chan hurriedly followed along, clasping his hands behind his back in a graceful manner as he asked, “How are Li Baoping and the others doing at the academy? Are they causing trouble here?”

“They are, indeed,” Mao Xiaodong snapped.

Cui Chan’s expression darkened slightly as he asked, “No one’s been picking on them to set an example, have they?”

A cold smile appeared on Mao Xiaodong’s face as he replied, “I thought you were the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, attempting to pit the academy against Great Sui Nation to put the emperor of Great Sui Nation in an awkward position so you can put a complete end to Mountain Cliff Academy’s lineage.”

A slightly awkward look appeared on Cui Chan’s face, and he scratched his head as he replied, “That old bastard in the capital would be capable of doing something like that, but I won’t. I’ve turned over a new leaf and abandoned the path of good for evil… I mean, abandoned the path of evil for good, and I’ve been this way for quite some time already.”

Mao Xiaodong heaved a faint sigh as he cast his gaze toward the pavilion on the summit of Eastern Splendor Mountain. His voice wasn’t very loud, but declared in a resolute tone, “Cui Chan, if you dare to do anything detrimental to the academy, even if it’s just once, I will kill you.”

Cui Chan was completely unfazed by the threat as he casually replied, “Do whatever you want as long as it makes you happy. Tell me what’s been happening with Li Baoping and the others. I’m not lying to you at all when I say that I’m in a way more tragic situation than you are. No one in this world can compare with how pitiful my existence has become.

“If you’re ever in a bad mood, I can tell you about what I’ve been through, and I guarantee you your mood will be significantly improved, but if you ever do come to hear my story, make sure to bring a few flagons of wine with you. The emperor of Great Sui Nation is quite a generous guy, so I’m sure he’s given you quite a few flagons of fine wine.”

Mao Xiaodong took a glance out of the corner of his eye at Cui Chan with a strange look on his face, then shook his head as he continued onward while giving Cui Chan a brief recount of the events that had transpired thus far.

During the final battle in the scripture library, Yu Lu had taken on Li Changying and the gray-robed old man, and ultimately, neither side had come out on top. All three of them had walked into the scripture library on their own, yet they all had to be carried out of the scripture library on stretchers at the end.

Even as the deputy mountain master of the academy, Mao Xiaodong wasn’t able to keep this massive piece of news confidential.

That night, the head minister of Great Sui Nation’s Ministry of Rites, one of the chief eunuchs of the imperial palace, and the 10th tier cultivator who had been lurking near Eastern Splendor Mountain had all made their way onto the mountain to address the situation.

In the face of these three authoritative figures, all Mao Xiaodong had said was that he would personally answer to the emperor of Great Sui Nation, and that no one else, including even the princes and the head ministers of the Six Ministries, had a right to enforce their will on the academy.

In reality, the three of them had actually only entered the academy to check on the situation, and they had no intention of assigning blame to anyone, but Mao Xiaodong had turned them away in an extremely inhospitable fashion.

The 10th tier cultivator was about to fight Mao Xiaodong on the spot, but thankfully, he was stopped by the head minister, and the three of them quickly made their way down the mountain before entering the imperial palace to meet the emperor.

Li Changying and the old gray-robed swordsman had accompanied them on that trip. At the time, both of them were already able to walk, but they were still in terrible condition, yet to recover from their injuries.

“What identity are you going to adopt to stay at the academy?” Mao Xiaodong asked.

Cui Chan replied without any hesitation, “If you read my secret letter, then you would already be aware of the identities of Yu Lu and Xie Xie. I can expose one of them, such as Xie Lingyue from the number one cultivating sect of the fallen Lu Empire.

I can present myself to everyone as a senior from the same sect. If I choose to expose Yu Lu’s identity instead, then I’ll declare myself to be one of the hidden guardians of the Lu Empire’s imperial clan. Rest assured, I’ve made watertight preparations for both scenarios, so this isn’t a cause for concern.”

Mao Xiaodong wasn’t convinced, and he said in a concerned voice, “The spies of Great Sui Nation are no less competent than the ones from the Great Li Empire. On top of that, Great Sui Nation has always maintained close ties with the Lu Empire, so…”

Cui Chan cut Mao Xiaodong off there as he interjected, “Who am I?”

Mao Xiaodong had a great deal of resentment toward Cui Chan marinating in his heart, and he couldn’t help but snap, “Who are you? You’re my son!”

Cui Chan gleefully accepted this new identity as he called out, “Father!”

Mao Xiaodong was momentarily rooted to the spot upon hearing this, then gritted his teeth in fury before vanishing from the spot in a flash.

“Father, where are those children staying right now? Father?” Cui Chan yelled into the night, but received no response.

He rolled his eyes as he murmured to himself, “Fine, I’ll knock on every single door I come across one by one. I’ll find them eventually.”

Meanwhile, Mao Xiaodong had returned to the wenzheng hall, and he offered three sticks of lit incense to the three portraits hanging in the hall as he said with a hint of sorrow in his eyes, “Master, Senior Brother, no matter how I think about this, I can’t understand why you did this! I know that I can’t even begin to compare with the two of you, and that you must have your reasons for doing this, but…”

Tears began to stream down his face as he spoke, and he concluded in a sullen voice, “But I just don’t want to accept any of this.”

————

Of course, Cui Chan wasn’t actually so foolish that he would go around knocking every door that he came across. Instead, he sprang onto the roof of a dormitory before inspecting his surroundings from his vantage point.

He spotted several lights in the surrounding area, and he flew toward the nearest source of light, then got up on the tips of his toes so his head could reach the window. He could hear the sound of splashing water on the other side, and he poked a hole in the window paper in an unhurried manner.

Sure enough, there was a woman bathing on the other side, but her figure was absolutely hideous, and Cui Chan winced as he looked away, while the woman standing in the wooden bucket inside screamed in alarm.

Cui Chan remained standing outside the window as he complained, “What are you screaming about? I’m the one who’s been traumatized here!”

A loud thump rang out as water splashed all over the window. As it turned out, the woman inside had thrown her bailer at the window.

Meanwhile, Cui Chan had already departed while massaging his own eyes as he murmured to myself, “That was certainly not a sight for sore eyes.”

Another sharp scream rang out, and oil lamps were lit up in quick succession in the nearby dormitories.

Cui Chan continued to search through the dormitories, and finally, had found the people that he was looking for. What was even more fortunate for him was that Li Huai, Li Baoping, Lin Shouyi, and Yu Lu were all gathered in the same place.

Yu Lu was laying on the bed on his side, and even though his face was quite pale, he seemed to have been in decently high spirits.

Li Huai was seated at the head of the bed, looking down at the pair of straw sandals on his feet with a worrisome look on his face, while Li Baoping and Lin Shouyi were seated across the table from one another, doing some nightly reading.

Cui Chan barged his way into the room as he asked in a loud voice, “Did you miss me?”

Li Baoping was momentarily dumbstruck by Cui Chan’s sudden arrival, following which an ecstatic look appeared on her face as she asked, “Where’s Junior Uncle?!”

Cui Chan stepped into the room, then closed the door with his foot and sat down onto the stool in between Li Baoping and Lin Shouyi as he rolled his eyes and replied, “Teacher didn’t come. I’m all on my own.”

Li Baoping sprang out of her chair, then rushed outside the dormitory, but even after looking around for a long while, she still failed to spot Chen Ping’an. In the end, she could only return to her seat in a dejected manner before slumping down onto the table in dismay.

Lin Shouyi set down the copy of “Recite Atop Clouds Scripture “, then carefully bound it with that golden thread. After stowing the book away, he opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t know where to begin.

Cui Chan poured himself a cup of tea before guzzling it down in one go as he waved a hand and said, “I already know everything that happened.”

He then turned to Lin Shouyi with a smile as he continued, “Get Xie Xie to come here. Tell her that her young master needs someone to pour his tea for him.”

Lin Shouyi hesitated momentarily upon hearing this, and Cui Chan urged, “Why aren’t you going? Could it be that you have a secret crush on Xie Xie and are afraid that I’m going to sleep with her tonight? Are you blind or am I the one who’s blind?”

Lin Shouyi stood up with a resigned expression and left the dormitory to look for Xie Xie.

Meanwhile, Cui Chan turned to the dejected Li Huai with a smile and said, “Stop being so glum, Li Huai. After Chen Ping’an heard about what happened, he praised you for being a brave and upstanding young man.”

“Did he really?!”

Li Huai immediately raised his head upon hearing this, ecstatic at the thought of praise from Chen Ping’an.

However, Li Baoping immediately poured a bucket of cold water over his head.

“Are you an idiot? Junior Uncle left the capital city ages ago, how is he supposed to know what’s been happening at the academy? Also, does that sound like how Junior Uncle would praise someone? At the very most, he would only give you an approving smile, and at the very, very most, perhaps he’ll give you a thumbs-up.”

Li Baoping suddenly sat up straighter and crossed her arms with a proud expression as she concluded, “Junior Uncle is saving all of his praise for me!”

Li Huai fell back into a dejected state upon hearing this.

After a long silence, he looked down at his own straw sandals as he proposed, “How about I move in with Lin Shouyi?”

Li Baoping turned to him with a furious expression upon hearing this. “Why are you still such a coward, Li Huai? Why do you have to be the one to move? If anyone has to move, it should be those three!”

She then suddenly lowered her head and slumped back down onto the table as she said in a deflated manner, “Forget it. I’m in no place to be saying this to you.”

Meanwhile, Yu Lu began to struggle into a seated position, and Li Huai hurriedly helped him up. Yu Lu leaned back against the wall and sat with his legs crossed as he said in an apologetic voice, “Forgive me for not being able to pay my respects to you, Young Master.”