Unsheathed

After seeing Downtrodden Mountain, Chen Ping’an started to fervently sprint home, not caring about walking meditation or standing meditation anymore. He didn’t experience any sense of nervousness about returning home. Instead, he simply focused on sprinting to the small town, and the pouches of soil that took up more than half of his bamboo basket started to bounce up and down, rustling loudly following his heavy footsteps and the movements of his shoulders.

The little boy in azure and the little girl in pink giddily ran after him. The little boy looked around everywhere. In fact, the two children had already noticed the abnormally abundant amount of spiritual energy in the atmosphere after nearing the Great Li Empire’s Dragon Spring County. This was an atmosphere that caused a sense of comfort to sweep through their bodies. The little boy in azure who was actually a water snake could barely keep the drool from dripping down his chin as he looked at the tall mountain in the distance. His mouth was watering, as if he were gazing at a table full of delicacies.

Some time ago, the little boy in azure had casually remarked that feeding on iridescent clouds and dew was only the lowliest form of cultivation for flood dragons and other similar species. Cultivating in this manner would be extremely slow. Only by ingesting mountain roots and swallowing river fortunes would they be able to advance their cultivation in leaps and bounds.

However, it was a shame that the renowned mountains that were abundant with spiritual energy were all owned by powerful forces or empires. The former viewed these mountains as their forbidden lands, while the latter filled these mountains with mountain god shrines and temples. Even as powerful as the little boy in azure was, he still didn’t dare to rashly fight for these mountains. This was something that pertained to attaining Dao and achieving immortality, so there was no notion of friendship or even family when it came to these matters. This was especially the case for ghosts, spirits, and other kinds of fiends.

Compared to the little boy in azure, the little girl in pink was far more reserved and calm. This was because the little fire python had indulged herself in Confucian classics ever since a young age. Even though they were both from species related to flood dragons, it was clear that their Dao attainment catalysts were completely different.

Chen Ping’an slowed down after reaching the foot of Downtrodden Mountain. With his extremely good eyesight, he quickly noticed that there were many locations where plumes of dust were flying around on the mountain. Chen Ping’an felt slightly anxious when he saw this. Theoretically speaking, Master Ruan should have been looking after Downtrodden Mountain for him, so there was no way there could be any accident.

Wei Bo, the mountain lord from Go Table Mountain, had indeed promised to construct a bamboo building on Downtrodden Mountain for him before. However, this was only a small building, so it should have already been completed a long time ago. After that, Wei Bo should have returned home. After all, he definitely wouldn’t stay here for too long. That being the case, why did it look like there were still many construction sites on Downtrodden Mountain?

Perhaps the black python had reverted to his old ways and had started to eat people on Downtrodden Mountain? So the enraged county office had sent people into the mountains to hunt it

Chen Ping’an was just about to tell the little boy in azure to revert to his true form so that they could quickly ascend the mountain. However, he suddenly recalled something that he had recently read in a book, a phrase that taught one not to be flustered when they came across unexpected situations. The phrase was beautifully written, and just repeating it a few times caused Chen Ping’an to feel a lot better. In fact, this was a phrase that he had especially chosen to engrave onto a bamboo slip as well.

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. At the same time, he silently told himself, “Don’t be flustered and don’t be rash. This is what the book taught me, and it’s actually quite a similar concept to when one molds and fires pottery.”

He was just about to enter the mountain, yet a blur suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. When the blur finally stabilized, Chen Ping’an realized that it was a familiar person standing in front of him with a smile.

“Wei Bo!” he instinctively exclaimed.

The little girl in pink couldn’t help but wow in astonishment. She felt extremely amazed. Following the young Cui Chan, this was the second god or immortal that she had seen in her life. This person was also unreasonably handsome. However, she immediately felt a slight sense of embarrassment, and she ran over to hide behind Chen Ping’an.

The little boy in azure faltered and froze to the spot. He then turned around with an aggressive aura and asked, “Master, is this person trying to steal your land?”

“Of course not,” Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied with a smile.

He looked at the mountain lord who appeared far more carefree and relaxed compared to when he was in Go Table Mountain, and he asked in curiosity, “Why are you still on Downtrodden Mountain? Isn’t it bad for mountain deities and river deities to leave their territory for too long?”

Wei Bo smiled and replied, “It’s all a big coincidence. I’ve moved to Cloud Drape Mountain now, so I’ve become your new neighbor. Chen Ping’an, please look after me in the future.”

After saying this, the man who was once the formal god of the Divine Water Nation’s Northern Mountain and imminently about to become the esteemed formal god of the Great Li Empire’s Northern Mountain jokingly cupped his hands and even bowed slightly at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an felt like it wasn’t right to accept this bow, so he immediately turned to his side to avoid it. He smiled and asked, “Is the bamboo building complete?”

Wei Bo straightened his back and replied with a nod, “It’s all done. I promise that I didn’t cut any corners. It’s on Downtrodden Mountain, so why don’t I take you guys over to have a look? I initially chose a piece of land with good feng shui that would allow the building to most easily take root. However, that piece of land was taken by Downtrodden Mountain’s mountain god temple instead, so I had no option but to choose another piece of land. Even so, it’s still a very good location. The view there is nice and open, and the scenery is also very beautiful. For the past year, I’ve always gone there whether I’m busy or not. Don’t shoo me away after I’ve outlived my usefulness in the future, okay?”

Not only was Wei Bo handsome, but the little girl in pink felt like he was unexpectedly good-tempered as well. The little girl felt slightly proud at this moment. Her master was indeed impressive. After all, even his friends were extremely dashing and good-natured.

The little boy in azure felt increasingly lacking in self-confidence. Without any warning, Wei Bo suddenly bared his teeth and pretended to lunge at the little boy, causing him to jump a few dozen meters back in fright. Wei Bo laughed heartily and said, “Along with that black python in the mountain, our Downtrodden Mountain is truly going to become very lively.”

“Downtrodden Mountain isn’t yours,” Chen Ping’an corrected with a stern expression.

“Yes, yes, yes… You, Chen Ping’an, are the owner, and I’m only a guest. Happy now?” Wei Bo asked with an exasperated expression.

The group of four people started to walk up the mountain. As they walked, Wei Bo considerately explained the current situation to Chen Ping’an. “The mountains to the west of the small town all have owners now. There’s construction going on in all of them, and everyone’s busy developing their mountains. Apart from paving mountain paths, they’re also constructing pavilions and all kinds of other buildings.

“Mountains with mountain god temples like Downtrodden Mountain are even busier. The Ministry of Works from the Great Li Empire is responsible for funding these construction projects, and apart from the 10,000 or so prisoners and refugees from the Lu Empire that provide free labor, the prefectural office and county office of Dragon Spring County have also hired many local workers to help with the construction in the mountains. By the looks of it, they won’t stop until they create paradise on earth. This is truly a slight waste of resources and manpower.”

Wei Bo pointed at the wide dirt path in front of them and continued, “In the future, this path will be paved using stone slabs transported over from the outside. In any case, it will only be better quality than the bluestone slabs in Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley.”

“I don’t need to pay for this, right?” Chen Ping’an asked carefully.

Wei Bo smiled and pointed at the sky before replying, “As long as you’re not dreaming of constructing a bridge in the sky and connecting Downtrodden Mountain to some other mountain, then you don’t need to spend a single copper coin.”

“Are you telling me that someone actually did this?” Chen Ping’an asked in shock.

“Of course!” Wei Bo replied with a nod. “And not only one or two forces. In fact, several mountains in the north are going to be connected by bridges. The relevant forces have already dispatched their guest elders or spent a huge sum of money to hire Qi refiners who are especially skilled at constructing immortal abodes. The construction of these bridges has already started, and one of them is actually a stone bridge instead of a simple chain-and-plank bridge.

“I’ve heard that the stone being used has all been dug up from a lake, and the cost of constructing this bridge will be at least one million taels of silver. However, the bridge will definitely turn out very nice. Walking along this bridge and being shrouded in clouds and mists, feeling as if one is an ethereal immortal as one gazes at the rising and setting sun and the rolling clouds… Even I’m a bit tempted by this.”

“So they’re actually this rich, huh?” Chen Ping’an clicked his tongue in wonder and said.

“If you’re willing to sell either Rainbow Cloud Mountain or Immortal Herb Mountain, then you’ll also become an extremely wealthy person in an instant. At that time, you’ll also be able to indulge yourself in such extravagance,” Wei Bo said in amusement.

“What are you talking about? Why would I need those fancy but useless things? The mountains themselves are the foundation of everything,” Chen Ping’an huffed.

Wei Bo roared with laughter.

The miserly Chen Ping’an was still the miserly Chen Ping’an.

And his measly second tier cultivation was still the same measly second tier cultivation.

He had gone through pair after pair of straw sandals, yet Chen Ping’an was still the same young boy as before.

The little boy in azure felt a strong sense of dislike toward Wei Bo no matter how he looked at him. In fact, he felt a strong urge to kick him in the backside and send him sprawling to the ground. It was best if he faceplanted into the ground!

As they climbed the mountain, they saw several groups of prisoners and refugees from the Lu Empire. Some were old, and some were young, some were strong men, and some were young wives. However, most of them looked haggard and worn. The supervising soldiers from the Great Li Empire had most likely received some kind of order from the imperial court, so they didn’t try to intentionally make things even more difficult for these people who had lost their country. When some of the elderly or fatigued people fainted, they would be helped away by their friends and family and brought beside a stove that was roaring with flames. There, they would be fed some food and hot water.

“Things didn’t always look this good,” Wei Bo said in a nonchalant voice. “If we talk about the Lu Clan prisoners who froze to death, fell to death, were beaten to death, or committed suicide to escape this humiliating fate, there were more than 600 of them in just two short months. Afterward, Wu Yuan, who was promoted to the position of prefectural overseer of Dragon Spring County, risked his official position to write a memorial to the throne. Only then did the deaths of these prisoners and refugees reduce drastically.”

“Prefectural overseer?” Chen Ping’an asked in puzzlement.

Wei Bo reached out and drew a big circle in the air. “Jewel Small World had a vast area of more than 500 kilometers in radius, and right now, many of the neighboring states and prefectures are fighting tooth and nail to take control of the outer edges of it. They’re all seeking help from friends and allies to speak for them in the imperial court, and this has allowed some of them to succeed and obtain small portions from the edges. Even so, Dragon Spring will still be unable to fully control its territory if it only remains as a county. In fact, things will still be fairly difficult even if it becomes a prefecture.”

Chen Ping’an nodded in understanding. After journeying to Great Sui Nation and back, he was now keenly aware of the sizes of the different nations, states, prefectures, and counties. After all, he had personally traveled over these lands and experienced their sizes. “The black python from Go Table Mountain hasn’t caused any trouble after coming here, right?” he asked.

Wei Bo shook his head and replied, “It’s been obediently cultivating in Downtrodden Mountain this entire time. It hasn’t hurt anyone. Even if it comes across other people when it goes out to drink water, people have already become accustomed to seeing it. In fact, some of the braver youths already dare to throw stones at it from far away. However, the black python is also able to endure this.”

Chen Ping’an frowned and said, “This isn’t right. I need to talk to someone to clear this up. Wei Bo, do you know who’s responsible for this area? I need to talk to them about this regardless of what the outcome is. It’s very unreasonable to harass other people like this.”

“How are they harassing other ‘people’? That’s clearly a mountain python who has just gained intelligence,” Wei Bo couldn’t help but chuckle.

He then teased, “In any case, that black python has extremely thick skin, so it won’t feel any pain even if someone forcefully hacks at it with their sword. Chen Ping’an, there’s no need to make such a big fuss about this. In any case, if I remember correctly, you don’t seem to have a very good impression of this black python to begin with. So why are you suddenly beginning to side with it immediately after returning to Downtrodden Mountain?”

“If the black python dared to attack others first, then I would have immediately asked someone to kill it after returning to Downtrodden Mountain. I would have been willing to do this even if I had to pay,” Chen Ping’an replied.

The young boy then shook his head and continued, “However, if this isn’t the case, then it wouldn’t matter whether the black python lives in Downtrodden Mountain or not. Regardless of where it is, the black python is merely keeping to itself as it enters and exits the mountain. Yet, other people are deciding to actively provoke it for no reason at all. This isn’t fun or amusing. Instead, it’s called seeking death. If I dared to act like this, I would have already died in the mountains a hundred times over.”

“That makes sense,” Wei Bo said with a faint smile.

“I’ll help you deal with this matter later. I’m very familiar with all the different relationships pertaining to these mountains.”

With her hands holding the straps of the bamboo bookcase that were slung around her shoulders, the little girl in pink was filled with curiosity.

This was a gigantic mountain, and they still hadn’t reached the halfway mark even after walking for so long. Yet, this mountain was actually owned by her master!

Sure enough, their master hadn’t lied to them. He was truly very rich!

The little boy in azure felt slightly refreshed after finally being able to listen to these grand reasonings and principles again. Of course, this naturally wasn’t because he was convinced or persuaded by Chen Ping’an’s reasoning. Instead, it was because he felt excited by the fact that Chen Ping’an was rebutting the mountain god in white robes. This was a mountain god whose cultivation base he couldn’t see through.

With a seemingly casual expression, Chen Ping’an asked, “Wei Bo, do you know Ruan Xiu? She’s a young girl who lives in the blacksmith shop next to the Dragon Whisker River.”

Wei Bo pretended to think for a moment before suddenly putting on an expression of realization. “Oh, you’re talking about Sage Ruan Qiong’s darling daughter! I’ve seen her from afar a few times. Right now, the Great Li Empire is spending the most effort and resources on Divine Elegance Mountain, the mountain that they own. She went over to check on the construction progress several times, and she would also come over to visit Treasured Scripture Mountain and Rainbow Cloud Mountain every time.

“Before the bamboo building was completed, she also visited Downtrodden Mountain once. She had her hands clasped behind her back, and she watched me busily working on the roof of the bamboo building just like that. She even asked me if there was anything that she could help with, but I didn’t let her help. So she just stood there and watched for a long time. I couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward. In the end, she quietly left.”

Chen Ping’an turned to the little girl in pink and the little boy in azure and explained with a smile, “Ruan Xiu is a very good friend of mine. I have two shops in the small town, and she’s looking after them right now. When you two see her, remember to call her Big Sister Ruan.”

The little girl in pink immediately nodded and replied, “Okay!”

However, the little boy in azure was slightly reluctant, and he mumbled, “I’m already old enough to be her ancestor, so why do I have to call her big sister? I’m losing 18 generations of seniority for nothing…”

Chen Ping’an shot an emotionless glance at him, and the little boy in azure immediately thumped his chest with both hands as if he were beating a drum. His voice was filled with righteous spirit as he announced, “Since Master has spoken, I can even call her Mother if you want!”

Chen Ping’an was amused by this, and he decided to act against his miserly nature in a rare display. Speaking like a wealthy person, he promised, “I’ll give both of you an extra snake gall pebble when we get back.”

The little girl in pink jumped up and down as she cheered with joy.

“Master, can I get another snake gall pebble if I call her Master’s Wife?” the little boy in azure asked in a daze.

Chen Ping’an flicked his forehead and replied, “I won’t stop Ruan Xiu if she wants to beat you to death at that time.”

The little boy in azure was startled, and he suddenly recalled that Wei Bo had referred to Ruan Xiu as “Sage Ruan Qiong’s darling daughter” just then. Regarding the temperament of True Martial Mountain’s Ruan Qiong, those in Yellow Court Nation’s Imperial River had all heard about it before. He was a truly domineering and unreasonable person. After all, when had there ever been a sage who would drag others into their territory to kill them?

The little boy in azure immediately chuckled dryly and said, “I’ll definitely be polite and respectful toward Big Sister Ruan. In fact, I’ll even help Master keep an eye on that silly girl and prevent her from accidentally saying the wrong thing and angering Big Sister Ruan. That way, I can prevent us from facing deadly danger and prevent Master from facing an awkward situation…”

Chen Ping’an did his best to suppress a smile. He purposely didn’t tell them about Ruan Xiu’s gentle nature, and he instead put on a stern expression and said with a nod, “Mhm, remember to be polite when you guys see her.”

After walking along the twisting and turning dirt path for a while, Wei Bo finally brought them onto a small path that was paved with stone slabs. “I put some temporary pavement on this path. I simply used some pebbles from the mountain streams. Chen Ping’an, you can replace it in the future if you want,” Wei Bo said in a self-deprecating manner.

As he walked along the firm and neat stone path, Chen Ping’an smiled and replied, “There’s no need. This is very good as it is.”

Their vision opened up, and they saw a two-storey bamboo building in front of them. It was lush green in color, and it appeared especially exquisite and unique. Most importantly, the bamboo building had a backdrop of beautiful mountains and rivers.

There were several dainty and cute bamboo chairs in the lower storey of the bamboo building, and all of them had a small and soft cushion made from thatch.

There was a dazed look in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, and his jaw also dropped in astonishment. He was transfixed with shock.

When Wei Bo had promised to construct a bamboo building for him, Chen Ping’an had initially felt like it would be very good if the building wasn’t crooked and shaky.

He hadn’t imagined that it would be so exquisite.

Chen Ping’an came to his senses and asked softly, “This building is mine?”

“Of course,” Wei Bo replied with a smile.

Chen Ping’an cupped his fists and said, “Good. Wei Bo, you can regard Downtrodden Mountain as half your home in the future. You’re free to stay here whenever you want.”

Wei Bo smiled and said, “Oh? You’re changing your mind so quickly? Didn’t you say that Downtrodden Mountain isn’t ‘ours’ just then?”

“Wei Bo, you’re the mighty mountain lord of Go Table Mountain, so isn’t it beneath you to lower yourself to my level?” Chen Ping’an replied with a chuckle.

Wei Bo laughed heartily. He briefly pointed at the young boy and commented, “So you have changed a bit, after all. By the looks of it, it wasn’t a waste of time for you to undertake that long journey to seek knowledge.”

Afterward, Wei Bo looked at the young boy and two children sprinting to the second storey of the bamboo building where they then leaned against the railing of the balcony to gaze into the distance. Looking at the head of the young boy that was slightly higher up than the heads of the two children from where Wei Bo was standing, the mountain lord of Go Table Mountain felt like these heads looked quite similar to a small mountain.

“Master, Master, the scenery here is amazing! Can we live here in the future?”

“Of course you can.”

“Master, why don’t you give this building to me? I can give up one normal snake gall pebble. What do you say?”

“No.”

As if infected by the joyous atmosphere, Wei Bo, who was no longer the mountain lord of Go Table Mountain, also turned around to gaze at the mountains and rivers in the distance, a faint smile on his face.

To interact with noble people was akin to entering a room full of irises and orchids; as time went on, one would naturally catch the fragrance[1].

————

Chen Ping’an led the little boy and little girl down the mountain and toward the small town. Wei Bo was someone who came and went like a shadow, and he had already vanished from sight at this moment. “Sneaking around in such a manner… It’s clear that he isn’t a good person! Master, don’t interact with him too much in the future. I’m speaking from a mature and prudent standpoint!” the little boy in azure warned in a quiet voice.

Chen Ping’an ignored him.

After leading the two children through the familiar mountain paths, they eventually arrived on the west side of the small town where they could see the houses in the distance. Chen Ping’an sighed softly.

Just then, they had already climbed the unremarkable True Jewel Mountain. There, Chen Ping’an had gazed at his hometown and roughly pointed out many different places to the two children beside him.

For example, Clay Vase Alley where his ancestral home was located, the private school where Mr. Qi had taught, Dragon Riding Alley where his two shops were located, Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley where he had delivered the most letters to, the blacksmith shop outside the small town, the immortal tomb to the east, the mountain of porcelain in the north, and so on…

The only place that Chen Ping’an didn’t introduce was the stone bridge that had already returned to its original appearance. He merely glanced at it out of the corners of his eyes when he looked at the blacksmith shop, and not only did he not introduce it, but his gaze didn’t linger on it either.

He had personally witnessed and experienced the dangers and absurdities of the outside world, so he was well aware of the fact that he needed to be as careful as he could be.

The little boy in azure swaggered forward and asked, “Master, are we going to Dragon Riding Alley to pay a visit to the Burclover shop and pastry shop first?”

“We’ll go to my parents’ tomb first,” Chen Ping’an replied softly.

The three of them didn’t cut through the small town, and they instead walked downstream along the bank of the river.

They silently walked past the stone bridge that no longer had an old sword billet hanging under it, and they then walked past the blacksmith shop that was dotted with low thatched cottages and tall sword furnaces. In the end, they finally arrived in front of a small tomb. Chen Ping’an put his bamboo basket down and retrieved the small pouches of soil that were even smaller than his fist. He then started to add soil to the tomb.

There was neither sadness nor grief on the young boy’s tanned face, and there wasn’t a sense of joy about returning to his hometown either.

After climbing over mountains, sailing across rivers, and traveling tens of thousands of kilometers, the first thing that the young boy did after returning home was to quietly open these pouches and add soil to his parents’ tomb.

1. A saying by Confucius. ☜