Unsheathed

The little boy in azure crossed his legs and pretended to be relaxed, and he sneered, “Silly girl, what a coward you are! How pathetic!”

“You didn’t fare any better,” the little girl in pink retorted in a quiet voice.

The little boy in azure crossed his arms and replied in a calm and composed manner, “I was purposely showing weakness to the enemy. What do you understand?!”

The little girl in pink saw a middle-aged man striding over. Out of respect, she hurriedly stood up and greeted, “Hi uncle, I’m Master Chen Ping’an’s maidservant.”

The middle-aged man nodded and carried a chair over to sit nearby. He had a slightly displeased expression as he looked toward the mud house.

The little boy in azure observed him for a moment, yet he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. Thus, he concluded that this was merely a normal worker in the blacksmith shop. “Hey, what are you staring at? I’m warning you, Ruan Xiu is my master’s lover, so don’t you dare have any crooked thoughts. Otherwise, I’ll smash you to death with a single punch… Forget about it, Master always encourages me to be a good person, so you can count yourself lucky. I’ll only smash you half-dead!”

The displeasure on the man’s face grew even deeper. However, he didn’t say anything.

The little boy in azure felt like he had grasped something, but because there was an annoying little girl in the way, he could only learn forward before turning around to look at the middle-aged man. “Do you truly have feelings for my master’s fiancee? Fucking hell, just how old are you already? You’re seriously pissing me off. I’ve traveled around the world for many years, yet I’ve genuinely never seen someone as dirty and shameless as you. Hey, come on, get over here. Let’s spar with each other. I’ll allow you to pick on me even though you’re older…”

Chen Ping’an’s bamboo basket had initially been half empty when he had entered the mud house, but it now had a heavy cotton package in it as he walked out with Ruan Xiu.

When he saw the middle-aged man, Chen Ping’an respectfully greeted him and called him Master Ruan. However, the man completely ignored him.

Meanwhile, Ruan Xiu smiled and called him father. Only then did the man glumly nod in acknowledgment.

Father?

It was as if a bolt of lightning had smashed into the little boy in azure’s head. Without a shred of hesitation, he immediately leaped up and ran in front of the middle-aged man. He then plonked to his knees and started to kowtow, saying, “Honorable Sage, please accept this underling’s three kneelings and nine kowtows[1]!”

The water snake from the Imperial River was extremely resolute as he vigorously kowtowed at the sage. However, there was bitterness in his mind, and he couldn’t help but grumble in annoyance.

You’re a lofty Militarian sage, so can you at least carry yourself with the demeanor of a sage? You should be breathing the essence of the sun and moon atop a mountain! Or perhaps throwing thunderous punches above a magnificent river! Yet, you kept your mouth shut and ran over to sit next to me like a plank of wood? Just what in the world are you playing at?

You’re a mighty being at the 11th tier from Wind Snow Temple, and you’re also the Militarian sage overseeing Jewel Small World. Not only that, but you’re also a sword blacksmith who’s extremely renowned in the entire Eastern Treasured Vial Continent. So be it if you don’t carve the characters Ruan Qiong onto your forehead. Yet, you’re actually this normal-looking? Taking a step back, you should at least walk with an aura as mighty and domineering as dragons and tigers, right? And you should at least sit with an aura as calm and stable as mountains and rivers, right?

After performing three kneelings and nine kowtows, the little boy in azure who felt like he had gone blind still didn’t dare to stand up. He looked as if he were prepared to die a martyr’s death. However, his face was scrunched up in fear, and tears streamed down his cheeks. He glanced at Chen Ping’an out of the corners of his eyes, hoping that his master could righteously speak up for him.

This time, he truly felt the urge to jump into a river to commit suicide.

Ruan Xiu was slightly puzzled by the little boy’s strange behavior. She didn’t know what was going on, and she wasn’t willing to ask about it either. She looked at the middle-aged man and said, “Father, I’m going to accompany Chen Ping’an to the town.”

After trying to find the right words for half a day, Ruan Qiong could only say, “Come back earlier to forge.”

“Father, it’s not the right time to open the furnace to forge swords. Is something the matter?” Ruan Xiu asked.

Ruan Qiong stood up and replied, “What I say is final. Don’t ask any more questions.”

“Okay,” Ruan Xiu replied.

Only after Ruan Qiong disappeared from sight did the little boy in azure dare to stand up. His legs were wobbly, and he wiped the tears and cold sweat from his face. There was lingering apprehension in his mind, and he silently repeated, “Those who survive catastrophe are bound to have good fortune later on.”

The four people walked out of the blacksmith shop that harbored many mystical secrets. As they walked across the stone bridge that had spanned across the river for thousands upon thousands of years, Chen Ping’an suddenly turned around and said thanks to the young girl in green.

Ruan Xiu smiled and remarked, “You’ve become so polite.”

“I only learned some things after traveling around in the outside world, so I’m genuinely only doing what’s right,” Chen Ping’an replied sincerely.

“Are you praising me?” Ruan Xiu asked with a smile.

“Of course!” Chen Ping’an replied with a dazzling smile.

Ruan Xiu looked at the young boy for a moment before turning her gaze to the small town. She then said something that was slightly confusing to the others. “It’s truly great that you haven’t changed.”

Perhaps only Sage Ruan Qiong could understand the weight and deeper meaning behind this statement.

Perhaps the previous sage, Qi Jingchun, knew about everything, and perhaps some old man could also vaguely notice some clues. However, neither of them would say anything.

Ruan Xiu had possessed incredible talent ever since a young age, and it could be said that she was genuinely a one-in-1000-year talent. She wasn’t someone who ordinary cultivation prodigies could compare to.

In fact, she was so talented that Ruan Qiong had no option but to establish his own force and leave Wind Snow Temple. It was because of his daughter that he had chosen to come to Jewel Small World to live this miserable life. Here, he could take advantage of this heaven and earth’s prohibition of mystical abilities to conceal his daughter’s immense talent. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he wanted to prevent his daughter from becoming the tall tree in the forest that would inevitably be torn down by the wind[2].

Ruan Xiu, who had a bracelet that was actually a fiery dragon, possessed much more than a simple fire god constitution.

In fact, the world that she saw was far different from the world that other people saw.

She could directly see the good and bad in a person’s mind, and she could clearly see karmic fate and its nature. She could also see the shallowness or depth of a person’s fortune.

In Ruan Xiu’s eyes, the world was filled with all kinds of different colors.

However, this also meant that her journey to attain Dao would be even bumpier and more difficult than normal. Of course, once she attained Dao, her achievements and the magnificent nature of her Great Dao would also be inestimable.

Thus, the reason Ruan Xiu hadn’t retreated and disappeared when she had first seen Chen Ping’an walking along the creek while on the Azure Cow Ridge was that she had seen the “purity” of Chen Ping’an’s mind.

In the entire Jewel Small World, where all facets of human nature were on full display, only Chen Ping’an, one solitary person, had a spotless mind that was as clear as a sparkling new mirror.

This was the reason why Ruan Xiu liked to hang out with him, and this was the reason why she liked to secretly observe the fluctuations in his mind’s lake and secretly sense his emotions.

To this foodaholic young girl, Chen Ping’an was like a most delicious “dessert”.

She liked this “dessert” very much, so much so that she was reluctant to eat it.

After Chen Ping’an left, she had been extremely worried that this long journey would change his mind and cloud his mind’s lake. She was afraid that his heart would become muddy and impure, and she was afraid that he would become riddled with bad habits and tangled in chaotic karmic fate.

Looking at him now, Chen Ping’an had indeed changed a little. However, he was still very pure.

Ruan Xiu felt extremely relieved. At the same time, she liked Chen Ping’an even more.

Would you look at that! I knew that he definitely wouldn’t disappoint me!

They walked to Clay Vase Alley and entered that narrow and slightly dark alleyway. Even though the little boy in azure had already prepared himself mentally, he was still dumbfounded by the sight that greeted him. His master had grown up in this rundown alley?

Ruan Xiu adeptly opened the lock and pushed open the gate to the courtyard. After unlocking the door to the house as well, she handed the three bunches of keys to Chen Ping’an. One bunch was for his house, and the two other bunches were for Liu Xianyang and Song Jixin’s houses.

Chen Ping’an accepted the keys and entered the courtyard. He gazed at the familiar house in front of him. It was very clean and tidy, and there was even a small pot of some unknown but small and exquisite plant sitting on the windowsill. It was still lush green even though it was winter, and just looking at it made one feel unexpectedly happy.

Chen Ping’an was just about to speak, yet Ruan Xiu had already smiled and said, “Don’t say thank you again.”

Chen Ping’an felt slightly awkward, and he put his bamboo basket on the floor before grabbing the hefty cotton package and placing it on the table. He then squatted down and started to feel around the basket. In the end, he grabbed a small bamboo slip and handed it to Ruan Xiu. With an embarrassed smile, he said, “I didn’t know what to give you. There were lots of delicious foods in the outside cities and towns, but I was afraid that I would squish the food if I placed it in my basket. Moreover, it wouldn’t be good to leave them for too long. I couldn’t think of anything else, so I made this for you instead. Please don’t dislike it.”

Ruan Xiu faltered for a moment before accepting the green bamboo slip that was only as large as a palm. It felt cool to the touch, and when she looked down, she realized that there was actually a line of small characters engraved on the bamboo slip—”Reunion no matter how far apart”. The characters were neat and straight, and it was clear that they had been engraved very carefully.

Ruan Xiu’s smile was so wide that her eyes squinted. She lightly caressed the characters with her finger, and she lowered her head and said, “I like it very much.”

The little boy in azure was stupefied upon hearing this.

Seriously? The only daughter of a sage actually likes this piece of crappy bamboo slip engraved with a line of crappy characters?

Did I waste all my time and effort in the past several hundred years?

He remembered that in the past, Brother River God had become attracted to an aloof cultivator and gifted her piles upon piles of treasures. In fact, Brother River God had even borrowed several valuable immortal treasures from him. However, the water snake had never seen that woman smile, not even once. She had indeed accepted all the treasures, yet she had never blessed them with even a single smile.

Chen Ping’an opened the cotton package in front of Ruan Xiu, revealing a large pile of pebbles. Looking over the pile, there were at least 80 to 90 pebbles. There was also a slightly smaller cotton package lying among the pebbles, and after opening it, it revealed even more pebbles. However, there were only a dozen or so of them, and each of them was splendidly colorful and varying in size.

The little girl in pink felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

The little boy in azure’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t stop himself from gulping in yearning. He felt a strong urge to leap over and feast on the snake gall pebbles. If he ate all of them, perhaps he would become a genuinely supreme being when he walked out of this small alley. To say nothing of reaching the eighth tier, this small mountain of snake gall pebbles might even allow him to reach the ninth tier or 10th tier! However, upon recalling that he was standing next to a young girl whose father was a sage, the little boy in azure finally managed to suppress his urge to snatch the snake gall pebbles over and gobble them up.

Chen Ping’an picked out two snake gall pebbles that hadn’t lost any of their luster even after being out of the creek for so long. One was crystalline and peach red, while one was dark green and dense looking. He handed the two snake gall pebbles to the little girl in pink and the little boy in azure, respectively. After doing this, Chen Ping’an grabbed another four ordinary snake gall pebbles and gave them two each. The two children looked as if they had received the most valuable treasure in the world.

The little girl in pink still had the small bookcase on her back, and looking at the three snake gall pebbles in her hand, she suddenly burst into tears. She raised a hand to roughly wipe the tears from her face.

Meanwhile, there was a look of intoxication on the little boy in azure’s face as he stared at the snake gall pebbles in his palm.

Chen Ping’an slapped his forehead as if suddenly remembering something. He smiled and picked up another two snake gall pebbles that were both similarly high-quality. They were tender yellow, and they looked as fine and smooth as jade. Just like before, he handed the little boy and little girl one snake gall pebble each.

Only at this moment did the little boy in azure recall that he was indeed owed two snake gall pebbles. He accepted the snake gall pebbles with a wide grin.

However, the little girl in pink didn’t dare to accept it, and she said, “Master, we agreed that I would only get one high-quality snake gall pebble.”

Chen Ping’an patted her head and replied, “Who am I? I’m your master, right? Do I need a reason to give you something? Hurry up and take it.”

The little girl in pink carefully accepted the snake gall pebble. At the same time, she started to sob even harder.

There was a conflicted expression on the little boy’s face. There was both wild delight and slight sulkiness, and he asked in an uncertain voice, “Master, can you reward me with an extra one as well?”

“I’ll give you one if you don’t bully her in the future,” Chen Ping’an replied with a smile.

The little boy in azure nodded earnestly and promised, “I definitely won’t bully that silly girl today. Can I have the snake gall pebble tomorrow? Or maybe the day after? Or at the very latest, the day after that? Master, can I?”

“What do you think?” Chen Ping’an asked.

The little boy in azure gritted his teeth before turning to the little girl in pink and promising in a solemn voice, “Silly girl, I won’t bully you for the next month.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled in anger and smacked the back of the little boy’s head. “At least one year.”

The little boy in azure purposely put on an aggrieved expression. In reality, however, he was as delighted as could be. To a water snake like him, a species related to flood dragons, what was one short year? Even 100 years wasn’t a long time.

Chen Ping’an wasn’t an idiot, but he simply couldn’t be bothered making a fuss about the little boy’s slimy schemes. After all, the company of the little boy and little girl had made his trip back to the small town far more interesting, so Chen Ping’an was actually rather grateful toward them. He turned around and put the two cotton packages away. Ruan Xiu had already put the bamboo slip away as well, so the four of them sat down around the table.

“Should we go and check on the two shops?” Ruan Xiu suggested.

Chen Ping’an nodded and replied, “After visiting the shops, I can make my way to the Li Clan’s residence on Fortune Street. I need to give something to Li Baoping’s big brother.”

He was talking about the golden mountain crossing carp.

After locking the door and leaving the courtyard together, they placed the lively mountain crossing carp in a small clay pot that was filled with water that Ruan Xiu had drawn from the Iron Lock Well. The mountain crossing carp was finally able to “take to water like a fish” in the true sense. It delightedly swam around, causing beads of water to splash into the surroundings.

The little boy in azure had just ingested an ordinary snake gall pebble, so he wanted to put on his best behavior and show his best self. He took over the role of carrying the clay pot, and it wasn’t long before beads of water landed on his body. An astonished expression spread across his face, and he exclaimed, “This well water… is quite profound.”

Ruan Xiu nodded and replied, “Indeed. However, it’s a shame that the Iron Lock Well has already been bought by an outsider. To say nothing of drawing water from it, the local residents aren’t even allowed to walk near it anymore.”

Of course, she was naturally an exception.

After suffering a huge fright in the blacksmith shop, the little boy in azure was now filled with nervousness and fear at every sound. He didn’t dare to act wantonly anymore. After hearing this bad news, he almost started to stomp his feet and thump his chest. However, there was nothing he could do anymore, so he could only grumble about Chen Ping’an not buying the well earlier.

“Why don’t I have a discussion with them?” Ruan Xiu asked softly. “Chen Ping’an, if you want, perhaps you can buy the Iron Lock Well.”

Chen Ping’an hurriedly shook his head and replied, “No, there’s no need. In any case, I don’t have enough money right now.”

Ruan Xiu wanted to speak, yet she didn’t know where to begin. Seeing the resolve in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, she could only abandon the thought in her mind.

When they arrived near Dragon Riding Alley, Chen Ping’an said, “There’s a little girl called Shi Chunjia, and I think she’s the daughter of a shopkeeper around here.”

Ruan Xiu was slightly puzzled, and she replied, “I have no idea…”

In fact, there were many things that the young girl didn’t care about or pay attention to.

When the workers and attendants in the Burclover shop and pastry shop heard that the true owner of the shops was going to pay them a visit, they all ran over to get in on the fun. Many of them were honest and responsible women and young girls. When they saw Chen Ping’an, however, they couldn’t help but feel a little bit disappointed. They slowly dispersed and went back to work. All of them referred to Ruan Xiu as shopkeeper, and this caused the young girl to feel slightly embarrassed.

Chen Ping’an stayed in the pastry shop for a while, and he felt slightly ashamed as he sipped hot tea. This was because he had absolutely no idea what to do or what to say. Meanwhile, Ruan Xiu was confidently and methodically asking about the performance of the shop — how much it was earning, how much of the earnings were profit, and so on. Chen Ping’an scratched his head as he looked at the serious expression on Ruan Xiu’s face. He started to feel like his present to her was far too sloppy and careless.

Before Chen Ping’an set off for Fortune Street, Ruan Xiu glanced at the little boy in azure and a little girl in pink and warned him, “Fortune Street and Peach Leaf Alley have undergone huge changes, and many outsiders have also moved in. The Li Clan is in a relatively unique position, and this is because their patriarch has successfully advanced to the 10th tier. According to the reward system put in place by the previous emperors of the Great Li Empire, the current emperor has bestowed two ‘protected appointment positions’[3] upon the Li Clan.

“In other words, two descendants from the Li Clan can directly become officials. For some reason, however, one descendant in the capital accepted the offer and became an official, while one descendant who stayed in Fortune Street chose to turn down the offer. There’s been a strange atmosphere lingering over Fortune Street because of this.”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment before telling the little boy and little girl to wait for him in the pastry shop. Meanwhile, he picked up the clay pot and headed off to Fortune Street. He told Ruan Xiu that she didn’t need to lead the way, and the young girl didn’t try to insist either. She returned to the blacksmith shop.

Ruan Xiu left the small town and walked toward the stone arch bridge which she had already crossed countless times. The covered bridge had already been removed, and the old sword billet was also long gone. Some hopeful and meddlesome people had attempted to search for it before, hoping that they could find some fated opportunity. However, their efforts had all been futile.

In the hectic Dragon Spring Prefecture where undercurrents surged, there were far too many strange phenomena and events, and there were far too many overlapping and conflicting great causes that needed plotting and scheming. Thus, who had the time and effort to care about these trivial matters?

As she walked along the stone arch bridge, Ruan Xiu couldn’t resist the urge to take out the bamboo slip and hold it high in the air.

She would never grow tired of looking at those six small characters.

In fact, she suddenly felt like it would be even better if another line of characters were engraved onto the backside of the bamboo slip.

For example, “A gift from Chen Ping’an to Ruan Xiu”?

In the small town…

Chen Ping’an once again set foot on the bluestone slabs that paved Fortune Street. The tall buildings and large mansions were like undulating mountains, and compared to the past when he had come here to deliver letters, Chen Ping’an was naturally able to discern more about his surroundings.

He only just arrived in front of the Li Clan’s residence when he saw a man in azure standing there and smiling at him.

For some reason, when he saw this young man who was filled with a bookish aura, Chen Ping’an was reminded of the time when he had delivered a letter to the private school and looked back to see Mr. Qi standing at the gate of the school.

They had the exact same demeanor.

It was as if he were looking at a god.

1. A formal etiquette performed when meeting the emperor in ancient China. Also performed in other scenarios to show deep respect. ☜

2. Refers to someone so outstanding that they’re like the tallest and lushest tree in the forest. However, such trees are also most easily blown over by strong winds. ☜

3. This gives hereditary privilege based on the merit of one’s ancestors in terms of entering schools and becoming officials. ☜