Unsheathed

Chen Ping’an left the mountain by himself. He carried the bamboo basket on his back, and inside it were most of his belongings. After finding Ruan Xiu in the blacksmith shop, he had no option but to ask for her help again. The two of them carried his possessions into the mud building again.

After hearing Chen Ping’an say that he was going to construct a tomb for his parents, Ruan Xiu immediately offered to help. However, Chen Ping’an shook his head and turned down her offer. He said that it wasn’t a difficult matter, and that he would simply spend some money to hire a few craftsmen. Moreover, this was something that he could afford.

Ruan Xiu didn’t insist, and she simply told him to give her a shout if he needed any help. He didn’t need to be polite.

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly and said that he wouldn’t have come here if he were truly polite with her.

The young girl also smiled.

Without needing to worry about his belongings anymore, Chen Ping’an brought some silver with him and went to the small town to find a few craftsmen. It wasn’t long before he found someone, and after asking the old craftsman about some regulations and etiquette around constructing tombs, they agreed on a price and picked an auspicious day to begin works. Chen Ping’an watched over them the entire time, helping where he could and standing back where he couldn’t. Everything was done according to the old craftsman’s instructions.

Perhaps it was because the young boy had given them enough silver, or perhaps it was because he was amiable and willing to help, the craftsmen all felt like Chen Ping’an was sincere and likable. Thus, everything went smoothly and without a hitch.

In the end, the tomb was carefully and meticulously completed. It wasn’t fancier than other people’s, and it couldn’t be regarded as extravagant either. Moreover, the characters on the tombstone were all engraved by Chen Ping’an. He had pulled an all-nighter to complete this.

After paying the craftsmen, Chen Ping’an bowed to thank them for their work.

In the end, he returned to the tomb by himself with some offerings. When purchasing these offerings, he had hesitated for a moment before buying a jar of good wine. When offering this wine to his father, he looked at his mother’s tomb and scratched his head, saying, “Mother, it seems like father has never had any wine before. Why don’t you let him drink this time?”

He then looked at the neighboring tomb and said with a smile, “Father, if you’re not used to drinking wine, or if you’re afraid of making Mother unhappy, then just visit me in my dreams and tell me. I won’t bring wine for you next time if that’s the case.”

After emptying the jar of wine, Chen Ping’an wiped his cheeks and grinned, “Father, Mother, if you don’t say anything, then I’ll take that as a yes.”

————

Afterward, Chen Ping’an visited the immortal tomb and paid respects to several of the clay statues of gods.

Chen Ping’an didn’t choose to openly pave roads and build bridges, and he instead used Ruan Xiu’s name to hire some craftsmen to repair the collapsed and broken clay statues in the immortal tomb. He provided the money, while she organized the repair. Ruan Xiu didn’t understand his intentions, but she didn’t question him about it either. She simply nodded and agreed to his request.

During that deadly battle back then, all of the residents in the small town had heard the explosions coming from the immortal tomb during the night. It was as if someone had been setting off firecrackers. The number of clay statues had decreased, and the remaining ones had also become increasingly damaged.

Heeding Ruan Xiu’s suggestion, Chen Ping’an agreed that they should try their best to maintain the original style and form of the clay statues during the repairs. If they couldn’t do so, then they would only change the bare minimum to ensure that the clay statues could be erected without falling down again. They definitely wouldn’t alter the statues for no reason. In order to carry out the repair works, several bamboo sheds were also temporarily set up to shield the statues from wind and rain.

Chen Ping’an would occasionally visit his two shops in Dragon Riding Alley, and he kept himself busy with this and some other things. Before New Year’s Eve, Chen Ping’an especially went to Downtrodden Mountain to visit the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink.

After learning of his plans, Ruan Xiu said that she was coincidentally going to head over to Divine Elegance Mountain to check on the construction of the office there. Thus, she decided to enter the mountains with Chen Ping’an. However, they didn’t part ways, and Ruan Xiu instead changed her mind and said that she would go to Downtrodden Mountain with Chen Ping’an because she wanted to take a look at his bamboo building. Her visit had been too hasty last time, so she wanted to get a better look at it this time. Chen Ping’an naturally wouldn’t refuse her request.

When Chen Ping’an and Ruan Xiu arrived at the foot of the mountain, the little boy in azure stood on the balcony railing of the bamboo building and clicked his tongue in wonder. “Two majestic peaks facing each other… What stunningly beautiful scenery.”

The little girl in pink stood up on her tippy-toes and gazed into the distance. After a while, she said with a puzzled expression, “There’s no mountain peak to the south of Downtrodden Mountain…”

The little boy in azure shot a sideways glance at her and said with a dirty smile, “You’re still too young.”

He placed his hands behind his head and firmly planted his feet on the railings. Meanwhile, his body swayed back and forth as he murmured, “Where else is one going to find such an amazing girl? She’s clearly the only one in the world! Master, if you don’t cherish this opportunity, you’ll definitely suffer divine retribution. I genuinely mean this, and I speak in good conscience.”

“Ruan Xiu is truly a very good person,” the little girl in pink said, sincerely agreeing with the little boy.

Chen Ping’an and Ruan Xiu slowly climbed the mountain. During their trek, Ruan Xiu told Chen Ping’an that she had received his letter from the Pillow Relay Station before. Afterward, a blind old Daoist priest had indeed entered the small town with a lame young boy and a round-faced little girl. Moreover, they had indeed visited the shops in Dragon Riding Alley to look for her. However, it wasn’t long before they had left and continued their journey up north. They said they wanted to try their luck in the capital.

As he thought about the blind old Daoist priest whom he had once shared adversity with, Chen Ping’an naturally thought of Lin Shouyi and his cultivation scripture, Recite Atop Clouds Scripture, as well. Taking this opportunity, he asked Ruan Xiu some questions relating to the Five Lightning Righteous Technique. However, it was a shame that Ruan Xiu had never been interested in these things, and as a result, she only had very limited knowledge on this topic. She could only repeat what she had heard from others.

They continued to chat, and Chen Ping’an learned that Master Ruan had accepted three unofficial disciples this year. One of them was a young boy with long eyebrows, and he had the surname Xie. Even though his clan had been based in Peach Leaf Alley for many generations, they were experiencing a sharp decline, and this was especially the case in his generation. If it weren’t for him joining the blacksmith shop, it was very likely that they would have been forced to sell their ancestral residence and move to another alley. The young boy also had an older sister and a younger brother.

The most recent person to become an unofficial disciple of Ruan Xiu’s father was a young man who didn’t like to speak.

During the first snowstorm in winter, the young man had kneeled beside a well for one day and one night, begging Ruan Qiong to take him as a disciple. He hadn’t moved an inch, and his entire body had been covered in snow.

Perhaps his sincerity moved Ruan Qiong, and the Militarian sage agreed to let him join the blacksmith shop to forge iron and swords.

Between him and the young boy with long eyebrows, a young girl from Wind Snow Temple had become Ruan Qiong’s second unofficial disciple. According to Ruan Xiu, the talent of this young girl could only be considered mediocre in Wind Snow Temple. However, she had seemingly made some huge mistake, and this had resulted in her expulsion from Wind Snow Temple. Afterward, she had come to look for Master Ruan.

Ruan Qiong said that she had a shaky will, and that she would instinctively think of a path of retreat every time she was about to begin a task. She could stay, and he could even teach her swordsmanship. However, he wouldn’t take her as an official disciple.

She had run errands in the blacksmith shop for a long time, and one day, she had purposely severed the thumb on her sword-wielding hand.

With her face as white as a sheet, she had gone to Ruan Qiong and told him that from that day onward, she would start to practice swordsmanship with her left hand. She would start over from the beginning again.

Ruan Xiu’s expression was calm as she recounted this, and it was as if she were merely talking about some old hens and their furry

Because of his familiarity with Ruan Xiu, Chen Ping’an didn’t seem to notice this. In his eyes, Ruan Xiu was an extremely good person, so good that he couldn’t find a single problem.

Right now, Chen Ping’an was more focused on thinking about cultivation matters.

He knew that those who could become cultivators were all relatively impressive people. None of them were simple.

In terms of those beside him, there was Lin Shouyi.

Meanwhile, Yu Lu and Xie Lingyue were even more prodigious talents.

However, drawing from Cui Dongshan’s various remarks, and through his casual conversations with Ruan Xiu, Chen Ping’an roughly became aware of one thing. Even if one successfully became a cultivator — an immortal in the eyes of commoners —there was still a notion of various tiers and ranks. There was a very strict hierarchy.

As it turned out, cultivation was difficult in the beginning, difficult in the middle, and difficult all the way until the end.

In terms of this, Chen Ping’an was somewhat able to experience it these past few days.

This was because after completing the new tombs for his parents, the sword billet had started to cause chaos again.

It became even fiercer than before, and it violently crashed around inside his acupoints.

As a result, Clay Vase Alley was introduced to a young boy who would always stumble as he walked. It was as if he were drunk. Sometimes, he would mysteriously squat down near the immortal tomb and start to cough. There were also times when he would lock himself home and writhe on his wooden bed.

After nearing the bamboo building, Ruan Xiu asked, “Are you going to stay here for New Year’s Eve?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and replied, “No, I’ll definitely return home for New Year’s Eve. I’ll visit my parents’ tomb first, and when I get home, I still need to put up couplets, ‘fortune’ characters, and door gods. After having a New Year’s Eve dinner, I’ll need to guard the night[1] and set off firecrackers the next morning. In addition to all this, the two shops in Dragon Riding Alley also need to be decorated with couplets and so on. There are far too many things to do, and I’ll definitely be very busy at that time.”

“Need my help?” Ruan Xiu asked.

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head. “No, it’s okay. It only sounds busy, but it’s actually very simple.”

The little boy in azure and the little girl in pink didn’t have any complaints when they heard that they were going to Clay Vase Alley for New Year’s Eve.

While packing his things, Chen Ping’an suddenly asked, “Would it look bad if I stuck couplets and door gods on this bamboo building?”

“Of course it would look bad!” the little boy in azure answered categorically. “Red on green is such a vulgar combination. Master, I’m fully against this idea!”

The little girl in pink nodded lightly in agreement. She seconded the little boy’s opinion.

“I was only making a casual suggestion. If you guys don’t like it, then forget about it,” Chen Ping’an said in resignation.

“You can at most put up some upside down ‘fortune’ characters or ‘spring’ characters[2],” the little boy in azure suggested in a cautious manner.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chen Ping’an said with a smile.

The little boy in azure felt slightly guilty, and he asked, “Master, you’re not going to hold a grudge against me, are you? If you truly want to put up those festive decorations, then we can sit down and have a good chat. For example, if you give me another better-than-ordinary snake gall pebble, I can actively help you put up the couplets. I can even stick them all over the bamboo building, upstairs and downstairs, if you want!”

Chen Ping’an rewarded him with a knuckle to the head. “Why, thank you!”

Ruan Xiu waved goodbye to them after they walked down the mountain. She was going to head over to Divine Elegance Mountain.

Before they knew it, it was already New Year’s Eve.

After visiting his parents’ tomb together, they returned to Clay Vase Alley. When putting up the couplets, the little boy in azure said that it was crooked, while the little girl in pink said that it wasn’t. This flustered Chen Ping’an quite a bit.

Chen Ping’an cooked many delicious dishes, and while enjoying their New Year’s Eve dinner, he didn’t forget to give the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink an ordinary snake gall pebble each. The little boy in azure immediately tossed it into his mouth without saying a word. There was a beaming smile on his face as he happily crunched down on the pebble.

Meanwhile, the little girl in pink was filled with happiness as she lowered her head and ate her snake gall pebble in a far more reserved manner.

Night fell, and Chen Ping’an placed a small cauldron with enough charcoal for the night under the table. He and the two little children then placed their legs near the cauldron. Right now, all of them were wearing brand-new clothes.

The table was full of snacks and desserts that Chen Ping’an had brought over from his pastry shop, and there was also a book, a bamboo slip, and a carving knife on the table in front of him.

He was going to stay up and guard the night.

Year after year, this was something that he would do every year. However, this year was a bit different. Chen Ping’an was no longer alone.

The little girl in pink was enjoying roasted sunflower seeds, while the little boy in azure rested his cheeks in his hands and looked at Chen Ping’an. He smiled and asked “Master, it’s New Year, so will you become very happy and give us another snake gall pebble?”

Chen Ping’an was diligently reading using the light that was brighter than last year’s, and he replied without even looking up, “No.”

The little boy in azure wasn’t annoyed, and he instead smiled happily as he asked, “Master, can I set off the firecrackers tomorrow morning?”

“Sure thing,” Chen Ping’an looked up and replied, a smile on his face.

He looked at the little girl in pink, and she hurriedly put down her sunflower seeds and playfully raised her hands to cover her ears.

Chen Ping’an made a face at her before lowering his head and continuing to read.

The little boy and little girl exchanged a smile, and as if in tacit understanding, they both turned around to look at the top of the young boy’s head.

There was an inconspicuous hairpin there, and there were eight small characters engraved on this hairpin. The contents of these characters were related to scholars.

Similar to how they had butted heads regarding the straightness of the couplets, the little boy in azure and the little girl in pink also had clashing opinions about this hairpin. The little boy in azure felt like it didn’t go well with their master at all, while the little girl in pink felt like it went extremely well with him.

When midnight passed, they would usher in a new year.

The little boy in azure had already gone to bed, and after some persuasion from Chen Ping’an, the little girl in pink also rested her arms and head on the table and took a nap.

Chen Ping’an guarded the night by himself. Only the soft sound of pages being flipped remained in the house.

When the first sliver of light appeared over the horizon…

Chen Ping’an quietly stood up and went over to open the front door. He looked up toward the east.

All of a sudden, he couldn’t help but cough softly. As he did so, an inch-long wisp of snow-white light flew out from his mouth.

As it turned out, this was a small and dazzling flying sword.

It quietly hovered in the courtyard.

It put its sharpness and magnificence on full display.

1. Guarding the night means to stay up all night to observe the passing of one year to the next. ☜

2. Upside down fortune (福) characters can be read as 福倒(到) in Chinese, which means “fortune arrives”. The character spring refers to the Spring Festival. ☜